Governing Sources & Technical Standards
Aeroway enforces a strict rule: Source before coding. Every non-trivial calculation model references its governing authority. We explicitly document and separate requirements from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Aeroway Technical Authority Hierarchy
- Current Official Regulation: Applicable national/regional civil aviation regulations (e.g. FAA 14 CFR Part 91, EASA Part-NCO / SERA) for legal operating minimums.
- Official Aviation Handbooks & Manuals: FAA-H-8083 series, FAA Orders, EASA Easy Access Rules, and ICAO manuals for standard procedures and aerodynamic concepts.
- Aircraft AFM / POH: Manufacturer-approved operating handbooks for aircraft-specific performance, weight & balance, and limitations.
- Standard Physical Specifications: International standards such as ICAO Document 7488 for Standard Atmosphere profiles and ASTM fuel specifications.
- Authoritative Engineering Derivations: Established aerodynamic and trigonometric principles for geometric relationships where no regulatory variant exists.
Multi-Jurisdiction Alignment: FAA (United States) vs EASA (Europe)
Aeroway does not universally apply U.S. rules worldwide. Where regulatory modes exist (such as VFR fuel reserves or cloud clearance minimums), the interface explicitly labels the jurisdiction:
- Fuel reserves: § 91.151 (Day: +30 min, Night: +45 min)
- Altimetry: Inches of Mercury (inHg) & QNH
- Weather minimums: § 91.155 Airspace Class Matrix
- PIC Responsibility: 14 CFR § 91.3
- Fuel reserves: Part-NCO.OP.125 (+10 min local, +30 min VFR, +45 min IFR)
- Altimetry: Hectopascals (hPa / mb) & QNH standard
- Weather minimums: SERA.5001 & SERA.5005 VMC Criteria
- PIC Responsibility: EASA NCO.GEN.105
Civil Aviation Regulations (FAA 14 CFR & EASA Regulations)
14 CFR § 91.151 — Fuel requirements for flight in VFR conditions
National Archives / FAAU.S. Part 91 specific minimum fuel reserve requirement for airplanes.
- (a)(1) Day VFR: 30 minutes
- (a)(2) Night VFR: 45 minutes
14 CFR § 91.167 — Fuel requirements for flight in IFR conditions
National Archives / FAAU.S. Part 91 specific minimum IFR fuel reserve for civil airplanes.
- (a)(3) 45 minutes at normal cruising speed
14 CFR § 91.155 — Basic VFR weather minimums
National Archives / FAAEstablishes legal flight visibility and distance-from-cloud minimums for VFR operations.
- Cloud clearance and flight visibility by airspace class
14 CFR § 91.121 — Altimeter settings
National Archives / FAAMandates standard 29.92 inHg above 18,000 ft MSL and establishes lowest usable flight level table during low-pressure systems.
- (a) Operations below 18,000 ft MSL: current reported altimeter setting
- (a)(2) Operations at or above 18,000 ft MSL: standard 29.92 inHg
- (b) Table 1: Lowest usable flight level based on current altimeter setting
14 CFR § 91.159 — VFR cruising altitude or flight level
National Archives / FAAGoverns semicircular cruising altitudes above 3,000 ft AGL for VFR flights (IFR cruising altitudes are under 14 CFR § 91.179).
- (a) Semicircular rule: Magnetic course 000° to 179° (Odd thousands + 500 ft)
- (b) Semicircular rule: Magnetic course 180° to 359° (Even thousands + 500 ft)
14 CFR § 91.3 — Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command
National Archives / FAACodifies that mathematical reference models do not relieve the PIC of direct operational responsibility.
- (a) Final authority as to the safe operation of that aircraft
EASA Annex VII (Part-NCO) to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 — Non-Commercial Air Operations
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)European Union governing framework for non-commercial general aviation fuel planning, reserves, and PIC authority.
- NCO.OP.125: Fuel and oil supply — aeroplanes (VFR / IFR reserve criteria)
- NCO.GEN.105: Pilot-in-command responsibilities and authority
- NCO.OP.110: Aerodrome operating minima
- NCO.POL.100: Weighing and loading
Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) — Regulation (EU) No 923/2012
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) / European CommissionHarmonized European airspace classification, VMC cloud clearances, and altimeter setting conventions (hPa / QNH).
- SERA.5001: VMC visibility and distance from cloud minima
- SERA.5005: Visual flight rules
- SERA.5015: Instrument flight rules (IFR)
- SERA.8015: Air traffic control clearances & altimeter setting procedures
EASA Annex I (Part-FCL) to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 — Flight Crew Licensing
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)European flight training hours, cross-country flight planning, and theoretical navigation knowledge standards.
- Subpart B: Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL)
- Subpart C: Private Pilot Licence (PPL)
- Subpart G: Instrument Rating (IR)
- Theoretical knowledge: Navigation, Meteorology, Flight Performance & Planning
14 CFR § 25.121 — Climb: One-engine-inoperative (Transport Category Airplanes)
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) / e-CFRGoverns statutory multi-engine transport category transport climb gradients across all takeoff segments.
