Special Flight Permits

Spend much time around aircraft owners or a maintenance facility and youre likely to hear the term ferry permit. Whats being talked about is what the FAA calls a special flight permit. Its the paperwork the agency uses to approve the flight of an aircraft that may not currently meet applicable airworthiness requirements but is capable for safe flight. Perhaps the most common reason for a special flight permit is lack of an annual inspection within the preceding 12 months.

Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Special flight permits, often called ferry permits, allow aircraft that do not meet standard airworthiness requirements (e.g., due to an expired annual inspection or damage) to make a one-time flight if deemed capable of safe operation.
Authorization for these permits is found in FAR 21.197, and the process involves completing FAA Form 8130-6 and submitting it to a local FSDO, typically for flights to a base for repairs, maintenance, or storage.
A key requirement is a thorough determination by a licensed mechanic and the pilot that the aircraft is genuinely safe for the intended flight, despite its non-airworthy status, with the pilot ultimately responsible for safety.
Permits often include strict operational limitations such as no passengers or cargo, specific flight conditions (e.g., daylight VMC), and sometimes a defined route, requiring professionalism and honesty in the application process.

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Spend much time around aircraft owners or a maintenance facility and you’re likely to hear the term “ferry permit.” What’s being talked about is what the FAA calls a “special flight permit.” It’s the paperwork the agency uses to approve the flight of an aircraft “that may not currently meet applicable airworthiness requirements but is capable for safe flight.” Perhaps the most common reason for a special flight permit is lack of an annual inspection within the preceding 12 months.

The FAA has been issuing special flight permits since it came into existence and while the terminology and procedures have changed with the times, the immediate takeaway for aircraft owners and pilots is there is a provision in the FARs for operation of non-airworthy aircraft. That’s the large print. The small print holds that there are many provisions, aspects and components to relevant regulations, including FARs 21.197 and 21.199. With that in mind, this discussion will center on general aviation piston-powered airplanes weighing 12,500 lbs. or less at gross weight and operated under FAR Part 91.