Every certificated pilot learned the mnemonic in primary training: ARROW. It is the short answer to a deceptively simple question an FAA inspector can ask at any ramp — show me the documents for this aircraft. The mnemonic is a memory aid, but the requirements behind it are real, enforceable, and easy to let slip.
Two regulations do the heavy lifting. 14 CFR §91.203 requires an appropriate and current airworthiness certificate and an effective U.S. registration certificate to be aboard — and it requires the airworthiness certificate to be displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so it is legible to passengers or crew. 14 CFR §91.9 requires the operating limitations — embodied in the current approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual, markings, and placards — to be available in the aircraft, and prohibits operating outside those limitations. The weight and balance data is part of that approved flight-manual data set. The radio station license is an FCC requirement that only attaches when you fly internationally.
This guide walks each letter of ARROW against its governing regulation, flags the two facts pilots most often get wrong (airworthiness certificates do not expire; registration certificates now run seven years), and closes with a ramp-check reality section and a pre-flight document checklist. For the maintenance history behind these documents, see our companion guide on Part 91 aircraft records under §91.417.
The ARROW Set: What Each Letter Means
ARROW is the pilot's memory aid for the documents that must be aboard or available in a U.S.-registered aircraft. It maps to real regulatory requirements, but it is worth separating the FAA requirements (the A, R, O, and W) from the FCC requirement (the second R), which only applies to international operations.
| Letter | Document | Authority | Key Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Airworthiness certificate | 14 CFR §91.203(a)(1) | Displayed at cabin/cockpit entrance; standard cert does not expire |
| R | Registration certificate | 14 CFR §91.203(a)(2) | Must be effective; §47.40 7-year term; §47.31(c) pink copy for in-process transfers |
| R | Radio station license | 47 CFR Part 87 (FCC) | International operations only — not required for domestic U.S. flight |
| O | Operating limitations (flight manual, markings, placards) | 14 CFR §91.9 | Current approved AFM/RFM available in the aircraft; never operate outside limits |
| W | Weight and balance data | 14 CFR §91.9 (AFM data) | Current W&B information; the aircraft must be loaded within the approved envelope |
ARROW is a mnemonic — §91.203 and §91.9 are the law
You will not find the word "ARROW" in the regulations. The binding requirements are split across two sections: §91.203 for the airworthiness and registration certificates, and §91.9 for the operating limitations and the flight manual that contains them (including weight and balance). The radio station license sits under the FCC's 47 CFR Part 87 and applies only to operations outside the United States. When an inspector asks for "your ARROW documents," they are checking compliance with these specific rules.
A — Airworthiness Certificate (§91.203(a)(1) & §21.181)
§91.203(a)(1) prohibits operating a civil aircraft unless it has within it an appropriate and current airworthiness certificate — and that certificate must include the aircraft's registration number assigned under Part 47 or Part 48 (special flight permits and a few other cases excepted). Critically, §91.203(b) requires the airworthiness certificate to be displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers or crew. It is the one document in the set that must be visible, not just present.
The fact most pilots get wrong: it does not expire
A standard airworthiness certificate (FAA Form 8100-2) has no expiration date. Under 14 CFR §21.181(a)(1), a standard airworthiness certificate is effective as long as the maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations are performed in accordance with Parts 43 and 91, and the aircraft is registered in the United States. The certificate becomes ineffective in practice when the aircraft falls out of an airworthy condition (for example, a lapsed annual inspection under §91.409 or an open Airworthiness Directive) — but the paper itself never needs renewal.
Special airworthiness certificates are different. Experimental certificates, special flight permits ("ferry permits"), restricted, limited, provisional, and light-sport certificates each carry their own operating limitations and may have duration limits stated on the certificate or in the attached operating-limitations document. If you operate under a special airworthiness certificate, the operating-limitations sheet is part of your required documents and must be read as carefully as the certificate itself.
The certificate does not make the aircraft airworthy — the records do
Having the airworthiness certificate aboard satisfies §91.203, but it does not prove the aircraft is currently airworthy. Airworthiness is established by the maintenance record set — §91.417 total times, inspection status, and AD compliance. An aircraft can have a valid certificate aboard and still be unairworthy if an inspection has lapsed. The certificate is necessary, not sufficient.
