Part 23 vs. 25???

[nck4857]

What is the difference between the two?

 

[generaltso]

2

 

[bigsky]

part 25 is for transport category aircraft.

I "believe" part 23 is for light or general aviation a.c.

 

[501261]

I wish Avbug was back to answer these questions. I hope he's doing fine fighting fires.

Part 23 is the FAR under which most light airplanes are certified under. Under Part 23 they can be certified as Normal, Utility, Acrobatic and commuter.

Part 25 airplanes are Transport Category airplanes. Among other things Transport Category airplanes are required to have a minimum single engine climb, performance, require a type rating to fly, and weigh more than 12,500 pounds

 

[Sunken_Lunken]

Also, doesn't the # of seats factor into the mix? Off the top of my head, I am wanting to say that 20 or more seats puts an aircraft in the transport category regardless of weight. Is this true? (don't have any reference materials handy).

 

[501261]

Nope, not seats. That’s for a different type of operation (i.e. flight attendant requirement). A Lear 35 IS a transport category airplane (certified under Part 25); because it has a maximum takeoff weight above 12,500#'s (among other things) with a maximum seating capacity of 10. Some of the cargo birds only have a seating capacity of 2.

 

[Sunken_Lunken]

Here is what had me going on the 20-seat thing. Below is a copy of part 23.3:

__________________

§ 23.3 Airplane categories.

(a) The normal category is limited to airplanes that have a seating configuration, excluding pilot seats, of nine or less, a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or less, and intended for nonacrobatic operation. Nonacrobatic operation includes:

(1) Any maneuver incident to normal flying;

(2) Stalls (except whip stalls); and

(3) Lazy eights, chandelles, and steep turns, in which the angle of bank is not more than 60 degrees.

(b) The utility category is limited to airplanes that have a seating configuration, excluding pilot seats, of nine or less, a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or less, and intended for limited acrobatic operation. Airplanes certificated in the utility category may be used in any of the operations covered under paragraph (a) of this section and in limited acrobatic operations. Limited acrobatic operation includes:

(1) Spins (if approved for the particular type of airplane); and

(2) Lazy eights, chandelles, and steep turns, or similar maneuvers, in which the angle of bank is more than 60 degrees but not more than 90 degrees.

(c) The acrobatic category is limited to airplanes that have a seating configuration, excluding pilot seats, of nine or less, a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or less, and intended for use without restrictions, other than those shown to be necessary as a result of required flight tests.

(d) The commuter category is limited to propeller-driven, multiengine airplanes that have a seating configuration, excluding pilot seats, of 19 or less, and a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 19,000 pounds or less. The commuter category operation is limited to any maneuver incident to normal flying, stalls (except whip stalls), and steep turns, in which the angle of bank is not more than 60 degrees.

(e) Except for commuter category, airplanes may be type certificated in more than one category if the requirements of each requested category are met.
_______________________

All of the above categories specify a maximum of 19 (for commuter) or 9 (all else) seats, excluding pilot seats. My thinking was that if an airplane has 20 or more passenger seats, it can't fit into one of the categories above, so isn't the transport category the only one left to put it in?

I must admit though that I can not find anywhere in part 25 that defines the kind of planes that part refers to (i.e. 20 or more seats is not spelled out anywhere that I can find in part 25).

So, if you built a propeller driven plane that could hold 20 passengers, and it had a max weight of say, 10,000 lbs, which category would it be in?