Whats up With the Clock?

Most legacy aircraft came out of the factory with little round clocks in the panel, although these days theyre largely ignored in favor of the more convenient digital timers. Recall that a way of keeping time is listed among the required equipment for IFR operations-see 14 CFR 91.205(d). Technically, the clock displaying hours, minutes, and seconds with a sweep-second pointer or digital presentation is supposed to be certified, installed equipment, meaning it has to be the original clock or an approved replacement, and it has to be operational for legal IFR flight.

Elaine Kauh

Friday, May 08, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

For IFR operations, 14 CFR 91.205(d) legally mandates a certified, installed, and operational clock displaying hours, minutes, and seconds.
While legacy analog clocks are often ignored, they must be functional to be fully compliant, or a digital clock integrated into modern avionics must fulfill the requirement.
The required clock holds the same legal status as other critical IFR equipment such as gyros and two-way radios.

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Most legacy aircraft came out of the factory with little round clocks in the panel, although these days they’re largely ignored in favor of the more convenient digital timers. Recall that a way of keeping time is listed among the required equipment for IFR operations—see 14 CFR 91.205(d). Technically, the “clock displaying hours, minutes, and seconds with a sweep-second pointer or digital presentation” is supposed to be certified, installed equipment, meaning it has to be the original clock or an approved replacement, and it has to be operational for legal IFR flight.