Are You Properly Complying with the Rest Rule?
Safety is critical for the overall viability of the aviation industry. And high-quality training is the foundation for safety.
But FAA regulations governing FAR Part 135 crew duty and rest times have been a source of confusion for many operators over the past few years.
Fatigue is an important issue, and proper rest is necessary to prevent pilots from losing focus during flight. And some operators may need to update their training (whether online aviation training or classroom training) to stay current.
One of the biggest areas of confusion in FAR 135.265 lies within (b)(2) which states that pilots cannot fly during the 24 consecutive hours preceding the scheduled completion of any flight segment without a scheduled rest period during that 24 hours of at least 10 consecutive hours of rest for 8 or more but less than 9 hours of scheduled flight time.
(The entire text of FAR 135.265 is at the end of this post.)
Crew Duty and Rest Requirements Compliance
We find that many pilots and operators believe that the 10-hour rest period begins when they end their day and is completed after 10 hours pass before they accept their next assignment. However, if they’re on call during that interval, the FAA doesn’t consider it rest and they’re in violation of the FAR 135.265 (b)(2) rule.
Since “rest” is defined by the FAA as a “freedom from any obligation,” being on call isn’t considered rest – whether the pilot accepts an assignment or not.
Here’s more clarification from the FAA legal department.
Having a proper fatigue management program is critical for both safety and FAA compliance. Understanding how the FAA interprets FAR 135.263 is important – especially when operators with the best intentions may find themselves out of compliance.
FAR 135.265 Flight time limitations and rest requirements: Scheduled operations
(a) No certificate holder may schedule any flight crewmember, and no flight crewmember may accept an assignment, for flight time in scheduled operations or in other commercial flying if that crewmember’s total flight time in all commercial flying will exceed –
(1) 1,200 hours in any calendar year.
(2) 120 hours in any calendar month.
(3) 34 hours in any 7 consecutive days.
(4) 8 hours during any 24 consecutive hours for a flight crew consisting of one pilot.
(5) 8 hours between required rest periods for a flight crew consisting of two pilots qualified under this part for the operation being conducted.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, no certificate holder may schedule a flight crewmember, and no flight crewmember may accept an assignment, for flight time during the 24 consecutive hours preceding the scheduled completion of any flight segment without a scheduled rest period during that 24 hours of at least the following:
(1) 9 consecutive hours of rest for less than 8 hours of scheduled flight time.
(2) 10 consecutive hours of rest for 8 or more but less than 9 hours of scheduled flight time.
(3) 11 consecutive hours of rest for 9 or more hours of scheduled flight time.
(c) A certificate holder may schedule a flight crewmember for less than the rest required in paragraph (b) of this section or may reduce a scheduled rest under the following conditions:
(1) A rest required under paragraph (b)(1) of this section may be scheduled for or reduced to a minimum of 8 hours if the flight crewmember is given a rest period of at least 10 hours that must begin no later than 24 hours after the commencement of the reduced rest period.
(2) A rest required under paragraph (b)(2) of this section may be scheduled for or reduced to a minimum of 8 hours if the flight crewmember is given a rest period of at least 11 hours that must begin no later than 24 hours after the commencement of the reduced rest period.
(3) A rest required under paragraph (b)(3) of this section may be scheduled for or reduced to a minimum of 9 hours if the flight crewmember is given a rest period of at least 12 hours that must begin no later than 24 hours after the commencement of the reduced rest period.
(d) Each certificate holder shall relieve each flight crewmember engaged in scheduled air transportation from all further duty for at least 24 consecutive hours during any 7 consecutive days.
Part 135 and Part 121 Training
Proper training is critical for ensuring that all pilots are adhering to the proper rest requirements. TrainingBoom provides comprehensive online training has been an online learning provider for Part 135 training since 2008. This enables pilots to complete their FAA-required training from any mobile device or computer without having to travel to a classroom, which saves them time and saves their operator money.
Our training modules include Crew Resource Management Training, Part 135 Hazardous Materials Training, Part 135 Basic Indoctrination Training, Fatigue Management and all of the other FAA-required modules – customized for your operation.
Or listen to what our customers have to say about their experience with TrainingBoom.