OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
EASA Part-FCL – PPL(A)
PROGRAMME
1) International operation of general aviation aircraft
2) Runway declared distances
3) Noise abatement procedures
4) Wake turbulences
5) Fire and smoke
6) Emergency landing and ditching
7) Windshear and microburst
8) Runway contamination
9) Search and Rescue signals
10) Aircraft accident and incident investigation
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (ICAO Annex 6)
• General Rules
• PIC shall be responsible for the operation and safety of the aeroplane and
for the safety of all persons on board, during the flight
• PIC shall comply with laws, regulations & procedures of country in
which the aircraft is operated
• If emergency situation (which endangers safety of aircraft or people and
requires PIC to breach local regulations or procedures), PIC shall notify
the appropriate authority ASAP
• If required by the State where incident happens, PIC shall submit report
on the breach ASAP, normally within 10 days. PIC shall also give copy
of report, ASAP and normally within 10 days, to the State of registry
• For any accident that results in serious injury or death or substantial
damage to the aeroplane or other property, PIC shall notify the
appropriate authority ASAP
• Adequacy of operating facilities
• No flight should be commenced unless PIC has verified that aerodrome,
navigation and communication aids are operational
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Documents on board
• Copy of the flight plan
• Maps and charts (up to date)
• Exception: local flight
• Aerodrome operating minima
• PIC shall not fly below aerodrome operating minima, except in the case
of an emergency or with a State approval
• Briefing
• PIC shall ensure that crew members and passengers are duly informed on
the location and conditions of use of:
• Seat belts
• Emergency exits
• Life jackets
• Oxygen requirement
• Equipment carried for collective use, such as life rafts
• Any other emergency equipment
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Refueling with passengers on board
• Never refuel with AVGAS while passengers are boarding, on board
or leaving the aircraft !!!
• For other types of fuel (JET A1 for ex.), refueling while passengers
are boarding, on board or leaving the aircraft is permitted only if PIC
or qualified person is attending the aircraft and:
1. PIC is positioned as to be able to direct an emergency
procedure and safe evacuation of the aircraft
2. Crew members and passengers must be informed about the
ongoing refuelling
3. Passengers are instructed to unfasten their seatbelt and
refrain from smoking
4. If fuel vapor is detected in the cabin or any other danger
arises, the refueling is immediately stopped
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Airplane airworthiness and safety precautions
• PIC shall not begin a flight unless he is satisfied that:
The airplane is airworthy, properly registered and has the appropriate
documents on board
The instruments and equipment are appropriate to the expected flight
conditions
Necessary maintenance has been completed
The airplane's weight and balance will be within safe limits for the flight
Cargo is correctly stowed and secured
The airplane's operating limitations, as described in the Flight Manual, will
not be exceeded
The aircraft performances allow to operate along the intended route safely
• Weather conditions
• No VFR departure if not VMC en-route
• Divert if weather is not VMC at destination or at alternate
• Never fly below aerodrome minima
• Flight into known icing (FIKI) conditions is prohibited
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Fuel and oil supply
• No flying without proper fuel planning + sufficient oil taking into
account the weather, any possible delay, and reserve
• Reserve for Day VFR: 30 min at normal cruise power and altitude
• Reserve for Night VFR: 45 min “ “
• Reserve for local VFR flight around the aerodrome: 10 min
• In-flight emergency instruction
• PIC shall instruct all passengers or crew on the emergency actions
Example: oxygen supply,
emergency landing or ditching,
“Brace Brace” call and position
• Weather reporting by pilots
• Hazardous flight conditions
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Taxi on the movement area of an aerodrome
• ONLY if the person at the controls:
• Has been authorised by the owner, lessee or
agent to do so
• Is fully competent to taxi the aeroplane
• Is qualified to use the radio if radio
communications are required
• Has received instructions from a competent
person on the aerodrome layout, routes,
signs, markings, lights, ATC signals and
instructions, phraseology and procedures,
and is able to conform safely to the
operational standards required for the safe
movement of aeroplanes at the aerodrome
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Equipment for any aircraft and any flight:
• Easily accessible first-aid kit
• Safe portable fire extinguisher in the cockpit and in each passenger
compartment if separate from the cockpit
• Seat or berth for each person on board over a minimum age determined
by the State of registry (in Belgium: 2 years old)
• Seat belt for each seat and restraining belts for each berth
• Various documents:
• Flight Manual
• Suitable aeronautical charts
• Procedures and visual signals for PIC of intercepted aircraft
• Spare fuses for replacement of those accessible in flight
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Equipment for VFR flights (mandatory):
1) Magnetic Compass
2) Chronometer
3) Altimeter
4) Airspeed Indicator
• + for Night VFR flights (also recommended for controlled
VFR flights):
5) Turn & Bank
6) Artificial Horizon
7) Directional Gyro
8) Suction
9) OAT
10) Vertical Speed Indicator
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Equipment for flights over water:
• All single-engine landplanes when flying over water beyond
gliding distance from land MUST carry:
• One life-jacket or equivalent flotation device for each
person on board
• All aeroplanes on extended flights over water shall be
equipped as follows:
• When flying over water for more than 50 NM from land
suitable for emergency landing, or for more than 30 minutes
away from land (whichever happens first):
• One life-jacket or equivalent flotation device for each
person on board
• Life-saving rafts capable of carrying all persons on board
• Equipment for making pyrotechnic distress signals
• Survival equipment
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Equipment for flights over designated
land areas:
• Aeroplanes flying over land areas designated by
the State as being areas in which SAR would be
especially difficult, shall be equipped with
appropriate signalling devices and life-saving
equipment (flares, water, food, etc…)
• Equipment for night flights:
• All equipment necessary for VFR flights
+ Navigation, Strobe and Landing lights
+ Aircraft panel lighting system
+ Electric torch for each pilot seat
+ Lighting system for passengers’ cabins
+ Transponder + FM-immune transceiver
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Equipment for high level flights –
Oxygen requirements
• An aircraft operated above a pressure altitude of 10,000
feet must carry sufficient stored breathing oxygen to
supply:
· All crew members for any period longer than 30
minutes spent between 10,000ft (FL100) and 13,000ft
(FL130),
· All crew members and passengers for any time
spent above 13,000ft (FL130)
• PIC must also consider any possible need of
supplementary oxygen taking into account the
experience, health, age, place of residence, etc of any
person carried on board.
