ARROW is the aviation acronym for the documents that belong in the airplane: the Airworthiness certificate, the Registration certificate, the Radio station license (needed only for international flights), the Operating limitations, and the Weight and balance data. The airworthiness and registration certificates are required by 14 CFR 91.203, the operating limitations by 14 CFR 91.9, and the radio license by FCC rules rather than FAA rules. Your own pilot certificate, medical and photo ID are a separate list under 14 CFR 61.3.
ARROW is part of our aviation memory aids series. It answers “are the right papers aboard?” The inspection side of “is this airplane legal today?” is AV1ATES, and required equipment is ATOMATOFLAMES.
ARROW at a glance
| Letter | Document | Requirement | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Airworthiness certificate | 14 CFR 91.203(a)(1) and (b) | Displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance; registration number matches the airplane |
| R | Registration certificate | 14 CFR 91.203(a)(2) and part 47 | Right N-number and owner; not expired |
| R | Radio station license | FCC, 47 CFR 87.18 | Only for international flights or communications |
| O | Operating limitations | 14 CFR 91.9 | Approved flight manual or POH when required, plus markings and placards |
| W | Weight and balance data | Flight manual loading information; FAA Weight and Balance Handbook | Current empty weight, center of gravity and equipment list |
A: the airworthiness certificate
Under 14 CFR 91.203(a)(1), no one may operate a civil aircraft unless it has within it an appropriate and current airworthiness certificate bearing the aircraft’s registration number, and paragraph (b) requires it to be displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers or crew. A standard airworthiness certificate has no expiration date. Under 14 CFR 21.181 it stays effective as long as the aircraft is registered in the United States and its maintenance, preventive maintenance and alterations are performed in accordance with parts 43 and 91, so a lapsed registration takes the airworthiness certificate with it. The certificate does not prove the airplane is airworthy today. The inspections in AV1ATES and your preflight do that, and 14 CFR 91.7 makes the pilot in command responsible for determining whether the aircraft is in condition for safe flight.
R: the registration certificate and the seven-year rule
14 CFR 91.203(a)(2) requires an effective U.S. registration certificate issued to the owner. Since January 23, 2023, a Certificate of Aircraft Registration expires seven years after the last day of the month in which it was issued (14 CFR 47.40), up from three years, and the owner can renew during the six months before it expires. The change also reached certificates that were valid on January 23, 2023: the FAA extended them to seven years from their issue date, notwithstanding the expiration date printed on the certificate. A renewal issued in August 2021 that shows August 31, 2024, for example, is good through August 31, 2028. When the printed date looks expired, look up the N-number in the FAA aircraft registry, which shows the registration status and expiration date.
Expiration is not the only way a registration ends. Under 14 CFR 47.41 it also ends when, for example, ownership is transferred, the aircraft is registered in another country, or it is destroyed. For operation within the United States, 91.203(a)(2) also accepts the second copy of the Aircraft Registration Application (the “pink copy”) as temporary authority while a new owner’s application is processed, under the conditions in 14 CFR 47.31(c).
R: the radio station license (international flights only)
This R comes from the Federal Communications Commission, not the FAA. In 1996 the FCC eliminated the individual license requirement for aircraft operating domestically, so a domestic flight needs no station license for the airplane’s radios (47 CFR 87.18(b)). The FCC treats a flight as domestic if the aircraft does not land in a foreign country or communicate by radio with foreign ground stations. Fly to a foreign destination (the FCC’s examples include Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas) and the airplane needs an FCC aircraft station license, which runs 10 years, with a copy kept with the aircraft’s station records. At least one person aboard also needs a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit, which the FCC issues for life and which is not required to operate VHF radios on domestic flights (47 CFR 87.89).
Because most training flights never leave the country, some instructors teach the list as AROW. Others tack the pilot’s own documents onto the end. Either way, keep two lists in your head: ARROW is about the airplane, and 14 CFR 61.3 is about you.
O: operating limitations
14 CFR 91.9(a) says no person may operate a civil aircraft without complying with the operating limitations in the approved Airplane Flight Manual, markings and placards. Paragraph (b) decides what must be aboard. If the airplane is one for which 14 CFR 21.5 requires an approved flight manual (it covers airplanes with no flight time before March 1, 1979), a current approved manual must be available in the aircraft. Otherwise, the requirement can be met by an approved manual, approved manual material, markings and placards, or any combination. If your airplane has an approved POH or AFM, it stays aboard with the instrument markings and cockpit placards. A reprint you bought for study is a study copy, not the airplane’s own manual with its own weight and balance and supplements; our POH guide explains the difference.
