Flight operations to airports with weather reporting deficiencies are initiated unless the ETA and estimated time of departure falls within the hours of the start of morning civil twilight and the end of evening civil twilight. Dispatchers or flight followers note these hours in the “Remarks” section of the dispatch or flight release.

Civil twilight is determined by the following U.S. Military database: https://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/RS_OneYear.

Night operations may be authorized if the airport is equipped with lighting at least equivalent to medium intensity edge lights (easily identifiable as lighting during daylight conditions). No operations outside the start of morning civil twilight and the end of evening civil twilight will be conducted where this lighting standard is not met.

The flightcrew determines the wind direction from an illuminated wind direction indicator or ground communications before landing.

If temporary lighting (e.g., flare pots) are used, they are evenly spaced on each side of the runway, to replace at least 50 percent of the normal lights. If permanent lighting is not installed at the airport, the temporary light spacing is 200 ft apart. Four lights are placed at each runway end to clearly mark the threshold and runway end. Lights are turned on 30 minutes prior to arrival and for 30 minutes after departure.

The Director of Operations (DO), PIC, dispatcher, or flight follower should agree that the lighting is adequate for the proposed operation, with the approval by the DO or designee annotated on the flight release. Temporary lighting may be placed and illuminated by qualified company personnel who are familiar with these procedures.

Flight operations to airports with weather reporting deficiencies are operated under IFR with the exception of operations in the terminal area. In the terminal area of the STOP airport, flightcrews maintain the basic cloud clearance as specified in 14 CFR § 91.155 and maintain the minimum altitudes prescribed in 14 CFR § 91.126, § 91.129, § 91.130, or § 91.131, as applicable for the airspace class in which the flight is operated.

Both domestic and supplemental flights under STOP are planned as an IFR flight plan when the intended flight is 50 NM or more from origin to destination.

When the flight is to be greater than 50 NM but will exit the IFR structure within 50 NM of the destination under VFR, a composite flight plan is filed. The IFR portion will change to a VFR transition point, at which the PIC will activate the VFR flight plan.

Only to be used when the intended STOP flight is less than 50 NM from origin to destination. Only Group I airplanes (propeller-driven, including reciprocating and turbopropeller-powered) operate under a 14 CFR part 121 VFR flight plan.

Domestic and supplemental STOP flights, regardless of aircraft type, are not released without considering fuel to meet the requirements of 14 CFR § 121.647. This includes a landing area visual inspection (flyover) of 15 additional minutes of the intended landing strip. This fuel is noted on the release in a manner which is readily identifiable to the flightcrew. The CH determines according to aircraft type if an additional 15 minutes of fuel is sufficient or adjusts accordingly to accommodate a possible flyover pass of the intended airstrip or airport.

The Administrator considers the ETA at the destination and the arrival minimums that are listed below to contribute to mitigating risks and hazards to STOP destinations and will allow the CH to operate at the highest level of safety. The aforementioned weather minimums apply even if the whole weather report is missing or missing a required element.