scope:

This instruction applies to all manned and unmanned air vehicles and aircraft systems owned or leased by the Navy or United States Marine Corps (USMC), including pre-accepted aircraft and public use aircraft modified by/for the Navy. This includes, but is not limited to all systems in-service and under development. Agencies covered by this instruction include but are not limited to NAVAIR, Deputy Commander for Acquisition and Operations (AIR-1.0); the aviation Program Executive Offices (PEO) for Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault and Special Mission Programs (PEO(A)); the PEO for Tactical Aircraft Programs (PEO(T)); and the PEO for Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation (PEO(W)). It also applies to all Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition-designated aviation acquisition programs being developed or acquired for U.S. Navy and/or U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) use, and to Fleet units that own, operate, or manage Navy or USMC aircraft systems. A flight clearance will be issued only for an aircraft system owned or leased by the Navy or USMC. Only by exception will a flight clearance be issued for a non-Navy/USMC aircraft system. Examples of exceptions are listed in Paragraph 5e of this instruction.

a. Chapter VII of reference (a) stipulates that, "aircraft shall not be operated in a nonstandard configuration or outside the limits of Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization (NATOPS) without airworthiness approval in the form of a flight clearance document from NAVAIR." Paragraph 2.2.2.d(3) of reference (a) further states that, "Commander, Naval Air Systems Command (COMNAVAIRSYSCOM) has cognizance over all aircraft equipment limitations and configurations."

b. This instruction applies to:

(1) the issuance of flight clearances and flight-operating limitations for manned air vehicle operation, stores and store suspension equipment employment, and Aviation Life Support Systems (ALSS) utilization, whenever the aircraft system configuration, flight envelope, or operation is nonstandard;

(2) the issuance of flight clearances and flight-operating limitations for unmanned aircraft systems including both their airborne and surface based components, which includes but is not limited to aerial targets and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)/Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), whenever the aircraft system configuration, flight envelope, or operation is nonstandard;

(3) new and/or modified aircraft system configurations owned or leased by the Navy, including hardware, firmware, and software changes, and expansion of flight envelopes;

(4) developmental testing, operational testing, Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E), and Fleet introduction, pending promulgation of the permanent flight clearance in the NATOPS flight manual and the Naval Aviation Technical Information Product (NATIP), if appropriate, via the processed defined in references (a) and (b) respectively; and

(5) Fleet operations following modification or envelope expansion, pending issuance of an approved/published NAVAIR formal Technical Directive (TD) or equivalent per reference (c), or change to the aircraft system's permanent flight clearance documents, the NATOPS and the legacy Tactical Manual (TACMAN)/NATIP.

To establish policy, responsibilities, and procedures for the process within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) for granting flight clearances for air vehicles and aircraft systems.