The Road to Part 135 Certification  

Very Important Note:  The FAA is going to read everything that you submit!

Prerequisites required by the FAA to begin:

1. An Airworthy Aircraft,
2. A Qualified Flight Crew,
3. Commercial Aircraft Insurance
4. Qualified management personnel (with all information below)

Minimum PIC Flight Experience Requirements Part 135.243(b) and (c) require that a PIC who does not hold an ATP certificate and who conducts operations that do not require an ATP certificate must have acquired a minimum number of flight hours before serving as a PIC.

Pilot                  Total  Cross-Country  Night 
VFR PIC             500         100              25* 
IFR PIC            1,200         500            100 
*25 hours must be night cross-country hours.

Pre-Application:

Your pre-application activities will include contacting your Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) and letting them know of your intent.
Prepare a pre-application statement of intent. 135 Agent will prepare your pre-application statement of intent
Make an appointment at your Local FSDO
Promptly attend appointment at FSDO for quick introduction and watch certification video (popcorn optional)
Meet your newly assigned POI - Principal Operations Inspector

Preparation and Submission:
Application and Initial Documentation
135 Manuals and Forms
Aircraft Conformity Checks - Preparation and FAA Inspection
Training Manual and Sessions - Company Specific Training
Check Ride - FAA Practical Exam for Staff as per FAR 135.293-299

Full 135 Operator:
Exclusive use of at least one single-engine or multi-engine aircraft
No restrictions on the number or type of aircraft
No restrictions on the number of pilots
General Operations Manual
Training Manual
Director of Operations and Chief Pilot are required
Director of Operations and Chief Pilot can be combined for non-turbine powered aircraft upon approval of a waiver and as long as the operation is simple.
Director of Maintenance is required.

Basic 135 Operator: The Basic 135 Operator certificate is the same as Full 135 Operator; except, the Director of Operations and Chief Pilot can be fulfilled by the same person. There is a limitation of no more than 5 pilots and no more than 5 aircraft. It is possible for a Full 135 Operator to get a waiver allowing the two positions to be combined thus alleviating the need for this level of certification.

Options:
Extended over-water operations (optional).
Canadian Foreign Air Carrier Certificate (optional).
 

Aircraft ConformityRequirements: 
Director of Maintenance (DOM -  Full 135 Operator) or maintenance shop perform an aircraft conformity inspection and respective worksheet with teh following verifed by FAA Inspector POI 
Aircraft Inspections
Airworthiness Directives
Time Critical Components
Supplemental Type Certificates
Yellow Tags or Form 8410
Physical Inspection
Lease Agreement (if not directly owned)
 

Training Requirements:

All 135 operations are required to complete training program.
Full 135 Operator must have a GOM - General Operations Manual and a Training Manual that defines the defines all details of teh operations procedures and training requirements. 
Inhouse Indoc Training (Company Specific)
General Subjects Training
Flight Training
 
Checkride Requirements:

Part 135 Oral Exam: The Principal Operations Inspector will administer an oral exam to the Director of Operations, the Chief Pilot, and each Company pilot. The Principal Maintenance Inspector will administer an oral exam to the Director of Maintenance. You need to be intimately familiar with the methods and procedures prescribed in the General Operations Manual and Training Manual. You will also need to know all the appropriate Federal Aviation Regulations pertaining to your operations.

Part 135 Flight Check: You must complete an FAA flight check ride. You will need to complete a checkride as specified by FAR 135.293 through 135.299. This will consist of an oral exam and a practical flight test. The oral exam will cover the items specified in the Practical Test Standards for Commercial or Airline Transport Pilot certificates along with instrument rating, as appropriate.

Part 135 Proving Runs: You are required to perform 25 hours of proving flights with five hours at night. There is usually a reduction though the minimum is 13 hours on initial applicants.

You will need an FAA approved MEL before the proving runs!

Proving flights are completed after all the manuals are approved and the training program completed by all the appropriate company personnel.   Scheduling these flights should be done as early as possible and can delay your certificate issuance.

The Part 135 Certification Process:

Important Note:   The FAA is going to read everything that you submit!   They Also Do Background Checks!

To become an FAA certified air carrier so that you may conduct on-demand air charter and air taxi operations for hire the owner of the certificate must:

1. OWNER AND APPLICANT MUST BE A US CITIZEN!        NO EXCEPTIONS!
2. MANGEMENT PERSONNEL MUST BE  US CITIZENS!     NO EXCEPTIONS!

FAA Required Information / Documentation:
Applicant Name
Phone Number
Email Address 
Your Title
Physical Address of Principal Base of Operations
Company Data  Company Name and Address
dba Doing Business As Name

Initial Aircraft Data:
Aircraft Registration Number
Aircraft Serial Number
Type of Operation
Passenger Briefing Cards
Make and Model
Aircraft Owner
Type of Aircraft
Geographic Area of Operation
Copy of Aircraft Registration
Passenger Briefing Card (copy)
Copy of Lease Agreement (Unless owned by certicate holder.)
 
Management Personnel Data (Full 135 Operator)
Management People
Director of Operations
Chief Pilot
Director of Maintenance

For Each Management Person
Name and Address
Phone Number
Email Address
Flight Standards District Office (FSDO)  Principal Operations Inspector (POI)
FSDO Address and Phone Number
 
Pre-application Statement of Intent Data
Proposed Startup Date
Three-Letter Company ID

Additional Documentation
Pilot Resumes and Certificates
Commercial Aircraft Insurance
Drug Abatement Program Information  

The FAA is going to read everything that you submit!

The FAA is going to read everything that you submit!

Part 135 certification process.