Flight time limitations: All airmen: airplanes

This regulation sets an annual flight time limit for all flight crewmembers operating under Part 121 (scheduled air carriers). No airman may fly more than 1,000 hours during any consecutive 12-calendar-month period.

This is a hard cap that applies regardless of how rest periods are scheduled or how many days off a pilot receives. The 12-month period is a rolling window—not tied to a calendar year—so airlines must continuously track each crewmember's flight time over the preceding 12 months.

In practice, this means if a pilot flew 1,000 hours between March 2023 and February 2024, they cannot fly again until enough time passes that their rolling 12-month total drops below 1,000 hours. This limit exists to prevent excessive cumulative fatigue from long-term overwork, complementing the shorter-term daily and weekly rest requirements found in other Part 121 regulations. Airlines must monitor and enforce this limit through their crew scheduling systems.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*