Do Missing Instruments Ground an Airplane?

Know what you need to be legal.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 05:27 PM ET

Verified

In order to be legal for daytime VFR flight, there are several things an aircraft needs. [Photo: Creation Media/Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

An aircraft's legality for daytime VFR flight, even with some inoperative instruments, is determined by adherence to FAR 91.205, which lists the minimum required operational equipment.
FAR 91.207 specifies requirements for an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT), though training flights conducted entirely within a 50 nm radius have an exception.
Pilots commonly use the mnemonic "A TOMATO FLAMES" to recall the comprehensive list of instruments and equipment necessary for VFR flight and ELT regulations.

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Question: I just started my flight training and the airplane has inoperative instruments in the panel. These are round dials, and they have “INOP” stickers over them. The CFI didn’t seem concerned, but I wonder, is this airplane even legal now?

Answer: The answer to your question lies under both FAR 91.205 and FAR 91.207. FAR 91.205 lists the instruments required for daytime VFR flight, where most flight training starts.