R — Registration Certificate (§91.203(a)(2), §47.40 & §47.31)
§91.203(a)(2) requires an effective U.S. registration certificate issued to the aircraft's owner. For U.S. operations, §91.203(a)(2) also recognizes alternatives: the second copy of the Aircraft Registration Application under §47.31(c), a Certificate of Aircraft Registration under Part 48 (the small-UAS registry, in the relevant context), or a foreign registration certificate for foreign-registered aircraft.
The 7-year term (§47.40)
Under 14 CFR §47.40, a Certificate of Aircraft Registration issued under §47.31 expires seven years after the last day of the month in which it is issued. The owner may renew by filing an Aircraft Registration Renewal Application (AC Form 8050-1B) and the fee during the six months preceding the expiration date. This seven-year term replaced the earlier three-year cycle — a common source of stale guidance.
The "pink copy" (§47.31(c))
When you buy an aircraft previously registered in the U.S., §47.31(c) lets you carry the second copy of the registration application as temporary authority while the FAA processes the permanent certificate. It is valid until you receive the certificate or the FAA denies the application — but not once 12 months have passed since the FAA received the first application following the last owner transfer, and not if no N-number has yet been assigned.
An expired registration grounds the aircraft
If the registration certificate has expired and has not been renewed, the aircraft no longer has the effective U.S. registration that §91.203(a)(2) requires aboard — regardless of how perfect the maintenance records are. Flying it is an operations violation, and the temporary §47.31(c) authority does not help once it has lapsed or the 12-month window has closed. The fix is administrative (renew the registration), but you cannot legally fly until it clears.
One frequent point of confusion: the N-number is not a document aboard. The nationality and registration mark is a marking displayed on the aircraft under 14 CFR Part 45 (§45.29), with size minimums (generally 12 inches for fixed-wing and rotorcraft). The number on the airframe, on the airworthiness certificate, and on the registration certificate all have to agree — but the marking itself is a structural-display requirement, not part of the carried-document set.
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Run the FAA Readiness Score — FreeO — Operating Limitations & the Flight Manual (§91.9)
14 CFR §91.9(a) states that no person may operate a civil aircraft without complying with the operating limitations specified in the approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual, markings, and placards. §91.9(b) then requires, for U.S.-registered civil aircraft for which a flight manual is required by §21.5, that a current, approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual be available in the aircraft. For aircraft where a flight manual is not required by §21.5, the operating limitations may be carried as a combination of an approved flight manual, approved manual material, markings, and placards.
The flight manual must be current
"Current" matters. The manufacturer issues revisions to the AFM/RFM, and supplemental type certificate (STC) modifications add Airplane Flight Manual Supplements (AFMS) that become part of the approved data. If your aircraft has had an avionics upgrade or an STC modification, the corresponding flight-manual supplement is part of the approved operating limitations and must be aboard. A flight manual that predates an installed STC is incomplete.
Markings and placards count too
§91.9(a) references markings and placards alongside the flight manual. Required placards (airspeed limitations, fuel grade, baggage limits, smoking restrictions, and others called out by the type certificate) are part of the operating-limitations set. A missing or illegible required placard is a discrepancy. For aircraft operating with a Minimum Equipment List (MEL), the MEL and its authorization are an additional operating-limitations document.
W — Weight and Balance Data (§91.9 Flight-Manual Data)
The "W" in ARROW is the current weight and balance information for the specific aircraft. It is not a standalone numbered regulation the way §91.203 and §91.9 are; rather, it flows from §91.9's requirement to operate within the approved flight-manual limitations. To stay within the approved weight and center-of-gravity envelope, you have to know the aircraft's current empty weight, empty-weight center of gravity, and useful load — and those numbers change every time equipment is added, removed, or relocated.
Why the W&B sheet goes stale — and why it matters
Every equipment change that affects weight or balance generates a new weight and balance computation. A new avionics stack, a removed air-stair, a paint job, an interior refurbishment — each one should be reflected in an updated weight and balance record and an updated equipment list. The current revision is the one you fly to.
When equipment changes are not reflected in the W&B data, the aircraft is being operated to numbers that no longer describe it — which can put it outside the approved envelope without the crew knowing. For a deeper treatment of the records side, see our guide on aircraft weight and balance records requirements.
For most general-aviation aircraft, the current weight and balance data and the equipment list live with the aircraft documents. For larger and turbine aircraft, and for Part 135 operations, a computerized weight and balance system or a load-manifest process may be used — but the principle is identical: the data the crew uses to compute the load must be current and reflect the aircraft as it is configured today.
