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Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to your FAA questions.
Yes, a deaf pilot is required to submit the results of a hearing exam to the medical examiner or the FAA in order to satisfy the medical exam. He or she must also take a Special Medical Flight Test in the later stages of flight instruction to demonstrate the following:
- Recognition of engine power loss or engine failure by a change in vibration and by instrument scan;
- Recognition of approaching stall by aerodynamic buffet and visual cues; and
- Recognition of retractable gear emergencies by observation of gear warning lights (if applicable).
Upon the successful completion of the Special Medical Flight Test, the FAA will issue a second-class or third-class medical certificate and a Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA). This can be done at a Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) of choice.
Each small UAS or drone will have different mechanical failure rates based on a multitude of factors. Most small drones are not issued an airworthiness certificate. It is the operator's or waiver applicant's responsibility to determine their specific drone’s mechanical failure rate, based on where and how it is operated, and how it is maintained.
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Federal agencies are public agencies and as such must operate under the same rules of those of a city, county, state or tribal agency. Since they are automatically declared a public agency, they are not required to present a Public Declaration Letter for review by the FAA.
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No. You do not have to provide a drug and alcohol registration or proof of your testing program when you make your application for a LOA to the FSDO. The Operations Specifications (OpSpecs) paragraph (A049) that is issued as part of the LOA serves as the program registration. When the FSDO records the LOA with an identifying number in the OpSpecs, the information will download into the FAA's Drug Abatement Division subsystem, thus registering your program.
Once your LOA is issued, the regulation requires that you implement your testing program no later than the day you begin air tour operations. For more information concerning how an air tour operator can implement a testing program, you may review this guidance document posted on the Drug Abatement Division's website.
If you or the FSDO have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulation(s):
FAA’s drug and alcohol testing regulation, 14 CFR part 120, requires an aviation employer to document their program in accordance with 14 CFR §§ 120.117 and 120.225, based on the type of operation:
- An Operations Specification paragraph (A449) would apply to a part 121 or 135 operator, or a repair station that elects to conduct its own testing.
- A Letter of Authorization (LOA) paragraph (A049) would apply to an air tour operator as defined in 14 CFR § 91.147.
- A registration is applicable to an air traffic control facility not operated by the FAA/U.S. Military, or a contractor that elects to conduct its own testing.
The certification under an A449, A049, or registration gives the employer or contractor the authority to conduct federal testing of its employees under 14 CFR part 120. When an employer hires a C/TPA to manage its random drug and alcohol testing program, the C/TPA is obligated under 49 CFR § 40.347(b)(2) to ensure that only employees covered by DOT agency drug and alcohol testing are part of the random testing pool.
The easiest way for you to verify the aviation employees you add to the random testing pool are covered is to request and obtain a copy of the aviation employer’s A449, A049, or registration. Another option is to contact the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division at (202)-267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov. Failure to verify employees are covered under a DOT agency regulation is a violation of 49 CFR § 40.347(b)(2) and may trigger a Public Interest Exclusion (PIE) in accordance with 49 CFR § 40.365(b)(14).
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
If you are operating under a part 145 certificate and elect to conduct your own federal testing to perform safety-sensitive functions for an employer (including a part 121 or 135 or 91.147 operator), you must obtain an Operations Specification paragraph (A449) by contacting your FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI). You must provide the PMI the following information that is outlined in 14 CFR §§ 120.117(d) and 120.225(d):
- Company name,
- Certificate number,
- Telephone Number,
- Address where your drug and alcohol testing records are kept, and
- Whether you have 50 or more safety-sensitive employees, or 49 or fewer safety-sensitive employees.
You must certify in your A449 that you will comply with 14 CFR part 120 and 49 CFR part 40. Once your A449 is active, you must implement your testing program prior to your employees performing any safety-sensitive functions, directly or by contract (including subcontract at any tier) for a 14 CFR part 121 or 135 or § 91.147 operator.
Your A449 serves as your certification and authorization to conduct federal drug and alcohol testing under 14 CFR part 120. Although some repair station companies are authorized for a specific rating, this limitation does not affect the A449 or the repair station’s ability to conduct their own federal drug and alcohol testing program.
While we allow a repair station to obtain a program registration, that option is limited to an individual or corporation that owns and operates multiple repair station certificates or facilities throughout the territories of the United States and conducts testing under one program. For example, a corporation owns and operates six different repair station certificates throughout Texas and wants to conduct a single drug and alcohol testing program. The corporation would obtain a registration that covers all six of its repair station certificates and employees. If you are a repair station that operates under a single certificate and in multiple states, you are not eligible to register the program and you would conduct testing under your A449.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
In addition to performing regular audits of your collection sites and personnel, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with your Evidential Breath Testing (EBT) device's Quality Assurance Plan (QAP). You should also ensure that your Breath Alcohol Technician (BAT) is familiar with the QAP and the requirements for proper use and care of the EBT devices.
According to the Department of Transportation's (DOT's) procedural regulation, 49 CFR Part 40, § 40.233, the employer or BAT must:
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for conducting external calibration checks at the intervals specified.
- Only use calibration devices appearing on the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's conforming product list for "Calibrating Units for Breath Alcohol Tests" when conducting external calibration checks. If a dry gas solution is used, it is important that the BAT is aware of the expiration date and ensures that a backup unexpired gas tank is on site.
- Remove an EBT from service when it fails an external check of calibration. It cannot be returned to service until it is repaired and passes an external calibration check.
- Ensure that all maintenance is performed as instructed in the operating manual and in the QAP.
- Keep a log of all accuracy checks, calibrations, and maintenance, and ensure that all maintenance is performed at the proper time listed and by the proper person. A suggested calibration/accuracy check log is available on our website for use. It is critical to ensure that these processes are appropriately documented.
