Flight Recorders are required on which class of aircraft?

Flight recorders, commonly known as black boxes, are critical for enhancing flight safety and facilitating accident investigations. The requirement for their installation, specifically pertains to aircraft that are classified under the regulations defined in Part 121 and Part 125 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR).

Part 121 aircraft are typically large commercial transport category aircraft operated by air carriers, while Part 125 covers larger, non-commercial aircraft that also carry passengers or cargo for hire. These aircraft are subject to stringent operational and safety regulations, which include equipping them with flight recorders to capture important data about the flight parameters and cockpit conversations. This data can be crucial in understanding what happened during an incident or accident.

The other options presented do not encapsulate the complete regulatory obligations for flight recorders. For instance, while light sport aircraft and smaller general aviation aircraft may not be required to have flight recorders, and military aircraft might follow different guidelines, such regulations do not supersede the specific rules mandated for commercial operators under Parts 121 and 125.

Therefore, the identification of Part 121 and Part 125 aircraft as the categories requiring flight recorders reflects the adherence to comprehensive safety standards within commercial aviation.