Operations Flashcards
Validity periods
- OPC
- Line check
- Ground training
- Route & aerodrome
OPC - 6 months
[Specialised OPC - 12 months]
Line check - 12 months
Ground training - 12 months
Route & aerodrome - 12 months
[Take within last 3 months of period to get extension from previous expiry]
[Valid until LAST day of the month!]
Minimum number of cabin crew
1 crew member for every 50 (or fraction of 50) passenger SEATS on a given deck.
Flight Duty Period
- start and end
- limits
Starts at time required to report for duty, ends when engines are shut down at the end of the last sector.
Maximum of 13 hours (without extensions).
Reduced by 30 minutes for each sector over 2 sectors (up to 2 hours).
Duty hours limits
- 7 days
- 14 days
- 28 days
60 in any 7 days
110 in any 14 days
190 in any 28 days
Flight time limits (block hours)
- 28 days
- calendar year
- any 12 months
100 hours in 28 days
900 hours in a calendar year
1000 hours in any 12 months
Journey log
Single piece of paper (or equivalent) completed by PIC at end of flight including:
- Aircraft nationality & reg
- Date
- Names and assignments of crew
- Place of departure & arrival
- Time of departure & arrival
- Flight hours
- Nature of flight
- Incidents/observations
- PIC signature
Technical log
PIC enters all issues found during a sector.
Maintenance fix it or list as acceptable deferred defect (ADD) and replace pilots entry with a new one (including minimum equipment list reference).
Maintenance sign it (with required details - date, what was done) and next pilot signs to confirm acceptance.
MMEL
Master MEL
Created by designer of the type (aircraft) and state of the designer, listing items one or more of which may be unserviceable during flight. May be associated with limitations.
MEL is based off the MMEL
When during flight is MEL referred to?
Before taxy
After taxy the “Abnormal and Emergency procedures” in the operations manual is referred to instead.
CDL
Configuration Deviation List
Similar to MEL, found in the AFM (Aircraft flight manual) and refers to items that can be missing from the aircraft (as opposed to non-functional which is MEL).
Oxygen
- Flight & cabin crew
- Entire time over 13,000ft
- Time between 10,000ft and 13,000ft less the first 30 minutes
Subject to minimum of 30 minutes (increasing to 2 hours for FLIGHT crew if certified to fly over 25,000ft).
Oxygen
- Passengers
> 15,000ft: All passengers (at least 10 mins)
14-15,000ft: 30% of passengers
10-14,000ft: 10% of passengers (after first 30 mins)
Communications systems requirements
- IFR vs VFR
IFR (or VFR over routes that can’t be navigated using visual landmarks) require 2 independent systems to communicate with ground stations.
RVSM
- Description
- Operator approval
Allows separation of 1,000ft between FL290 and FL410 inclusive.
Approval will be reflected in the operators AOC.
Standard IFR flight levels
0-179 track: Odd [FL30, FL50,…, FL290]
180-359 track: Even [FL40, FL60,…,FL280]
Above FL290 switches to 2000ft gaps [FL290 East, FL310 West,..]
Requirements for RVSM
- Pilots both trained
- Operator certified
- Aircraft has appropriate equipment
- Aircraft certified and maintained for RVSM
RVSM
- equipment (4)
- 2 independent altitude systems
- Altitude alerting system
- Automatic altitude control system
- SSR with altitude reporting connected to the altitude system being used for altitude control
What to do if RVSM equipment fails
Inform ATC immediately.
Request routing to avoid RVSM airspace or leave it.
VFR visibility and cloud rules
Visibility
- Over 10,000ft: 8km
- Below 10,000ft: 5km
Cloud separation
- 1500m horizontal, 1000ft vertical
EXCEPT class F/G below 3,000ft AMSL or 1,000ft above ground (Clear of cloud, sight of surface)
Safe altitudes
- MSA
- MEA
- MOCA
- MORA
MSA: Min. Safe Sector Altitude
MOCA: Min. Obstacle Clearance Altitude
MEA: Min. Safe En-route Altitude
MORA: Min. Off-route Altitude
Weather requirements when
- planning flight
- taking off (i.e. during or after taxi)
- in flight
Planning stage: Planning minima +/- 1 hour
Taking off: Planning minima at ETA
In flight: Aerodrome operating minima
Take-off alternate
- When needed
- Requirements
Needed if landing conditions at departure aerodrome unsuitable.
It must have suitable forecasts +/- 1 hour of ETA.
Must be within:
1 hour @ OEI for 2 engine
En-route alternates
- when required (2)
Generally not required unless:
- ETOPS need them within authorised ETOPS diversion time at all points
- For reduced contingency fuel (RCF)
Need good forecast +/- 1 hour ETA
When is destination alternate not required? (2)
- Flight time < 6hrs (or 4hrs remaining), 2 separate (crossing ok) runways AND ETA +/- 1hr have 5km vis and ceiling over (higher of) 2000ft or circling height +500ft.
- Isolated destination in which case conditions need to meet dest alt conditions and fuel >= TRIP + CONT. + 2hrs CRUISE
[this includes FRF]