What 91.103 Requires Before Every Flight

Before any flight, the pilot in command must become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. That phrase is broad on purpose, but the rule names specifics. For every flight it includes weather reports and forecasts, the fuel required, alternatives if the flight cannot be completed as planned, and any known traffic delays. For a flight that leaves the vicinity of an airport, and for any IFR flight, it adds runway lengths at the airports of intended use and the aircraft’s takeoff and landing distance data. Part of gathering "all available information" is reviewing NOTAMs, which flag time-critical items like closed runways, unlit obstructions, navaid outages, and temporary flight restrictions. Pulling weather, NOTAMs, fuel, and alternates together is what turns a wish to fly into a defensible go/no-go decision.