Map of Cessna 500 Series aircraft
Yesterday, the FAA issued the following policy change:
"Based on safety concerns and a review that revealed widespread non-compliance with the exemptions, the FAA is announcing its decision to cease issuing exemptions that allow certain Cessna aircraft that require two pilots to operate as a single-pilot operation, and notifying current exemption holders that their exemptions will be rescinded by separate action."
This change will take place effective 29 Sept 2026.
I built this map of all Cessna 525 aircraft registered in the United States, which includes the following information:
Owner name
Owner address
Type of operation
Aircraft variant
Take a look:
Can I fly as an SIC on a Cessna 525?
In the Cessna 525 single pilot policy change in September 2026 refers to SIC qualification in CFR 91.531(a)(2) ... which in turn refers to CFR 61.55.
Those requirements for that are outlined here:
91.531 Second in command requirements.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may operate the following airplanes without a pilot designated as second in command:
(1) Any airplane that is type certificated for more than one required pilot.
(2) Any large airplane.
(3) Any commuter category airplane.
(b) A person may operate the following airplanes without a pilot designated as second in command:
(1) Any airplane certificated for operation with one pilot.
(2) A large airplane or turbojet-powered multiengine airplane that holds a special airworthiness certificate, if:
(i) The airplane was originally designed with only one pilot station; or
(ii) The airplane was originally designed with more than one pilot station, but single pilot operations were permitted by the airplane flight manual or were otherwise permitted by a branch of the United States Armed Forces or the armed forces of a foreign contracting State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
(c) No person may designate a pilot to serve as second in command, nor may any pilot serve as second in command, of an airplane required under this section to have two pilots unless that pilot meets the qualifications for second in command prescribed in § 61.55 of this chapter.
61.55 Second-in-command qualifications.
(a) A person may serve as a second-in-command of an aircraft type certificated for more than one required pilot flight crewmember or in operations requiring a second-in-command pilot flight crewmember only if that person meets the following requirements:
(1) Holds at least a private pilot certificate with the appropriate category and class rating
(2) Holds an instrument rating or privilege that applies to the aircraft being flown if the flight is under IFR;
(3) Holds at least a pilot type rating for the aircraft being flown unless the flight will be conducted as domestic flight operations within the United States airspace
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