• If the PIC detects the first symptoms of hypoxia, he/she
should consider descending at a lower altitude and make
sure the oxygen system is properly used
OPERATION OF G.A. AIRCRAFT (cont’d)
• Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT)
All aircraft used for long-distance flights, flying over the water OR flying
over designated land areas shall be equipped with an automatic ELT,
calling on the international emergency frequencies 121,5 Mhz and 406 Mhz
• Aircraft Maintenance
The owner of any aircraft (or the operator) is responsible for its
airworthiness and must keep up-to-date statements on the instruments and
equipment
The statements on maintenance of the aeroplane (instruments, equipment,
mass & balance, date of last inspection, etc.) must be kept during 90 days
after the date of revision of the equipment/instruments concerned or after any
maintenance operation
These rules are all detailed in ICAO Annex 6!
RUNWAY DECLARED DISTANCES
NOISE ABATEMENT PROCEDURES
• Noise sensitive areas
• Noise preferential runway
Noise abatement
procedures do not
apply in case of
emergency
WAKE TURBULENCES
• Phenomenon
• Categories
WAKE TURBULENCE
Light Up to 7000 Kg
Medium 7000 to 136000 Kg
Heavy 136000 Kg and more
• Separation
FIRE AND SMOKE
• Fire in the engine compartment
• On the ground
• In flight
• Fire in the cabin
• Smoke in the cockpit
EMERGENCY LANDING - DITCHING
• Emergency Landing
A. Airspeed
B. Best place to land
C. Checklist
D. Declare
E. Exit
• Actions to be taken after landing
• Ditching
WINDSHEAR AND MICROBURST
• Windshear
• Microburst
RUNWAY CONTAMINATION
• Type of contamination
• Moisture
• Rain
• Slush
• Snow
• Ice
• Sand
• Braking action
SEARCH AND RESCUE SIGNALS
• Standard Ground-To-Air SAR Visual Signals
(SURVIVORS)
ICAO Annex 12!
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SEARCH AND RESCUE SIGNALS (cont’d)
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SEARCH AND RESCUE SIGNALS (cont’d)
• Standard Air-To-Ground Signals by Aircraft
• During daylight hours:
Rocking the aircraft’s wings
• During darkness:
Flashing on and off twice the aircraft’s landing lights, or if not so
equipped, switching on and off twice its navigation lights
ICAO Annex 12!
AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT & INCIDENT INVESTIGATION
• Airprox Reporting Procedure
• If aircraft endangered by: ICAO Annex 13!
• Proximity of other aircraft => AIRPROX
• Serious difficulties such as:
• Wrong or mistaken procedures => PROCEDURE
• Failure of ground facilities => FACILITY
• Degrees of “dangers” caused by the proximity of another aircraft:
• Danger of collision
• Safety endangered
• No danger of collision
• Danger undetermined
• Procedure:
• In flight: use appropriate frequency to report major incident => initial
report (by radio)
• ASAP after landing: fill in a “Air Traffic Incident Report Form” and
transmit it to the ATSU of the aerodrome or any other ATSU =>
confirmation report
AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT & INCIDENT INVESTIGATION
• Whom to report to in case of an incident?
• PIC must inform ASAP:
• The ATC unit of the aerodrome if the incident takes place on a controlled
aerodrome
• The police, if the aeroplane has had to land in the country, even if it has
not been damaged
ICAO Annex 13!
• Actions to take in case of an accident
• PIC must take the following actions, ASAP and if possible:
• Call for assistance (doctors, firemen…)
• Call the police
• Identify any witnesses
• Keep the aeroplane (or parts of) in a safe place
• Inform the relevant aviation authorities
