Large transport category airplanes: Reciprocating engine powered: Takeoff limitations

This regulation sets takeoff performance requirements for large reciprocating-engine transport aircraft operating under Part 135.

Before takeoff, the pilot must verify three things are possible:

• The airplane can stop safely on the remaining runway at any point before reaching V1 (critical engine failure speed)
• If the critical engine fails at or after V1, the airplane can continue the takeoff and climb to 50 feet before the runway ends
• The airplane can clear all obstacles by at least 50 feet vertically or 200-300 feet horizontally (depending on location), without banking before reaching 50 feet and limiting bank to 15 degrees thereafter

These calculations must account for runway slope. When considering wind, you can only credit 50% of headwinds but must penalize yourself for 150% of tailwinds—a conservative approach that provides safety margins. This ensures the aircraft has adequate performance to either stop or continue safely if an engine fails during the takeoff roll.

*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.*