W: weight and balance data
The weight and balance data is the airplane’s current empty weight, empty-weight center of gravity and equipment list, not the sample numbers in a generic POH. The mechanic who maintains the airplane keeps those records current, recording changes made by repairs or alterations. For airplanes certificated under the current part 23, the flight manual must contain loading information (14 CFR 23.2620), and the FAA’s Weight and Balance Handbook (FAA-H-8083-1B) makes it the pilot in command’s responsibility to use the most current data. Expect the examiner to ask you to find it and use it; our weight and balance guide shows the math.
- A Airworthiness certificate, displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance
- R Registration certificate, current (seven-year term)
- R Radio station license, international flights only (FCC)
- O Operating limitations: approved AFM or POH, markings, placards
- W Weight and balance data: current empty weight, CG, equipment list
Your documents are a separate list
ARROW covers the airplane. Under 14 CFR 61.3, you must have these in your physical possession or readily accessible in the aircraft:
- Pilot certificate. For a student, that is the student pilot certificate (61.3(a)(1)).
- Photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport (61.3(a)(2)).
- Medical certificate, or a U.S. driver’s license when operating under BasicMed (61.3(c)). See our FAA medical certificate guide.
Your logbook is not normally required aboard, with one big exception for students: on every solo cross-country you must carry your logbook and student pilot certificate as evidence of your instructor’s endorsements (14 CFR 61.51(i)(2)). Our pilot logbook guide shows what those endorsements look like.
Aircraft logbooks: what they are and are not
The airplane’s maintenance records (airframe, engine and propeller logbooks plus the record of AD compliance) belong to the owner or operator under 14 CFR 91.417, which requires them to be kept and made available to the FAA or NTSB on request. Part 91 does not require them to be carried in the airplane. They are how you verify AV1ATES, and you will present them on checkride day: the FAA’s ACS companion guide (FAA-G-ACS-2) lists the logbook record of airworthiness inspections and AD compliance on the applicant’s checklist. One exception: if a fuel tank has been installed in the passenger or baggage compartment, a copy of the FAA Form 337 for that installation must be on board (14 CFR 91.203(c)).
Study the documents
What you'll need
Study references for the ARROW documents and a logbook for your own records; a POH reprint is for study, while the airplane's approved manual stays aboard.
How examiners ask about ARROW
In the Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C), Task I.B, Airworthiness Requirements, covers the location and expiration dates of required aircraft certificates (PA.I.B.K1a), and a skill element asks you to locate and describe the airplane’s airworthiness and registration information (PA.I.B.S1). Your own documents fall under Task I.A (PA.I.A.K4). Typical questions:
- “Show me the registration. When does it expire?”
- “Do we need a radio station license today? What changes if we fly to Canada?”
- “Where are this airplane’s operating limitations?”
- “Do the maintenance logbooks have to be aboard?”
Practice answering out loud with the actual airplane’s papers. Our oral exam and checkride guides show how this fits into the day, and NWKRAFT covers the preflight information you brief next.
Frequently asked questions
What does ARROW stand for in aviation?
ARROW stands for Airworthiness certificate, Registration certificate, Radio station license, Operating limitations, and Weight and balance data, the documents that belong in the aircraft. The radio station license is needed only for international flights or communications.
Is a radio station license required for domestic flights?
No. Since 1996 the FCC has not required an individual aircraft station license for aircraft operating domestically, meaning they do not land in a foreign country or communicate with foreign ground stations. International flights need the license, and at least one person aboard needs a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit.
How long is an aircraft registration valid?
Seven years. Under 14 CFR 47.40 a Certificate of Aircraft Registration expires seven years after the last day of the month in which it was issued, and certificates that were valid on January 23, 2023 were extended to seven years from their issue date.
Do the aircraft maintenance logbooks have to be in the airplane?
No. Under 14 CFR 91.417 the owner or operator must keep the maintenance records and make them available for inspection, but they are not required aboard. You need them to verify inspections and to present on checkride day.
Does the airworthiness certificate expire?
A standard airworthiness certificate has no expiration date. Under 14 CFR 21.181 it remains effective as long as the aircraft is registered in the United States and is maintained in accordance with parts 43 and 91.
What documents must the pilot carry?
Under 14 CFR 61.3, your pilot certificate, a photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport, and your medical certificate, or a U.S. driver’s license if you fly under BasicMed. Student pilots must also carry their logbook and student pilot certificate on solo cross-country flights.