The Ramp-Check Reality (and a Pre-Flight Document Checklist)
FAA inspectors conduct ramp inspections under their general surveillance authority. An inspector will commonly ask to see the airworthiness certificate (and confirm it is displayed), the registration certificate (and confirm it is current), and the flight manual / operating limitations. For Part 135 and other commercial operations, the inspection extends to operations documents. The companion to this is the Part 135 FAA surveillance audit preparation guide, which covers the broader operator-records review.
Pre-Flight Document Checklist (ARROW)
Airworthiness certificate aboard AND displayed at the cabin/cockpit entrance, legible to passengers/crew (§91.203(b)); registration number on it matches the airframe.
Registration certificate aboard and effective — not expired (§47.40 7-year term), or valid §47.31(c) temporary authority within its limits.
Radio station license aboard IF operating internationally (FCC, 47 CFR Part 87). Not required for domestic-only flight.
Current approved flight manual (AFM/RFM) available in the aircraft, including all STC flight-manual supplements; required markings and placards present and legible (§91.9).
Current weight and balance data and equipment list reflecting the aircraft as configured today; load computed within the approved envelope (§91.9).
Reminder: the documents being aboard is necessary but not sufficient. Airworthiness is established by the maintenance records behind them — see §91.417 aircraft records.
How FileFlo Sits in the ARROW Document Stack
FileFlo is a compliance document intelligence platform — a read-only proof layer that sits alongside your existing aircraft records and keeps the documents audit-ready. It classifies 600+ document types against the governing CFR section, so a registration certificate is recognized as a §47.40-governed document with a seven-year expiry the system can track, and a flight-manual supplement is filed against the airframe it modifies. It surfaces expirations (a registration renewal due date, a §91.411 altimeter test expiration) 90/60/30 days out, and generates inspector-format binders on demand.
FileFlo does not replace your A&P, your IA, your flight department's operational systems, your maintenance-tracking provider, or the certificates themselves. It keeps the documents that prove your compliance — the certificates, the current flight manual revision, the weight and balance data — organized, indexed against the relevant CFR, and ready for an FAA inspector or a buyer's pre-purchase review.
Related Aviation Compliance Guides
Part 91 Aircraft Records (§91.417)
The maintenance history behind the airworthiness certificate
Part 91.409 Annual Inspection
The inspection that keeps the airworthiness certificate effective
Airworthiness Directive Compliance
How Part 39 AD tracking ties into airworthiness
Weight & Balance Records
Keeping the W in ARROW current and accurate
Part 43.9 Maintenance Entries
What every maintenance record entry must contain
Part 135 Operator Records
The operational documents charter aircraft add to ARROW
MEL / CDL Records
The operating-limitations document for deferred items
RVSM, Altimeter & Transponder
The §91.411/§91.413 test records behind IFR currency
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents must be aboard a U.S. aircraft to fly legally?
Federal regulations require four document categories aboard every U.S.-registered civil aircraft, commonly memorized as ARROW: Airworthiness certificate, Registration certificate, Radio station license (only for international operations under FCC rules), Operating limitations (the current approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual, markings, and placards), and Weight and balance data. The two hard regulatory anchors are 14 CFR §91.203, which requires an appropriate and current airworthiness certificate plus an effective U.S. registration certificate to be aboard, and 14 CFR §91.9, which requires the current approved flight manual (and the operating limitations it contains) to be available in the aircraft. The airworthiness certificate must additionally be displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so it is legible to passengers or crew (§91.203(b)).
What does the ARROW acronym stand for?
ARROW is the common pilot mnemonic for the documents that must be aboard or available in a U.S.-registered aircraft. A — Airworthiness certificate (14 CFR §91.203(a)(1), displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance per §91.203(b)). R — Registration certificate (14 CFR §91.203(a)(2): an effective U.S. registration certificate, or the §47.31(c) second-copy temporary authority, or a Part 48 certificate). R — Radio station license (an FCC requirement under 47 CFR Part 87, required only for operations outside the United States — not an FAA requirement for purely domestic flight). O — Operating limitations (the current approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual, markings, and placards required by 14 CFR §91.9). W — Weight and balance data (the current weight and balance information, which is part of the approved flight-manual data set the aircraft must operate within). The acronym is a memory aid, not a regulation; the binding requirements are in §91.203, §91.9, and the FCC rules.
