Definition
A section within Subpart F of 14 CFR Part 91 titled 'Flying equipment and operating information.' It requires the pilot in command of a large or turbine-powered multiengine airplane to ensure that specific items are aboard and accessible before flight, including a current and appropriate aeronautical chart, a cockpit checklist, pertinent navigational en route, terminal area, approach, and letdown charts, and, for IFR or over-the-top operations, current approved Airplane Flight Manual material, weather reports and forecasts, fuel and oil information, alternate options, delay information, and known traffic delays. It also requires emergency equipment such as signaling devices and a first-aid kit appropriate to the operation.
Plain English
A rule that says the pilot of a large or jet-powered twin-engine airplane must have certain charts, checklists, manuals, weather and fuel information, and emergency gear on board and within reach before taking off.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA handbook discussions about the pilot’s responsibility to use current, appropriate flight information, especially for instrument procedures.
Derivation
The numbering follows the federal regulation system: Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations covers Aeronautics and Space, Part 91 covers General Operating and Flight Rules, and 91.503 is the specific section within that part. The number itself has no separate meaning beyond locating the rule.
Why Pilots Care
Ensures regulatory compliance and that all essential information is immediately available in the cockpit.
Analogy
A regulation citation works like a street address. “14 CFR Part 91 — 91.503” tells you exactly where to find one specific rule inside a large set of federal aviation rules.
Intuition Check
Do not read “Part 91” as an aircraft part. Here, “Part” means a numbered section of the federal aviation rules. Do not read “91.503” as a frequency, altitude, or procedure number. It is a legal section number.
Example Sentence 1
Before the King Air departed, the captain confirmed all 91.503 items were aboard, including the current approach charts and the first-aid kit.
Example Sentence 2
During the ramp inspection the inspector asked whether the crew had satisfied 14 CFR Part 91 — 91.503 requirements for the planned flight.