Flight duty period begins and ends?

• A. Flight duty period begins when required to report for duty, ends when the aircraft is parked after last flight and no intent of further aircraft movement by same pilot
• B. Begins at pushback; ends at engine start
• C. Begins after boarding; ends after landing
• D. Begins when passengers board; ends when last passenger deplanes

Answer: (A)

Flight duty period is the time a crew member is on duty and available for flight operations. It begins when the crew member is required to report for duty, so it can include preflight planning, briefings, and checks before any movement. It ends when the aircraft is parked after the last flight and there is no intent of further aircraft movement by the same pilot. This framing covers the full span of preparation, execution, and any additional duties within a single duty window, and it ends only when there’s no plan for more flying by that pilot. If the same pilot is slated to fly again after the aircraft is parked, the duty period continues. The other options don’t capture the full scope, as they either start too late (e.g., at pushback or boarding) or end too early (e.g., after landing or after deplaning), omitting the necessary preflight work and any potential additional legs within the same duty period.