Does an airworthiness certificate expire?
A standard airworthiness certificate does not have a calendar expiration date. Under 14 CFR §21.181(a)(1), a standard airworthiness certificate is effective as long as the maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations are performed in accordance with Parts 43 and 91 and the aircraft is registered in the United States. It can become invalid in practice — for example, if a required inspection lapses or the aircraft is no longer maintained in an airworthy condition — but the certificate document itself is not dated and does not need periodic renewal. This is different from the registration certificate, which under 14 CFR §47.40 expires seven years after the last day of the month in which it was issued and must be renewed. Special airworthiness certificates (experimental, special flight permits, restricted, and similar) can carry their own duration and operating limitations and should be read carefully.
How long is an aircraft registration certificate valid?
Under 14 CFR §47.40, a Certificate of Aircraft Registration issued under §47.31 expires seven years after the last day of the month in which it is issued. The registered owner may apply for renewal by submitting an Aircraft Registration Renewal Application (AC Form 8050-1B) and the fee during the six months preceding the expiration date. This seven-year term reflects the FAA registration rule as amended; it replaced the earlier three-year cycle. An aircraft flown with an expired registration is operating without the effective U.S. registration certificate that §91.203(a)(2) requires aboard, which is an airworthiness-and-operations violation regardless of the maintenance status of the airframe.
Can you fly with the pink copy of the registration application?
For an aircraft previously registered in the United States, 14 CFR §47.31(c) allows the applicant to carry the second copy of the Aircraft Registration Application (AC Form 8050-1) as temporary operating authority while the permanent Certificate of Aircraft Registration is being processed. That temporary authority is valid until the applicant receives the certificate or the FAA denies the application. Two important limits apply: the temporary authority is not available once 12 months have passed since the FAA received the first application following the last registered owner transfer (§47.31(c)(2)), and the second copy may not be used as temporary authority if no registration number has yet been assigned (§47.31(c)(3)). The temporary authority also does not authorize operations outside the United States.
Is the N-number one of the required documents aboard?
No. The N-number (the nationality and registration mark) is a marking displayed on the aircraft itself under 14 CFR Part 45 — §45.29 sets the size requirements (generally 12 inches high for fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft, with smaller minimums for gliders and balloons) — not a document carried in the aircraft. People sometimes lump it into ARROW discussions because the registration number ties the airframe to the registration and airworthiness certificates, but the marking is a structural-display requirement. The registration number does appear on the airworthiness certificate (§91.203(a)(1) requires the certificate to include the registration number assigned under Part 47 or 48), so the markings, the certificates, and the data plate all need to agree.
What is the difference between the ARROW documents and the §91.417 maintenance records?
They are two different record sets with two different purposes. The ARROW documents (§91.203 airworthiness and registration certificates, §91.9 flight manual and operating limitations, and weight and balance data) are the items that must physically be aboard or available in the aircraft to operate it legally on any given flight — they are checked at a ramp inspection. The 14 CFR §91.417 maintenance records (total time in service, life-limited part status, current inspection status, Airworthiness Directive compliance status, and major alteration records) are the maintenance history that documents the aircraft is airworthy; under §91.417 those records are generally kept at the operator base and made available to the FAA on request, not necessarily carried in the cabin. Both sets matter, and a complete pre-purchase or audit review verifies both: the documents aboard and the maintenance records behind them.
Do the ARROW requirements apply to Part 135 charter aircraft?
Yes. The §91.203 and §91.9 document-aboard requirements apply to civil aircraft operations broadly, including aircraft operated under 14 CFR Part 135 (which incorporates Part 91 requirements). A Part 135 operator additionally carries operations-specific documents — for example, the operations specifications (OpSpecs) authority, the load manifest, and any minimum-equipment-list authorization — and must keep the broader set of Part 135 operator records. So for a charter aircraft the ARROW set is a floor, not the ceiling: the airworthiness certificate, effective registration, current flight manual, and weight and balance data must be aboard, and the Part 135 operational documents sit on top of them.
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Written by Chad Griffith, Founder & CEO, FileFlo · Reviewed June 9, 2026 · Primary sources: Cornell LII 14 CFR §91.203, §91.9, §21.181, §47.40, §47.31, §45.29