With respect to the certification of aircraft, which is a statement describing an experimental certificate operation?

• A. They may operate over densely populated areas without authorization.
• B. They may operate over densely populated areas only if specifically authorized.
• C. They may operate over densely populated areas only with daylight.
• D. They may never operate over densely populated areas.

Answer: (B)

Experiments fly under strict operating limitations. When an aircraft has an experimental certificate, its flight operations are governed by specific restrictions attached to that certificate, especially about where you can fly. Flying over densely populated areas is a high-risk scenario, so such operations aren’t allowed by default—you need explicit authorization from the FAA for those flights.

That’s why the correct statement is that you may operate over densely populated areas only if specifically authorized. Authorization is granted only after FAA review and may apply to a particular flight test or program, ensuring the operation can be conducted safely. The other options conflict with this risk-management approach: flying over populated areas without authorization isn’t permitted, daylight-only isn’t the general rule, and never operating over populated areas is overly restrictive given that authorization can be granted in certain cases.