Augmented Flight Crews

FAR 91.1061 — Augmented Flight Crews

FAR 91.1061 sets flight time, duty, and rest limits for augmented crews under Part 91 Subpart K, including 3- and 4-pilot crew composition rules.

In Plain English

FAR 91.1061 governs augmented flight crews operating under Part 91 Subpart K (fractional ownership programs). An augmented crew uses extra pilots so the airplane can fly longer legs while letting pilots rest in flight.

Commercial flight time caps for any augmented crewmember:

500 hours in any calendar quarter
800 hours in any two consecutive calendar quarters
1,400 hours in any calendar year

Before assigning a pilot to an augmented crew, the program manager must ensure:

Adequate sleeping facilities are installed on the aircraft
No pilot accrues more than 8 hours of flight deck duty in any 24 consecutive hours
A three-pilot crew has a qualified PIC, a second PIC-qualified pilot (meeting §61.57(c) and (d)), and an SIC (current under part 61 for IFR)
A four-pilot crew adds a fourth pilot meeting SIC qualifications (and instrument currency for IFR)

Duty, flight, and rest limits also apply: a 3-pilot crew may have up to a 16-hour duty period and 12 hours flight time, with 12 hours minimum post-duty rest; a 4-pilot crew may have up to an 18-hour duty period and 16 hours flight time, with 18 hours minimum post-duty rest. Minimum pre-duty rest is 10 hours, and multi-time-zone flights require extended post-duty rest. This rule matters because it directly limits how you can be scheduled and ensures fatigue is managed on long-range fractional operations.

Regulation Text

14 CFR § 91.1061

§ 91.1061 Augmented flight crews. (a) No program manager may assign any flight crewmember, and no flight crewmember may accept an assignment, for flight time as a member of an augmented crew if that crewmember's total flight time in all commercial flying will exceed— (1) 500 hours in any calendar quarter; (2) 800 hours in any two consecutive calendar quarters; (3) 1,400 hours in any calendar year. (b) No program manager may assign any pilot to an augmented crew, unless the program manager ensures: (1) Adequate sleeping facilities are installed on the aircraft for the pilots. (2) No more than 8 hours of flight deck duty is accrued in any 24 consecutive hours. (3) For a three-pilot crew, the crew must consist of at least the following: (i) A pilot in command (PIC) who meets the applicable flight crewmember requirements of this subpart and § 61.57 of this chapter. (ii) A PIC qualified pilot who meets the applicable flight crewmember requirements of this subpart and § 61.57(c) and (d) of this chapter. (iii) A second in command (SIC) who meets the SIC qualifications of this subpart. For flight under IFR, that person must also meet the recent instrument experience requirements of part 61 of this chapter. (4) For a four-pilot crew, at least three pilots who meet the conditions of paragraph (b)(3) of this section, plus a fourth pilot who meets the SIC qualifications of this subpart. For flight under IFR, that person must also meet the recent instrument experience requirements of part 61 of this chapter. (c) No program manager may assign any flight crewmember, and no flight crewmember may accept an assignment, if that crewmember's flight time or duty period will exceed, or rest time will be less than— 24 hours 18 hours (5) Minimum After Duty Rest Period for Multi-Time Zone Flights 18 Hours 12 Hours (4) Minimum After Duty Rest Up to 16 Hours Up to 12 Hours (3) Flight Time Up to 18 Hours Up to 16 Hours (2) Duty Period 10 Hours 10 Hours (1) Minimum Rest Immediately Before Duty 4-Pilot crew 3-Pilot crew

Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask

Q1What are the maximum commercial flight time limits for an augmented crewmember under Part 91 Subpart K?

Per FAR 91.1061(a), no augmented crewmember may exceed 500 hours in any calendar quarter, 800 hours in any two consecutive calendar quarters, or 1,400 hours in any calendar year of total commercial flying.

Q2What is the minimum crew composition for a three-pilot augmented crew, and what currency must they hold?

FAR 91.1061(b)(3) requires a PIC meeting Subpart K and §61.57 requirements, a second PIC-qualified pilot meeting §61.57(c) and (d), and an SIC who, for IFR flight, must also meet part 61 recent instrument experience requirements.

Q3How much flight deck duty can an individual pilot accrue in 24 consecutive hours on an augmented crew, and what onboard facilities are required?

Under FAR 91.1061(b), no pilot may accrue more than 8 hours of flight deck duty in any 24 consecutive hours, and the program manager must ensure adequate sleeping facilities are installed on the aircraft.

Practice this with our AI examiner

Examiner Reed adapts to your responses and probes deeper on weak spots — full ACS coverage, not a script.

Studying for a checkride?

Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide

200+ DPE-style questions, ACS-aligned

Private Pilot Checkride Prep

Mock checkride with pass-prediction

PPL Knowledge Test Practice

Free adaptive questions

Related Sections in Part 91

§ 91.1

Part 91 Applicability