Definition
A Special Flight Permit is an authorization issued by the FAA that allows an aircraft which does not currently meet applicable airworthiness requirements, but is capable of safe flight, to be flown to a location where repairs, alterations, maintenance, or required inspections can be performed. It is commonly known as a ferry permit and is issued under 14 CFR Part 21.
Plain English
Permission from the FAA to fly an aircraft that is not legally airworthy at the moment, so it can be flown somewhere to be fixed or inspected. The aircraft still has to be safe to fly — it just isn't fully legal to fly under normal rules.
Context Anchor
Pilots encounter this when an aircraft needs to be legally flown even though it cannot be used for normal operations, such as flying it to a maintenance facility after a problem is found.
Derivation
‘Permit’ comes from Latin permittere, meaning ‘to let through’ or ‘allow.’ ‘Special’ signals that it is an exception to the normal airworthiness rules. The name reflects what it is: a one-off allowance to fly an aircraft that otherwise couldn’t legally leave the ground.
Why Pilots Care
It allows an owner or pilot to legally relocate or deliver an aircraft without violating airworthiness rules, preventing grounding when repairs or transport are needed.
Grounding Statement
The aircraft may have a known issue, but the FAA can allow one limited flight if that issue does not prevent the aircraft from being flown safely for that specific purpose.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “permit” means the aircraft is fully airworthy again. It means the FAA has allowed a specific limited flight under specific conditions.
Example Sentence 1
Because the aircraft’s annual inspection had expired, the owner applied for a Special Flight Permit to ferry it to the maintenance shop on the other side of the state.
Example Sentence 2
A newly manufactured airplane received a Special Flight Permit for its delivery flight to the buyer.