§2245 — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

§2245 Use of Aircraft for Proficiency Flying: Limitation

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— General Military Law › Part IV— SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROPERTY › Chapter 134— MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › Subchapter I— MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORITIES, PROHIBITIONS, AND LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF APPROPRIATED FUNDS › § 2245

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

Military aircraft cannot be used for practice flying unless the Secretary of Defense creates rules that allow it. Those rules can only require practice when it is needed to keep a member ready for combat and they must forbid practice for anyone in a training course that lasts 90 days or more. "Proficiency flying" means official flights by a qualified pilot who is serving in a non‑flying job.

Title 10, §2245

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)An aircraft under the jurisdiction of a military department may not be used by a member of the armed forces for the purpose of proficiency flying except in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

(b)Such regulations—

(1)may not require proficiency flying by a member except to the extent required for the member to maintain flying proficiency in anticipation of the member’s assignment to combat operations; and

(2)may not permit proficiency flying in the case of a member who is assigned to a course of instruction of 90 days or more.

(c)In this section, the term “proficiency flying” means flying performed under competent orders by a rated or designated member of the armed forces while serving in a non-aviation assignment or in an assignment in which skills would normally not be maintained in the performance of assigned duties.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in Pub. L. 101–165, title IX, § 9006, Nov. 21, 1989, 103 Stat. 1130, which was set out as a note under section 2241 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 101–510, § 1481(e)(3).

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–181 amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows: “In this section, the term ‘proficiency flying’ has the meaning given that term in Department of Defense Directive 1340.4.”