14 CFR §135.159
Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
No person may operate an aircraft carrying passengers under VFR at night or under VFR over-the-top, unless it is equipped with—
- (a)A gyroscopic rate-of-turn indicator except on the following aircraft:
- (1)Airplanes with a third attitude instrument system usable through flight attitudes of 360 degrees of pitch-and-roll and installed in accordance with the instrument requirements prescribed in § 121.305(j) of this chapter.
- (2)Helicopters with a third attitude instrument system usable through flight attitudes of ±80 degrees of pitch and ±120 degrees of roll and installed in accordance with § 29.1303(g) of this chapter.
- (3)Helicopters with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 6,000 pounds or less.
- (b)A slip skid indicator.
- (c)A gyroscopic bank-and-pitch indicator.
- (d)A gyroscopic direction indicator.
- (e)A generator or generators able to supply all probable combinations of continuous in-flight electrical loads for required equipment and for recharging the battery.
- (f)For night flights—
- (g)For the purpose of paragraph (e) of this section, a continuous in-flight electrical load includes one that draws current continuously during flight, such as radio equipment and electrically driven instruments and lights, but does not include occasional intermittent loads.
- (h)Notwithstanding provisions of paragraphs (b), (c), and (d), helicopters having a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 6,000 pounds or less may be operated until January 6, 1988, under visual flight rules at night without a slip skid indicator, a gyroscopic bank-and-pitch indicator, or a gyroscopic direction indicator.