Title 14, Coast GuardRelease 119-102
§3909 Aircraft Deemed Public Aircraft
Title 14 › SUBTITLE III — COAST GUARD RESERVE AND AUXILIARY › CHAPTER 39 — COAST GUARD AUXILIARY › § 3909
Summary
Aircraft on Coast Guard duty are Coast Guard aircraft and U.S. public vessels under sections 937 and 938; under sections 3904 and 3912, qualified Auxiliary pilots are Coast Guard pilots.
Full Legal Text
Title 14, §3909
Coast Guard, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
While assigned to authorized Coast Guard duty, any aircraft shall be deemed to be a Coast Guard aircraft, a public vessel of the United States, and a vessel of the Coast Guard within the meaning of section 937 and 938 of this title and other applicable provisions of law. Subject to the provisions of section 3904 and 3912 of this title, while assigned to duty, qualified Auxiliary pilots shall be deemed to be Coast Guard pilots.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 266a (Feb. 19, 1941, ch. 8, title I, § 7A, as added Sept. 30, 1944, ch. 453, § 4, 58 Stat. 760). The last clause of said section is eliminated because it might be construed to exempt planes of members from being licensed according to law. Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress,
House Report No. 557
.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 937 and 938” for “section 646 and 647” and “section 3904 and 3912” for “section 823a and 831”. Pub. L. 115–282, § 119(b), renumbered section 828 of this title as this section. 1996—Pub. L. 104–324 reenacted section catchline without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Any aircraft, while assigned to authorized Coast Guard duty shall be deemed to be a vessel of the Coast Guard within the meaning of section 646 of this title.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
14 U.S.C. § 3909
Title 14, Coast Guard
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102