Regulation Text
(a) Unless otherwise required by part 93 of this chapter or unless otherwise authorized or required by the ATC facility having jurisdiction over the Class E airspace area, each person operating an aircraft on or in the vicinity of an airport in a Class E airspace area must comply with the requirements of § 91.126.
(b) Departures. Each pilot of an aircraft must comply with any traffic patterns established for that airport in part 93 of this chapter.
(c) Communications with control towers. Unless otherwise authorized or required by ATC, no person may operate an aircraft to, from, through, or on an airport having an operational control tower unless two-way radio communications are maintained between that aircraft and the control tower. Communications must be established prior to 4 nautical miles from the airport, up to and including 2,500 feet AGL. However, if the aircraft radio fails in flight, the pilot in command may operate that aircraft and land if weather conditions are at or above basic VFR weather minimums, visual contact with the tower is maintained, and a clearance to land is received. If the aircraft radio fails while in flight under IFR, the pilot must comply with § 91.185.
[Docket 24458, 56 FR 65658, Dec. 17, 1991, as amended by Amdt. 91-239, 59 FR 11693, Mar. 11, 1994]
Research Notes
Section 91.127 governs operations at airports in Class E airspace where Class B/C/D do not exist — typically the non-towered Class E (surface area) airport.
Paragraph (a) — Direction of turns and approach: Unless the airport displays approved indicators showing otherwise, each pilot of an airplane departing the airport must make all turns to the LEFT (or the published right traffic, if applicable). Approaches and landings follow the published or otherwise-displayed traffic pattern.
Paragraph (b) — Helicopter operations: Helicopters must avoid the flow of fixed-wing aircraft (mirrors § 91.126(c)).
Paragraph (c) — IFR operations: The IFR operator at a Class E surface area airport is bound by both this section AND the IFR rules in Subpart B (§§ 91.167-91.193). At non-towered Class E surface area airports, the pilot is responsible for self-announcing position and intentions on the CTAF, complying with the right-of-way rules, and maintaining VFR until and unless on an IFR clearance.
Class E surface area airports: A Class E surface area airport extends Class E airspace down to the surface, typically with weather observation/reporting. The airspace is for IFR operations to/from the airport. VFR pilots can operate freely (no clearance required) but must use the CTAF, comply with the pattern, and self-separate.
Reference: AIM 3-2-6 on Class E airspace; AC 90-66B on non-towered airport flight operations.
Amendment History
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