I've been reading these and the more I read the more confused I become.. what a bunch of gobble - d - gook!

 

is there a reference or anything that would break these down to the major key points?  I'm looking for something that would explain these for non pilots..

If you don't mind the somewhat high price, I would recommend this:

 

http://aviation-press.com/

 

I used it a lot during my time studying for the ATP written, as well as just increasing my aviation knowledge. The layout is a bit bizarre, but the author does a good job of breaking down the regs into plain english.

That what happens when lawyers write Federal Aviation Regulations.

 

I don't relay  know a good place to that puts them into major key point but, here are the basics

 

Part 91: General aviation, this can apply to a for anything from C172 to a B737 if the aircraft is not used not used to transport paying passengers. Compared to Part 121 or 135 pilots can do basically anything they want, minimum regulatory restriction.

 

Part 135: On demand charter or non-scheduled. This allows an operator to advertise and charge passengers for charter services. Part 135 aircraft typically have 30 seats or less. Pilots operating under Part 135 are subject to a lot more restriction as compared to Part 91, for example duty time restrictions.

 

Part 121: Scheduled air carriers. United Airlines for example. Rules are similar to Part 135 but more restrictions. 

 

I hope this helps.

You might look at the AIM:

http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATPubs/AIM/aim.pdf

 

scott s.

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The way I think of it is private carriage vs common carriage and small vs large airplanes (common carriage = holding out (advertising) by offering to transport persons or property from place to place for compensation).  Private carriage would imply the owner of the aircraft picks who gets to fly on his airplane and is not offering the airplane out to anyone who pays.  Common carriage implies that anyone can come to you, give you money, and get to fly on your airplane.

 

Private Carriage

Small airplanes - part 91

Large airplanes - part 125

 

Common Carriage

Small airplanes - part 135

Large airplanes - part 121

 

Common carriage will be more restrictive than private carriage (since customers are paying), and large airplanes will be more restrictive than small airplanes.

 

Non-scheduled isn't always part 135, as large aircraft will fall under Supplemental operations under part 121.

The FARs are written for use by the industry  - not for "the common folk."   The requirement of legal regulations is not that they should be instantly understandable by common folk, but that they should be as unambiguous and unchallengeable  as possible.

 

I'm a retired engineer in the UK and have involved in writing similar legal documents.  The way it worked was that I wrote what I wanted to say and the lawyers reviewed it and either accepted it or  proposed changes - usually for the better. The lawyers ensured that the words actually meant what I wanted them to mean without loopholes.

The FARs are written for use by the industry - not for "the common folk." The requirement of legal regulations is not that they should be instantly understandable by common folk, but that they should be as unambiguous and unchallengeable as possible.

 

I'm a retired engineer in the UK and have involved in writing similar legal documents. The way it worked was that I wrote what I wanted to say and the lawyers reviewed it and either accepted it or proposed changes - usually for the better. The lawyers ensured that the words actually meant what I wanted them to mean without loopholes.

That why courts are clogged with lawsuits

That why courts are clogged with lawsuits

 

They'd be even more clogged if the law was written by engineers and pilots!