- Maintain the records of the inspection, maintenance and calibration of the EBT for 2 years.
According to 49 CFR § 40.267, a confirmed test result of 0.02 or above must be cancelled if the next external calibration check of the EBT produces a result that differs by more than the tolerance stated in the QAP from the known value of the test standard. In this case, every result of 0.02 or above obtained on the EBT since the last valid external calibration check is cancelled. Because this is considered a "fatal flaw", it cannot be corrected.
Finally, you and your BAT should know the difference between an external calibration check (i.e., accuracy check/verification check) and a calibration. An external calibration or accuracy check ensures the proper calibration of a device. These accuracy checks must be conducted as often as is referenced in the device's QAP, and it is good practice to do an accuracy check as soon as possible after a positive test. When a device is calibrated, it is reset and changes the way the device measures alcohol. Remember that some QAPs require that users are certified by the device's operator. Calibrating a device, instead of conducting an accuracy check/verification check after a confirmed result of 0.04 or above, is a fatal flaw.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
A private college is not a government agency; and as such, would not qualify to operate as a public aircraft operator.
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- Yes, a pilot who is serving as a tow pilot may log the flight time when they are towing. As stated in FAR Part 61, Section 61.51(e)(1), pilot-in-command flight time may be logged for that flight time during which that person is the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft for which the pilot is rated.
- There are no rules that would prevent counting that time toward currency or a rating or certificate. As stated in Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 61, Section 61.113(g), a private pilot who meets the requirements of FAR Part 61, Section 61.69, may act as pilot in command of an aircraft towing a glider.
Yes, a person who holds at least a private pilot certificate and who meets the requirements of Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 61, Section 61.69, may tow gliders whether there is a fee being charged by the towing operator or not. You can find additional information in FAR Part 61, Section 61.113(a) and (g).
Yes, an entire city can be under one COA, but the city needs to understand that anyone or any machine flying under that COA is the responsibility of the COA holder (the city in this example). The responsible person of the COA holder is responsible for exercising proper oversight and control over all who fly under that COA. It's important to understand as you design your command and control concept that in that scenario, if the COA is cancelled for any reason by the FAA, the entire group would be unable to fly under that COA. Some entities choose to centralize, while some choose to decentralize and have the various departments obtain their own COAs and manage their own crews and machines. This decision is at the discretion of the entity.
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No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft or drone in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC). Drone pilots planning to fly in controlled airspace must get permission from the FAA. You can submit requests for authorization to fly in controlled airspace near airports via these two systems:
1. Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC)
2. FAADroneZone
No. No form of in-flight notification may be used to notify pilots and flight attendants of random testing. According to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) drug and alcohol testing regulation (14 CFR part 120), an employer shall require that random testing is unannounced and each safety-sensitive employee who is notified of selection for random drug testing is to proceed to the collection site immediately. The opportunity to report for testing immediately does not exist while in-flight; therefore, the use of in-flight notification is considered advance notification and is not permitted under our regulation.
Additionally, the FAA stated in the preamble to the January 12, 2004 final rule (69 Federal Register, page 1848) that "such advance notification is inherently unfair because pilots and flight attendants are only two of the eight categories of safety-sensitive employees. In other words, six categories of employees are not accessible by ACARS advance notification. In addition to the unfairness issue, ACARS advance notification has been linked, through enforcement cases, to dilutions, substitutions, and adulterations. ACARS notification could provide the employee with an opportunity to consume large quantities of fluid immediately before the test, which may dilute the specimen. Also, ACARS notification could provide the employee with an opportunity to substitute a specimen or to obtain access to adulterants to subvert the testing process."
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
14 CFR § 120.109(b)(8)
14 CFR § 120.217(c)(8)
Preamble to the January 12, 2004, Final Rule
Yes. Section 67.409 under 14 CFR sets forth the appeal process within the FAA for applicants who are denied medical certification.
Within 30 days after the date of the denial, you may apply for reconsideration to:
Federal Air Surgeon
Attention: Manager, Aerospace Medical Certification Division, AAM-300
Federal Aviation Administration
P.O. Box 25082
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73126
Yes, you can appeal if you are denied medical certification. You can find information about the appeal process on our website.
No. Federal law restricts UAS from flying at or below 3,000 AGL within a 3 nautical mile radius of any stadium with a seating capacity of 30,000 or more people during a Major League Baseball (MLB), regular or post-season National Football League (NFL), or NCAA Division I football game, or major motor speedway event. This temporary flight restriction applies to the entire U.S. domestic National Airspace System, and takes effect starting one hour before the scheduled event time until one hour after the event concludes. The FAA gives further detail in a Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM).
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You can get a FAA certificate if you have a felony conviction, unless the conviction is for a drug or alcohol related offense. In that case, you cannot apply for a certificate for up to one year after your final conviction.
If you already have a certificate at the time of conviction, the FAA may suspend or revoke it for up to one year as described in 14 CFR 61.15.
You can get a FAA certificate if you have a felony conviction, unless the conviction is for a drug or alcohol related offense. In that case, you cannot apply for a certificate for up to one year after your final conviction.
If you already have a certificate at the time of conviction, the FAA may suspend or revoke it for up to one year as described in 14 CFR 61.15.
You can get a FAA certificate if you have a felony conviction, unless the conviction is for a drug or alcohol related offense. In that case, you cannot apply for a certificate for up to one year after your final conviction.
If you already have a certificate at the time of conviction, the FAA may suspend or revoke it for up to one year as described in 14 CFR 61.15.
You don't have to have a multi-engine rating to get an ATP certificate. You can find the regulation regarding this on the U.S. Government Printing Office website.