Does the Deadhead Count? What Lives Inside Your FDP
The FDP definition (§117.3) answers almost every "does X count" question — if you read it as a checklist.
Yes, inside the FDP
- Deadhead transportation before a flight or between flights — it is duty. Sitting in 26C still burns your Table B window.
- Aircraft or simulator training conducted before or between segments without an intervening rest.
- Airport/standby reserve — all time in that status is part of the FDP (§117.21(b)).
- Pre-flight duties, aircraft positioning, loading, servicing — everything performed on the company's behalf between report and park.
The deadhead subtlety: duty yes, segment no
The definition ends with: "For purposes of determining the maximum flight duty period in Table B, deadhead transportation is not considered a flight segment." So a report + deadhead + two revenue legs is a 2-segment day for Table B, while the deadhead hours still count against your limit. A deadhead-only day has no Table B FDP at all — but note §117.25(g): if a deadhead pushes you past your applicable FDP, you are owed extra rest before the next duty.
Not inside the FDP
- Transportation to or from a suitable accommodation. That is why a release to the hotel ends duty — and why the shuttle eats your 10-hour rest instead of your FDP.
- Post-park administrative work. The FDP ends when the aircraft is parked with no intention of further movement by the same crew. The debrief afterwards is duty, but not FDP.
- Commutes from home — never duty unless the company requires it.
Where the FDP ends matters as much as where it starts: parked aircraft, not crew room, not the last leg's on-blocks paperwork. If scheduling counts your post-flight debrief as FDP, they are being conservative — never the reverse.
Model your own deadhead-heavy day in the free Part 117 calculator.