8.required-documents-arrow. Required Aircraft Documents (ARROW)
Federal regulations require that certain documents be aboard an aircraft any time it is operated. Pilots commonly remember these documents using the mnemonic ARROW:
- A — Airworthiness Certificate
- R — Registration Certificate
- R — Radio Station License (international flights only)
- O — Operating Limitations
- W — Weight and Balance data (current)
The regulatory basis is found principally in 14 CFR §91.9 (operating limitations), §91.203 (civil aircraft: certifications required), and §47.3/§47.31 (registration). Verifying these documents is part of every preflight and is a routine question on FAA practical tests.
Airworthiness Certificate (FAA Form 8100-2). Issued under 14 CFR Part 21, the standard airworthiness certificate is white in color and remains valid as long as the aircraft is maintained in accordance with Parts 21, 43, and 91, and is registered in the United States. There is no expiration date printed on the certificate itself; airworthiness is conditional on continued compliance with applicable inspections and Airworthiness Directives (ADs). The certificate must be displayed in the cabin or cockpit at the aircraft entrance so that it is legible to passengers and crew (§91.203(b)). A special airworthiness certificate (e.g., experimental, restricted, limited, light-sport) is pink and carries additional operating limitations.
Registration Certificate (AC Form 8050-3). Issued by the FAA Civil Aviation Registry under 14 CFR Part 47. Since 2010, registrations must be renewed every 3 years (transitioning to 7 years under recent rulemaking). An aircraft may not be operated unless it is registered to its current owner. A temporary pink-copy registration (the "pink slip") is valid for up to 90 days while the permanent certificate is processed. Operating with an expired registration is a violation of §91.203(a)(2).
Radio Station License. Issued by the FCC, not the FAA. Required only when the aircraft is operated outside the United States or uses certain types of radio equipment internationally (e.g., HF, ELT in some jurisdictions). Domestic U.S. flights have not required an FCC station license since 1996. A separate FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit is required for the pilot on international flights.
Operating Limitations. Operating limitations define how the aircraft may legally be flown. For aircraft certificated after March 1, 1979, these limitations are contained in the FAA-approved Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) or Airplane Flight Manual (AFM). Older aircraft may carry limitations as a combination of placards, markings on instruments, and an aircraft flight manual. Per §91.9, no person may operate a civil aircraft without complying with the operating limitations, and the AFM/POH (if required) must be carried in the aircraft.
Weight and Balance Data. The current empty weight, empty CG, useful load, and equipment list must be aboard. This information is usually contained in the Weight and Balance section (Section 6) of the POH and is updated by an A&P mechanic any time equipment is added, removed, or relocated (e.g., installation of a new avionics suite). Outdated weight and balance data renders the aircraft non-airworthy for the flight because the pilot cannot verify CG limits per §91.9.
Inspections (separate from ARROW but commonly tested together). Required documents do not by themselves make an aircraft airworthy. The pilot must also confirm that all required inspections are current and properly logged. The mnemonic AV1ATE is often used:
- A — Annual inspection (every 12 calendar months, §91.409(a))
- V — VOR check (every 30 days for IFR, §91.171)
- 1 — 100-hour inspection (if for hire or flight instruction in an aircraft provided by the instructor, §91.409(b))
- A — Altimeter and pitot-static system (every 24 calendar months for IFR, §91.411)
- T — Transponder (every 24 calendar months, §91.413)
- E — ELT (battery every 12 calendar months or after 1 cumulative hour of use; inspection every 12 calendar months, §91.207)
Practical Tips.
- Verify documents during preflight, before engine start. Confirm the airworthiness certificate is displayed and legible.
- Cross-check the N-number on the registration against the aircraft.
- Confirm the AFM/POH matches the specific airframe by serial number, especially in fleet operations.
- After any maintenance involving equipment changes, ensure the new weight and balance amendment is in the aircraft and signed.
- For international operations, obtain the FCC station license well in advance — processing is not instantaneous.
Failure to have any required document aboard is not merely paperwork; the FAA may deem the flight to have been conducted in violation of §91.203, and insurance coverage may be jeopardized.