Easy Access Rules for Air Operations

ED Decision 2022/012/R

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

The following abbreviations are used in the Annexes to this Regulation:

ED Decision 2016/022/R

HELIDECK

The term ‘helideck’ includes take-off and landing operations on ships and vessels and covers ‘shipboard final approach and take off areas (FATOs).

ED Decision 2012/015/R

HEAD-UP GUIDANCE LANDING SYSTEM (HUDLS)

A HUDLS is typically used for primary approach guidance to decision heights of 50 ft.

ED Decision 2016/022/R

HELICOPTER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (HEMS) FLIGHT

(a)A HEMS flight (or more commonly referred to as HEMS mission) normally starts and ends at the HEMS operating base following tasking by the ‘HEMS dispatch centre’. Tasking can also occur when airborne, or on the ground at locations other than the HEMS operating base.

(b)The following elements should be regarded as integral parts of the HEMS mission:

(1)flights to and from the HEMS operating site when initiated by the HEMS dispatch centre;

(2)flights to and from an aerodrome/operating site for the delivery or pick-up of medical supplies and/or persons required for completion of the HEMS mission; and

(3)flights to and from an aerodrome/operating site for refuelling required for completion of the HEMS mission.

ED Decision 2016/022/R

HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT

Those parts of an open-sea area not considered to constitute a hostile environment should be designated by the appropriate authority in the appropriate aeronautical information publication (AIP) or other suitable documentation.

ED Decision 2016/022/R

NIGHT VISION IMAGING SYSTEM (NVIS)

Helicopter components of the NVIS include the radio altimeter, visual warning system and audio warning system.

ED Decision 2016/022/R

OFFSHORE LOCATION

‘Offshore location’ includes, but is not limited to:

(a)helidecks;

(b)shipboard heliports; and

(c)winching areas on vessels or renewable-energy installations.

ED Decision 2016/022/R

OFFSHORE OPERATIONS

An offshore operation is considered to be a helicopter flight for the purpose of:

(a)support of offshore oil, gas and mineral exploration, production, storage and transport;

(b)support to offshore wind turbines and other renewable-energy sources; or

(c)support to ships including sea pilot transfer.

ED Decision 2016/022/R

COASTLINE

The national definition of coastline should be included by the appropriate authority in the aeronautical information publication (AIP) or other suitable documentation.

ED Decision 2016/022/R

PUBLIC INTEREST SITE

An example of a public interest sites is a landing site based at a hospital located in a hostile environment in a congested area, which due to its size or obstacle environment does not allow the application of performance class 1 requirements that would otherwise be required for operations in a congested hostile environment.

ED Decision 2016/022/R

TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS

The ICAO document number for the Technical Instructions is Doc 9284-AN/905.

ED Decision 2016/022/R

V1

The first action includes for example: apply brakes, reduce thrust, deploy speed brakes.

ED Decision 2016/022/R

TASK SPECIALISTS

For the purpose of this Regulation, persons that are carried in a specialised operation, e.g. on a parachute flight, sensational flight or scientific research flight, are considered to be task specialists.

ED Decision 2019/005/R

UPSET PREVENTION AND RECOVERY TRAINING (UPRT) DEFINITIONS

‘Aeroplane upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT)’ refers to training consisting of:

—aeroplane upset prevention training: a combination of theoretical knowledge and flying training with the aim of providing flight crew with the required competencies to prevent aeroplane upsets; and

—aeroplane upset recovery training: a combination of theoretical knowledge and flying training with the aim of providing flight crew with the required competencies to recover from aeroplane upsets.

‘Aeroplane upset’ refers to an undesired aircraft state characterised by unintentional divergences from parameters normally experienced during operations. An aeroplane upset may involve pitch and/or bank angle divergences as well as inappropriate airspeeds for the conditions.

‘Angle of attack (AOA)’ means the angle between the oncoming air, or relative wind, and a defined reference line on the aeroplane or wing.

‘Approach-to-stall’ means flight conditions bordered by the stall warning and stall.

‘Competency’ means a combination of skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to perform a task to the prescribed standard.

‘Developed upset’ means a condition meeting the definition of an aeroplane upset.

‘Developing upset’ means any time the aeroplane begins to unintentionally diverge from the intended flight path or airspeed.

‘Energy state’ means how much of each kind of energy (kinetic, potential or chemical) the aeroplane has available at any given time.

‘Error’ means an action or inaction by the flight crew that leads to deviations from organisational or flight crew intentions or expectations.

‘Error management’ means the process of detecting and responding to errors with countermeasures that reduce or eliminate the consequences of errors, and mitigate the probability of further errors or undesired aircraft states.

