Operational Control Acknowledgment

FAR 91.1013 Operational Control Acknowledgment

FAR 91.1013 requires fractional program managers to brief owners on operational control duties and obtain a signed acknowledgment. Learn what it covers.

In Plain English

FAR 91.1013 governs the operational control briefing and signed acknowledgment required in fractional ownership programs under Subpart K. When a fractional owner signs an initial program management services contract — or renews or extends one — the program manager must brief the owner on what operational control means and what responsibilities come with it. The owner must then sign an acknowledgment, which becomes part of the contract.

The acknowledgment must spell out when the owner is in operational control and the owner's duties and exposure, including:

  • Compliance with the management specifications and all applicable regulations
  • Enforcement actions if the owner fails to comply
  • Liability risk for personal injury or property damage from a flight-related event

By signing, the owner affirms they have read, understand, and accept these responsibilities. The program manager must make these acknowledgments available to the owner (or their representatives) and to the FAA for all program aircraft.

This matters operationally because operational control determines who is legally responsible for a flight — a critical concept in fractional operations where pilots, managers, and owners share roles.

Regulation Text
14 CFR § 91.1013
§ 91.1013 Operational control briefing and acknowledgment. (a) Upon the signing of an initial program management services contract, or a renewal or extension of a program management services contract, the program manager must brief the fractional owner on the owner's operational control responsibilities, and the owner must review and sign an acknowledgment of these operational control responsibilities. The acknowledgment must be included with the program management services contract. The acknowledgment must define when a fractional owner is in operational control and the owner's responsibilities and liabilities under the program. These include: (1) Responsibility for compliance with the management specifications and all applicable regulations. (2) Enforcement actions for any noncompliance. (3) Liability risk in the event of a flight-related occurrence that causes personal injury or property damage. (b) The fractional owner's signature on the acknowledgment will serve as the owner's affirmation that the owner has read, understands, and accepts the operational control responsibilities described in the acknowledgment. (c) Each program manager must ensure that the fractional owner or owner's representatives have access to the acknowledgments for such owner's program aircraft. Each program manager must ensure that the FAA has access to the acknowledgments for all program aircraft.
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1When does a program manager have to brief a fractional owner on operational control responsibilities?
Per FAR 91.1013, the program manager must brief the owner upon signing an initial program management services contract, or upon any renewal or extension of that contract.
Q2What three responsibilities must the operational control acknowledgment define for the fractional owner?
Under FAR 91.1013(a), the acknowledgment must define the owner's responsibility for compliance with management specifications and applicable regulations, exposure to enforcement actions for noncompliance, and liability risk for flight-related personal injury or property damage.
Q3Who must have access to the signed operational control acknowledgments?
FAR 91.1013(c) requires the program manager to ensure that the fractional owner or the owner's representatives have access to acknowledgments for that owner's aircraft, and that the FAA has access to the acknowledgments for all program aircraft.
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FAR 91.1013 — Fractional Owner Operational Control Briefing