Equipment requirements: Aircraft carrying passengers under IFR

This regulation specifies the equipment required for Part 135 aircraft carrying passengers under IFR. Beyond basic IFR instruments, you must have:

• A vertical speed indicator
• An outside air temperature gauge
• Heated pitot tube(s)
• A warning device showing when gyroscopic instrument power fails
• An alternate static source for pressure instruments

Electrical power requirements differ by aircraft type:

Single-engine aircraft need either two independent electrical generating sources capable of powering all required equipment, OR a primary source plus a standby battery/alternate source that can supply 150% of required electrical loads for at least one hour.

Multi-engine aircraft must have at least two generators/alternators on separate engines, with half the total number able to handle emergency electrical loads.

All aircraft need two independent energy sources for gyroscopic instruments, with at least one engine-driven. On multi-engine aircraft, these must be on different engines.

These redundancies ensure continued safe flight if primary systems fail during passenger IFR operations.

*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.*