Originally Posted by B2N2
Yes....you are.
Part 135 is non scheduled charter and air taxi operations.
Basically you call and they show up with an airplane.
Part 121 is
scheduled air carrier operations.
Meaning you have to show up in time to go along on a pre scheduled flight.
Cape Air provides 121 operations in a Cessna 402.
And 135 ops can be in any size of airplane, from a 172 to a Boeing BBJ.
So size does not matter......
Then there is Part 91 operations, which is defined as "owner operated".
Take Coca-Cola for instance, they have a fleet of app 30 jets that operate under part 91 operations. Meaning that every employee of that company can get a ride on the airplane, also invited guests of the company.
They cannot charge their guests though because that would be providing transportation for hire.
A couple of corrections are in order here. Part 121 need not be scheduled, it can be
supplemental, that is to say, not maintaining a regular schedule, but having a schedule for a particular period of time, one month, for example. However, the operator must be engaged in Common carriage, meaning anyone can buy a ticket. This is what Sun Country Airlines
used to be, a Part 121 supplemental carrier.
There
is a limitation as to size for Part 135 operations. The regs state that any aircraft with a payload of 6,000lb or greater and/or a seating capacity of 20 or greater must be operated on Part 1
25 certificate. The operators op specs will then define whether this is a charter outfit or a private situation.
Coca-Cola
can charge for flights, so long as they maintain a "private carriage" status. Meaning they can transport employees of say, Dow Chemical or Mead Paper or whatnot. The FAA has held that this is permissible as long as the operator does not "hold himself out to the public" and the number of private contracts is typically not more than 3.