Definition
Under FAA regulations (14 CFR 61.31), a high performance airplane is one with an engine of more than 200 horsepower. A pilot must receive and log ground and flight training from an authorized instructor and obtain a one-time endorsement before acting as pilot in command of such an airplane.
Plain English
An airplane with an engine bigger than 200 horsepower. The FAA requires extra training and a logbook endorsement from an instructor before you can fly one as pilot in command.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in FAA training requirements, aircraft checkout discussions, and logbook endorsements for pilots moving into more powerful airplanes.
Why Pilots Care
Operating one without the required endorsement increases the chance of loss of control or other incidents.
Intuition Check
Do not read “high performance” as simply meaning fast, fancy, advanced, or difficult to fly. In this FAA context, it means the airplane has an engine rated at more than 200 horsepower.
Example Sentence 1
Before her first flight in the Cessna 182, the instructor reviewed the engine systems and signed her logbook with a high performance airplane endorsement.
Example Sentence 2
High performance airplanes often appear in training once a student moves beyond basic single-engine aircraft.