- § 25.121(a): Takeoff; landing gear extended (1st Segment)
- § 25.121(b): Takeoff; landing gear retracted (2nd Segment: 2.4% / 2.7% / 3.0%)
- § 25.121(c): Final takeoff segment
- § 25.121(d): Approach climb
Title 14 CFR Part 23 — Airworthiness Standards: Normal Category Airplanes, Section 23.2110: Ground and climb capabilities
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) / US GovernmentFederal airworthiness standard governing stall speed, climb margins, and certified aircraft performance envelopes.
- Section 23.2110: Ground and climb capabilities
- Section 23.2115: Takeoff and landing performance
- Historical Section 23.49: Stalling speed and wing loading envelopes
Official Aviation Handbooks & Orders (FAA & ICAO)
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Primary FAA baseline for pilot navigation, altimetry, density altitude, and airspeed definitions.
- Chapter 4: Principles of Flight
- Chapter 8: Flight Instruments
- Chapter 11: Aircraft Performance
- Chapter 16: Navigation
Aviation Weather Handbook
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Current 2026 FAA reference baseline for atmospheric moisture, lapse rates, and cloud base estimation.
- Chapter 2: Earth Atmosphere & Heat
- Chapter 4: Moisture, Clouds & Precipitation
- Chapter 19: Standard Atmosphere & Altimetry
Airplane Flying Handbook
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)- Chapter 3: Basic Flight Maneuvers
- Chapter 8: Approaches and Landings (Crosswind procedures)
Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Authoritative guidance for moment arms, datum references, and fuel weight nominal constants.
- Chapter 2: Weight and Balance Theory
- Chapter 3: Weight and Balance Computations
- Chapter 4: Center of Gravity Envelopes
Instrument Procedures Handbook
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Authoritative handbook covering practical pilot application of climb gradients and obstacle clearance.
- Chapter 1: IFR Takeoffs and Departures
- Climb Gradient vs Rate of Climb Conversion
- Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODP) & SIDs
Aircraft Landing Performance and Runway Surface Condition Assessment
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Authoritative FAA TALPA baseline for surface condition derating factors on wet and contaminated runways.
- Appendix 1: Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM)
- Section 7: Landing Distance Assessment & Crosswind Considerations on Contaminated Runways
Instrument Flying Handbook
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Authoritative FAA handbook defining the Standard Rate Turn (3°/s, 2-minute 360° turn) and cockpit rule-of-thumb bank estimations.
- Chapter 5: Flight Instruments (Turn Indicators)
- Chapter 7: Instrument Flight Maneuvers (Standard Rate Turns)
Engineering Standards & Certification Specifications (ICAO Doc 7488 & EASA CS-23)
United States Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS)
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Governs departure climb gradient specifications (ft/NM vs %) in U.S. procedure design.
- Volume 1, Chapter 2: General Criteria & Climb Gradients
- Section 2-9: Departure Procedures and Minimum Climb Gradients
Manual of the ICAO Standard Atmosphere (extended to 80 kilometres / 262,500 feet)
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)International standard for pressure, temperature, density, speed of sound, and viscosity across flight levels.
- Part 1: Standard Atmosphere to 32 km
U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976
NOAA, NASA, USAFThermodynamic model equations for barometric lapse, geopotential altitude, and speed of sound.
Measurement of Aircraft Speed and Altitude
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)Authoritative engineering reference for compressible pitot-static impact pressure and Mach-airspeed relations.
- Section 2: Airspeed Equations & Definitions (IAS, CAS, EAS, TAS)
- Section 3: Compressible Impact Pressure (Saint-Venant / Rayleigh Relations)
Certification Specifications for Normal-Category Aeroplanes (CS-23)
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)European airworthiness standards governing stall speed, climb gradients, demonstrated crosswinds, and AFM limitations.
- CS 23.2110: Ground and water stall speed
- CS 23.2115: Take-off performance & climb gradients
- CS 23.2120: Climb requirements
- CS 23.2135: Controllability (Crosswind demonstrated limits)
- CS 23.2600: Flight manual (AFM) requirements
United States Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS)
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Primary FAA standard governing standard 200 ft/NM climb gradients, 40:1 OCS, and diverse departure procedure criteria.
- Volume 1, Chapter 2: General Criteria & Climb Gradients
- Volume 4, Chapter 1: Departure Procedure Construction
- Section 2-6: Obstacle Clearance Surface (40:1 / 152 ft/NM)
The Computation of Equivalent Potential Temperature
American Meteorological Society (AMS)Authoritative aerodynamic and meteorological standard for thermodynamic parcel condensation height.
- Section 2: Formula for the Lifted Condensation Level (LCL)
- Empirical temperature at condensation level
Annex 14 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation — Aerodromes, Volume I: Aerodrome Design and Operations
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)Global ICAO standard defining runway magnetic orientation, usability factor, and crosswind calculation conventions.
- Chapter 3: Physical Characteristics (Runway Orientation & Wind Coverage)
- Section 3.1: Runway Designators & Crosswind Usability Criteria (95% rule)
Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Aircraft Operations (PANS-OPS), Volume I: Flight Procedures
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)International standard for terminal procedure design, specifying holding pattern turn parameters (25° bank or 3°/s, whichever is lesser).
- Section 3: Departure and Arrival Procedures
- Section 4: Holding Criteria (25° bank or 3°/s rate limit)