---
kind: "section"
citation: "14 C.F.R. § 135.159"
title: "14"
number: "135.159"
heading: "Equipment requirements: Carrying passengers under VFR at night or under VFR over-the-top conditions."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/14/135.159"
---

# §135.159. Equipment requirements: Carrying passengers under VFR at night or under VFR over-the-top conditions.


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)](/cfr/14/121.305.md?p=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)](/cfr/14/29.1303.md?p=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—**
  - (1) An anticollision light system;
  - (2) Instrument lights to make all instruments, switches, and gauges easily readable, the direct rays of which are shielded from the pilots' eyes; and
  - (3) **A flashlight having at least two size “D” cells or equivalent.**
- (g) For the purpose of [paragraph (e)](#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)](#b), [(c)](#c), and [(d)](#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.

## Notes

### Amendments

[Docket 24550, 51 FR 40709, Nov. 7, 1986, as amended by Amdt. 135-38, 55 FR 43310, Oct. 26, 1990]

### Authority

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40113, 41706, 44701-44702, 44705, 44709, 44711-44713, 44715-44717, 44722, 44730, 45101-45105; Pub. L. 112-95, 126 Stat. 58 (49 U.S.C. 44730).

### Source

Source: Docket 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[Docket 24550, 51 FR 40709, Nov. 7, 1986, as amended by Amdt. 135-38, 55 FR 43310, Oct. 26, 1990]