AC 117-3 focuses on which two areas?

• A. Fatigue risk management and weather avoidance
• B. Fitness for duty and fatigue risk management
• C. Flight planning and workload management
• D. Aircraft maintenance and compliance

Answer: (B)

AC 117-3 centers on fitness for duty and fatigue risk management. It provides guidance to operators on keeping crewmembers medically and physically able to fly, and on reducing fatigue-related risk through a formal Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS).

Fitness for duty covers medical certification, health monitoring, and policies related to illness, medications, and substances that could impair performance. Fatigue risk management focuses on identifying fatigue hazards in scheduling and operations, applying limits on duty and rest, and using data, monitoring, and training to mitigate fatigue and adjust rosters as needed.

Together, these areas ensure pilots are not only fit to operate but also sufficiently rested to perform safely, which is the core aim of AC 117-3. Weather avoidance, flight planning, workload management, and maintenance are important topics in aviation operations, but they aren’t the two focus areas of this circular.