Floating Standby Compass Requirement

Getting ready for airworthiness inspection and I do not see any requirements for a whisky compass (floating mag compass). I have a great Garmin panel with all the bells and whistles but no old school compass. Is it is required for IFR?

I don?t believe a whiskey compass is required.. look up FAR 91.205. You need a magnetic direction indicator, and I believe your glass panel can indicate magnetic direction. IFR requirements don?t change this. Looking forward to hear what others have found from their DARs and FSDOs.

Taltruda said:

I don?t believe a whiskey compass is required.. look up FAR 91.205. You need a magnetic direction indicator, and I believe your glass panel can indicate magnetic direction. IFR requirements don?t change this. Looking forward to hear what others have found from their DARs and FSDOs.

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91.205 doesn?t actually apply to experimentals unless it is specifically called out in the Ops Lims - which it is for night and/or IFR operations. For VFR Day ops, essentially nothing is required for flight.

Paul

Ironflight said:

91.205 doesn?t actually apply to experimentals unless it is specifically called out in the Ops Lims - which it is for night and/or IFR operations. For VFR Day ops, essentially nothing is required for flight.

Paul

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Thanks Paul, I didn?t realize that! I learned something!

Frankster13 said:

Getting ready for airworthiness inspection and I do not see any requirements for a whisky compass (floating mag compass). I have a great Garmin panel with all the bells and whistles but no old school compass. Is it is required for IFR?

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This has been well hashed out on these forums for years. Search is your friend .

Electronic displays with magnetometer inputs for direction indication are acceptable, although there are (apparently) a handful of troglodytic DARs and FAA personnel who may try to tell you that you need a "wet compass" before they'll issue an A/W certificate.

I’ll relate my experience. The others are correct in you don’t need an additional compass as your EFIS magnetometer suffices, BUT, there was (maybe still is) a Washington DC FSDO inspector that insisted on a whiskey compass despite what 91.205 says. What most of us did was to temp install a compass to get through the inspection as this was the easiest path to certification vs fighting him on the requirement.

A 2nd unrelated issue was I had all the fairings and inspection/access panels off the plane so he could, you know, inspect. He showed up and told me he wanted the plane in a flyable condition. He couldn’t wait for me to put everything back together so I had to reschedule a 2nd inspection a week later. At least all of this *** pain didn’t cost me anything.

These are definitely rare issues but my point to all of this is talk to your DAR/inspector ahead of time and set the conditions and/or requirements for the inspection. That way you’ll avoid any surprises.

A former FAA Chief Counsel under oath once referred to the FARs as "a monument to vagueness."

My operating limitations are in the hangar and I don't have an electronic copy at home, but I do have a copy of "Example of New Operational Limitations," the new one size fits all operating limitations -- it includes things that really only apply to Eastern European warbirds, like life-limited components for example. I'm relatively confident that these are my operating limitations...

It says, "2. These operating limitations do not provide any relief from any applicable law or regulation. This aircraft must be operated per applicable regulations and the additional limitations prescribed herein."

And it quotes 91.205(c), for night VFR, and (d), for IFR, but not (b), which is for VFR aircraft. (b) includes, "(3) Magnetic direction indicator." That does not state explicitly that it must be a whisky compass.

But here's the kicker, the applicability -- 91.205 - Powered civil aircraft with standard category U.S. airworthiness certificates: Instrument and equipment requirements.

As the old saying goes, consider what your actions would look like on the NTSB accident report...

the FSDO inspector required me to have one. I would suggest buying a $10 dash mount compass from the aviation isle at Walmart and having it at your hangar for the inspection, if your DAR/FSDO requires it stick it on, if not return it.

another oddball from my inspector he required every switch to have an off label below the switch, so I'd have a label maker ready as well.

IMO these items can be removed after signature as others have pointed out there aren't any actual requirements to have them. but a "yes sir" and quickly complying is often easier that arguing regs with authority. Luckily my inspector was coming back the next day for some business with the local A&P so I didn't get pushed off long but was still a disappointing to not get the pink slip that day and I wish I had just had the items ready. 5 minutes the next day and I had my pink slip.