Part 135 · Director of Operations · Free tool
Pre-Dispatch Checklist
Enter one set of trip inputs. Get a full gate-by-gate compliance report -- duty, rest, currency, inspections, MEL, and FRAT -- in under two minutes.
1. Trip
2. Crew
3. Aircraft
4. MEL & Risk
Crew count
Frequently asked questions
What does the Pre-Dispatch Checklist check?
The checklist runs 10-12 compliance gates against your trip inputs: crew duty period (135.267(c)), flight hours (135.267(a)), prior rest (135.267(d)), day and night currency (135.247(a)), recurrent training (135.293/297), quarterly and annual flight-hour caps (135.267(b)), annual inspection (91.409(a)), 100-hour inspection for for-hire operations (91.409(b)), any open MEL deferrals (135.179), and a FRAT score (Part 5 / 135.77). Each gate produces CLEAR, CAUTION, or UNABLE with the CFR citation.
Is this a substitute for DO authorization?
No. This tool is advisory. Operational control rests with the certificate holder and their Director of Operations under 14 CFR 135.77. The checklist surfaces regulatory issues for the DO to review -- it does not replace GOM procedures, OpSpecs conditions, or the DO's dispatch authorization. Use it as a pre-check before the formal release, not as the release itself.
How does the FRAT score work?
The Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) assigns point weights to risk factors: short-notice departures, duty length, leg count, night operations, single-pilot assignments, type currency, and whether the crew-legality gates passed. GREEN (0-9) means proceed. AMBER (10-19) means document mitigations and notify chief pilot. RED (20+) means DO approval is required before dispatch. The model is based on common Part 5 SMS guidance -- tune it with your DO.
How is the MEL deferral deadline calculated?
MEL deadlines follow 14 CFR 135.179 and the discovery-day-excluded convention: Category A has no time limit (dispatch conditions apply), Category B is 3 calendar days after discovery, Category C is 10 calendar days, and Category D is 120 calendar days. The discovery date is excluded from the count. An item discovered Monday has its first counted day as Tuesday.
What is the 100-hour inspection check?
For aircraft operated for hire under 14 CFR 91.409(b) and 135.419, a 100-hour inspection is required before exceeding 100 hours in service since the last inspection. The checklist projects total hours after this trip (current Hobbs minus last inspection Hobbs, plus this trip's flight hours) and flags CAUTION when fewer than 10 hours remain, and UNABLE if the trip would exceed the limit.