Regulation Text
(a) Unless provided for in this section, no person may operate a primary category aircraft carrying persons or property for compensation or hire in operations that:
(1) Require an air carrier or commercial operator certificate issued under part 119 of this chapter;
(2) Are listed in § 119.1(e) of this chapter;
(3) Require management specifications for a fractional ownership program issued in accordance with subpart K of this part; or
(4) Are conducted under part 129, 133, or 137 of this chapter.
(b) Except as provided in § 91.326(c), no person may operate a primary category aircraft that is maintained by the pilot-owner under an approved special inspection and maintenance program except—
(1) The pilot-owner; or
(2) A designee of the pilot-owner, provided that the pilot-owner does not receive compensation for the use of the aircraft.
(c) A primary category aircraft that is maintained by an appropriately rated mechanic or an authorized certificated repair station in accordance with the applicable provisions of part 43 of this chapter may be used to conduct flight training, checking, and testing for compensation or hire.
[Docket FAA-2023-1351, Amdt. 91-378, 89 FR 80340, Oct. 2, 2024]
Research Notes
Section 91.325 — Primary category aircraft: Operating limitations — establishes the operating limitations for aircraft certificated under the Primary category (a category for simple, small, low-performance aircraft used primarily for personal use).
Primary category background: Created in the 1990s to provide a less-onerous certification path for simple personal aircraft. Many GA pilots are unfamiliar with the category because few aircraft are certificated under it — most chose Standard or Experimental paths instead. Primary category essentially competed with Light Sport (LSA) and lost in the marketplace.
Operational restrictions: Primary category aircraft may be operated only for personal use, education, and limited commercial purposes specified by the type design. They cannot be used for compensated passenger carriage.
Reference: Part 21 on Primary category type certification; FAA Order 8130.2.
Amendment History
Amendment History Coming Soon
Every time this regulation changes, we'll record it here — the date, what was amended, and a plain-English summary of what shifted.