Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

8 Answers

91.205 day and night VFR

Asked by: 7400 views , , ,
Aircraft Systems, Helicopter

Does anyone have any acronyms to help them remember the required equipment for 91.205 day and night VFR? 

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

8 Answers



  1. danielboy on Aug 03, 2017

    This is what I used when I went to OU.

    TOMATO FLAMES + FLAPS

    Tachometer
    Oil pressure gauge
    Manifold pressure
    Air speed indicator
    Temperature gauge (for liquid cooled engine(s))
    Oil temperature gauge

    Fuel quantity gauge
    Landing gear position light
    Altimeter
    Magnetic heading indicator
    Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT)
    Seat belt

    plus at night

    Fuses (back up)
    Landing lights
    Anti-collision lights
    Position lights
    Source of Power

    +5 Votes Thumb up 5 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. Mark Kolber on Aug 03, 2017

    Forget the acronym. I’ve been doing an informal survey for about 20 years – online forum quiz and questioning on flight reviews. Pilots who learned the burning fruit acronym were more likely to get a simple required equipment question wrong than those who never heard of it,

    -6 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 6 Votes



  3. Mark 2 on Aug 03, 2017

    What would Mark suggest? If something goes out then check to see if it’s on the list? Forget about memorizing the list?

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  4. Dave M on Aug 03, 2017

    The acronym I remember is: A tomatoE flames

    The extra “A” is for Anti-collision lights. You still need them in the day (for small aircraft certified after March 11, 1996.

    The extra “E” is for Emergency Equipment. Flotation devices, etc. if operating way from shore for hire.

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  5. John D Collins on Aug 04, 2017

    I am in Mark’s camp. Understanding is a higher level of learning than rote memory. Most of this stuff is obvious and common sense. Look thru 91.205 and ask yourself why is this item required? I have been flying almost 50 years and never needed to memorize some burning fruit.

    0 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 1 Votes



  6. Mark 2 on Aug 04, 2017

    Seems handy to have a mental checklist to get you through a checkride, though. Or do DPE’s care if you break out a FAR/AIM?

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  7. Mark Kolber on Aug 09, 2017

    Mark 2,

    Yes. Forget about memorizing the list.

    The problem isn’t having a list. The problem is teaching the mnemonic has, according to my informal survey, led many pilots to think 91.205 is all-inclusive. The survey over the last 20 years has involved asking an airworthiness question about a piece of equipment that is required but isn’t in 91.205. Common answer by those who have memorized the list: “it’s not on [mnemonic deleted], so you are good to go.” Even CFIs have answered this way.

    Inop equipment analysis , unless one has a MEL (another seriously mistaught concept with many thinking it is the equipment list in the POH), starts with 91.213(d) where you find 91.205 is only a minor stop along the way.

    +2 Votes Thumb up 2 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  8. Mark Kolber on Aug 10, 2017

    >>Seems handy to have a mental checklist to get you through a checkride, though. Or do DPE’s care if you break out a FAR/AIM?

    Part of a checkride is demonstrating the ability to find regulatory and other information you have not memorized. Consider the difference between the “bold face” items on an emergency checklist and doing a preflight inspection and finding the stall warning horn inop. One requires memorization; the other has plenty of time for you to look it up.

    Yes that mental checklist will get you through the checkride if the DPE asks you about something on that list. What if he doesn’t? What if he gives you the stall warning scenario. How does the burning fruit help you answer that one?

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.