FAR 91.503 — Flying Equipment Requirements
FAR 91.503 lists the flying equipment, charts, and cockpit checklists a PIC must have accessible on large and turbine-powered airplane flights.
FAR 91.503 applies to large and turbine-powered multiengine airplanes and tells the pilot in command what equipment, charts, and checklists must be accessible at the pilot station for every flight. This matters operationally because these items support both routine procedures and emergency response in complex aircraft.
The PIC must ensure the following are on board, current, and accessible:
- A flashlight with at least two size "D" cells (or equivalent) in good working order
- A cockpit checklist covering the required procedures
- Pertinent aeronautical charts
- For IFR, VFR over-the-top, or night flights: en route, terminal area, and approach/letdown charts
- For multiengine airplanes: one-engine-inoperative climb performance data
The cockpit checklist must include procedures for: before starting engines, before takeoff, cruise, before landing, after landing, stopping engines, and emergencies. Emergency procedures must address fuel, hydraulic, electrical, and mechanical systems; instruments and controls; engine-inoperative procedures; and any other safety-critical items. Crewmembers are required to actually use these items when pertinent — they're not just paperwork.