Skip to content
Vincony — fast, managed web hosting for your next site
The Pilots Desk
US-FAA14 CFR 135.379

Large transport category airplanes: Turbine engine powered: Takeoff limitations

Read the official rule

This regulation sets takeoff weight limits for turbine-powered large transport category airplanes operating under Part 135. You cannot exceed the maximum takeoff weight listed in the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) for your specific conditions.

The AFM weight limits account for:

  • Airport elevation and temperature
  • Available runway, stopway, and clearway distances
  • Obstacle clearance requirements (either 35+ feet vertically or 200-300 feet horizontally)
  • Runway gradient, wind, and surface conditions (dry or wet)

Specific requirements vary based on when the airplane was certificated (pre-1957, 1957-1959, or post-1959), with newer aircraft having more detailed accelerate-stop and takeoff distance criteria. The regulation assumes no banking below 50 feet and maximum 15-degree bank thereafter.

In practice, this means you must calculate your maximum allowable takeoff weight using AFM performance data before every departure, ensuring you can safely accelerate, stop if needed, take off, and clear obstacles given actual conditions.

*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.*

This is an original plain-English explanation for training and reference, not legal advice and not for navigation. Always rely on the current official rule linked above. Last reviewed June 20, 2026.