Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

3 Answers

Definition of complex: what qualifies?

Asked by: 4517 views , , , ,
Aircraft Systems, FAA Regulations, General Aviation

61.1 (b) states:  Complex airplane means an airplane that has a retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller, including airplanes equipped with an engine control system consisting of a digital computer and associated accessories for controlling the engine and propeller, such as a full authority digital engine control...[and further definition regarding seaplanes]

 

Does this mean that in order for an airplane to be classified as complex, it must have both a controllable pitch prop and retractable landing gear, and that if it has only one or the other it doesn't qualify?  (I've never seen an airplane that didn't have flaps so I'm not including that as part of the equation.)  Or does it need only one or the other but not necessarily both to qualify as complex?

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.

3 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Sep 01, 2017

    Yes. That’s what the word “and” means.

    0 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 1 Votes



  2. KDS on Sep 01, 2017

    Your interpretation is correct.

    Also, just FYI, an example of an airplane without flaps is the Cessna 120.

    +2 Votes Thumb up 2 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  3. Russ Roslewski on Sep 02, 2017

    And an example of an aircraft with retractable gear but without a constant speed prop (and therefore not complex) is a Globe Swift (at least some models).

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

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.