FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Flight Maneuvers and EndorsementsHard
A commercial pilot is planning to perform aerobatic maneuvers with a passenger on board, including bank angles exceeding 60°. According to 14 CFR 91.307, what equipment must be worn or carried for the occupants during this flight?
- AA shoulder harness only, with no parachute required
- BA supplemental oxygen system for flights above 10,000 feet MSL
- CAn approved parachute for each occupant, worn during the maneuver
- DAn approved life vest for each occupant
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. An approved parachute for each occupant, worn during the maneuver
14 CFR 91.307(c) requires each occupant to wear an approved parachute when a bank angle in excess of 60° relative to the horizon, or a nose-up or nose-down pitch attitude in excess of 30°, is intentionally performed, unless the flight is within specific exceptions such as training flights conducted per 91.307(d).
Why the other options are wrong
- A. A shoulder harness alone does not satisfy the parachute requirement of 91.307(c).
- B. Supplemental oxygen relates to altitude requirements under 91.211, not aerobatic parachute rules.
- D. Life vests are required for overwater flight, not aerobatic bank/pitch limits under 91.307.
Parachute Requirement for Aerobatic Flight (91.307)
Federal regulation requiring each occupant to wear an approved parachute whenever an aircraft exceeds a 60° bank or a 30° nose-up/nose-down pitch attitude, with limited training exceptions.
- Threshold: bank > 60° or pitch > 30° from horizon
- Exception exists for certain flight training under 91.307(d), such as spins for CFI certification
- Parachute must be worn, not merely carried, during the maneuver
Memory trick: 'Sixty and thirty, wear your party (parachute)' when banking or pitching past those limits.