Introduction to Operational Procedures

Course Overview and Assessment Structure

• Instructor: Phil Plumley, Leading Edge Aviation.
• Module Title: Operational Procedures, Chapter 1: Introduction to Operational Procedures.
• Educational Context: Pilot training with an edge; "Aim higher."
• Assessment Schedule:     * Chapters 1–8: Covers content up to and including the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air.     * Progress Test: Consists of $25$ questions with a duration of $45$ minutes.     * Remaining Chapters: Followed by the School's final examination.     * Final Examination: Consists of $45$ questions with a duration of $1$ hour and $15$ minutes ($75\,min$).

Objectives and Regulatory Framework

• Core Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students must be familiar with:     * An overview of Operational Procedures.     * Categories of Aviation Activity.     * Commercial Aviation definitions.     * The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Annex 6.     * The relationship between regulatory bodies.     * The application of Regulation EU $965/2012$ (Air Operations).     * The application of Regulation EU $1178/2011$ (Aircrew requirements).

Standardization and Individual Application

• Introduction to Procedures: Procedures used for commercial operations are largely standardized according to European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards and legislation.
• SOPs: These standardized legislative requirements are applied to individual operators in the form of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Categories of Aviation Activity

• State vs. Civil Distinction: The primary distinction in aviation activity is whether a flight is conducted for State or Civil purposes.
• State Flights: Conducted by aeroplanes used for:     * Military purposes.     * Customs.     * Police services.     * Search and Rescue (SAR).     * Firefighting.     * Border control.     * Coastguard and similar government activities.
• Civil Aviation: encompasses all aviation activities not defined as State flights. Civil aviation is further divided based on payment and purpose:     * Commercial: If the pilot is paid to fly (remuneration).     * Private: If the flying activity is for pleasure.

Commercial Aviation Subcategories

• Commercial Air Transport (CAT): An aircraft operation involving the transport of passengers, cargo, or mail for remuneration or valuable consideration.
• Specialised Operations (SPO): Any commercial operation other than CAT where the aircraft is used for specialized activities. Named examples include:     * Agriculture.     * Construction.     * Photography.     * Surveying.     * Observation and patrol.     * Aerial advertisement.
• General Aviation (GA): Classed as any civil flight that is neither CAT nor SPO.

International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)

• Organizational Status: ICAO is a specialized organization of the United Nations.
• Membership: It consists of $191$ member States.
• Primary Goals: To promote cooperation between member States to ensure international civil air transport is:     * Safe.     * Orderly.     * Economical.     * Equally available.
• Regulatory Function: ICAO creates standard sets of aviation regulations and maintains the authority to amend these regulations as necessary.

ICAO Legislation and Publications

• The Chicago Convention (1944): Formally known as the Convention on International Civil Aviation, this is the fundamental document underpinning the entire international regulatory process.
• ICAO Annexes: The convention regulations consist of $19$ ICAO Annexes developed for the technical and operational aspects of aviation. These are the source documents for national aviation law.
• Relevant Operational Annexes:     * Annex 6: Operation of Aircraft (Part 1 covers International Commercial Air Transport).     * Annex 17: Security.     * Annex 18: The Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air.
• ICAO Documents (Doc Numbers):     * Doc 8168: Procedures for Air Navigation Services - Aircraft Operations (PANS-OPS).     * Doc 7030: Regional Supplementary Procedures.     * NAT Doc 007: Details regulations for the North Atlantic High Level Airspace (NAT HLA) area.

Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs)

• ICAO Standards: Requirements and specifications recognized as necessary for the safety and regularity of international air navigation. Contracting states will conform to these and should incorporate them into national law.
• ICAO Recommended Practices: Specifications recognized as desirable for safety. Contracting states should endeavor to adopt them, but they are not mandatory.
• Compliance: Annex 6 requires operators to ensure employees comply with the laws of the States where operations occur. States may impose rules more stringent than ICAO standards.

National and Regional Authorities

• National Civil Aviation Authorities: Referred to as "The Authority" or "Competent Authority." Example: The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Their role is to ensure national standards conform to ICAO SARPs.
• Filing a Difference: "Conformity" does not mean national laws are identical to ICAO regulations.     * States can be more stringent, but never less.     * National differences must be published in the National Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), filed with ICAO, and listed in supplements to the annexes.     * Information providers like Jeppesen detail these national differences.

European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

• Joint Aviation Authority (JAA): The initial attempt to standardize EU air procedures. It was a voluntary cooperation that issued Joint Aviation Regulations-Operations (JAR-OPS).
• Transition to EASA: EASA replaced the JAA in $2008$. Unlike the voluntary JAA, EASA has legal authority to require member states to change regulations.
• European Law Evolution:     * JAR-OPS was modified and reissued as EU-Ops (European Union operations).     * It is currently known as European Union Implementing Regulations - Operations (EU IR OPS).
• Legislative Authority: EU states no longer create separate legislation; they are responsible for ensuring compliance with EASA regulations.

Aircraft Certification

• EASA is the sole authority for certifying new European aircraft. Non-European manufactured aircraft must also be issued EASA documentation for certification.
• Certification Specifications (CS):     * CS-25: Certification of large aircraft.     * CS-23: Certification of light aircraft.

Detailed European Regulations

• EU Regulation 216/2008 (The Basic Regulation): The overarching regulation covering all aspects of commercial aviation in the EU.
• Regulation 965/2012 (Air Operations Regulation): Detailed rules for operations, organized into Annexes:     * Annex I: PART-DEF (Definitions).     * Annex II: PART-ARO (Authority Requirements).     * Annex III: PART-ORO (Organisation Requirements).     * Annex IV: PART-CAT (Commercial Air Transport).     * Annex V: PART-SPA (Specific Approvals, including ETOPS and Dangerous Goods).     * Part-SPO: Special Operations.
• PART-CAT Subparts:     * A: General requirements.     * B: Operating procedures.     * C: Aircraft performance and Operating Limitations.     * D: Instruments, Data, and Equipment.

Commission Regulation EC No 859/2008

• Known as the Common Technical Requirements, this document lays down common technical requirements and administrative procedures for commercial aircraft operations. Many JAR-OPS references can be read across to this document.
• Key Subparts:     * Subpart A: Applicability and definitions.     * Subpart B: General.     * Subpart C: Operator certification and supervision.     * Subpart D: Operation procedures.     * Subpart E: All weather operations.     * Subpart F: Performance general.     * Subpart G: Performance Class A.     * Subpart H: Performance Class B.     * Subpart I: Performance Class C.     * Subpart J: Mass and balance.     * Subpart K: Instruments and equipment.     * Subpart L: Communication and navigation equipment.     * Subpart M: Aeroplane maintenance.     * Subpart N: Flight crew.     * Subpart O: Cabin crew.     * Subpart P: Manuals/logs.     * Subpart Q: Flight and duty time limitations and rest requirements.     * Subpart R: Transport of dangerous goods by air.     * Subpart S: Security.

Additional Key Regulations

• Regulation EU 1178/2011: Details aircrew technical requirements and procedures, including:     * Part FCL: Flight Crew Licencing.     * Part MED: Aircrew Medical Requirements.
• Commission Regulation EU 2018/1139 (Article 2): Defines the nature of CAT operations and lists exceptions, such as military, customs, police, search and rescue, firefighting, and coastguard activities under the control of a member state.