‘First indication of a stall’ means the initial aural, tactile or visual sign of an impending stall, which can be either naturally or synthetically induced.

‘Flight crew resilience’ means the ability of a flight crew member to recognise, absorb and adapt to disruptions.

‘Fidelity level’ means the level of realism assigned to each of the defined FSTD features.

‘Flight path’ means the trajectory or path of the aeroplane travelling through the air over a given space of time.

‘Flight path management’ means active manipulation, using either the aeroplanes automation or manual handling, to command the aeroplane flight controls to direct the aeroplane along a desired trajectory.

‘FSTD Training Envelope’ refers to the high and moderate confidence regions of the FSTD validation envelope.

‘Load factor’ factor means the ratio of a specified load to the weight of the aeroplane, the former being expressed in terms of aerodynamic forces, propulsive forces, or ground reactions.

‘Loss of control in flight (LOCI)’ means a categorisation of an accident or incident resulting from a deviation from the intended flight path.

‘Manoeuvre-based training’ means training that focuses on a single event or manoeuvre in isolation.

‘Negative training’ means training which unintentionally introduces incorrect information or invalid concepts, which could actually decrease rather than increase safety.

‘Negative transfer of training’ means the application (and ‘transfer’) of what was learned in a training environment (i.e., a classroom, an FSTD) to normal practice, i.e. it describes the degree to which what was learned in training is applied to actual normal practices. In this context, negative transfer of training refers to the inappropriate generalisation of knowledge and skill to a situation or setting in normal practice that does not equal the training situation or setting.

‘Post-stall regime’ means flight conditions at an angle of attack greater than the critical angle of attack.

‘Scenario-based training’ means training that incorporates manoeuvres into real-world experiences to cultivate practical flying skills in an operational environment.

‘Stall’ means a loss of lift caused by exceeding the aeroplane’s critical angle of attack.

Note:A stalled condition can exist at any attitude and airspeed, and may be recognised by continuous stall warning activation accompanied by at least one of the following:

(a)buffeting, which could be heavy at times;

(b)lack of pitch authority and/or roll control; and

(c)inability to arrest the descent rate.

‘Stall Event’ means an occurrence whereby the aeroplane experiences conditions associated with an approach-to-stall or a stall.

‘Stall (event) recovery procedure’ means the manufacturer-approved aeroplane-specific stall recovery procedure. If an OEM-approved recovery procedure does not exist, the aeroplane-specific stall recovery procedure developed by the operator, based on the stall recovery template contained in GM5 ORO.FC.220&230, may be used.

‘Stall warning’ means a natural or synthetic indication provided when approaching a stall that may include one or more of the following indications:

(a)aerodynamic buffeting (some aeroplanes will buffet more than others);

(b)reduced roll stability and aileron effectiveness;

(c)visual or aural cues and warnings;

(d)reduced elevator (pitch) authority;

(e)inability to maintain altitude or arrest rate of descent; and

(f)stick shaker activation (if installed).

Note:A stall warning indicates an immediate need to reduce the angle of attack.

‘Startle’ means the initial short-term, involuntary physiological and cognitive reactions to an unexpected event that commence the normal human stress response.

‘Stick pusher’ means a device that, automatically applies a nose down movement and pitch force to an aeroplane’s control columns, to attempt to decrease the aeroplane’s angle of attack. Device activation may occur before or after aerodynamic stall, depending on the aeroplane type.

Note:A stick pusher is not installed on all aeroplane types.

‘Stick shaker’ means a device that automatically vibrates the control column to warn the pilot of an approaching stall.

Note:A stick shaker is not installed on all aeroplane types.

‘Stress (response)’ means the response to a threatening event that includes physiological, psychological and cognitive effects. These effects may range from positive to negative and can either enhance or degrade performance.

‘Surprise’ means the emotionally-based recognition of a difference in what was expected and what is actual.

‘Threat’ means events or errors that occur beyond the influence of the flight crew, increase operational complexity and must be managed to maintain the margin of safety.

‘Threat management’ means the process of detecting and responding to threats with countermeasures that reduce or eliminate the consequences of threats and mitigate the probability of errors or undesired aircraft states.

‘Train-to-proficiency’ means approved training designed to achieve end-state performance objectives, providing sufficient assurances that the trained individual is capable to consistently carry out specific tasks safely and effectively.

Note:In the context of this definition, ‘train-to-proficiency’ can be replaced by ‘training-to-proficiency’.

‘Undesired aircraft state’ means flight crew-induced aircraft position or speed deviation, misapplication of controls, or incorrect systems configuration, associated with a reduction in margins of safety.

Note:Undesired states can be managed effectively, restoring margins of safety, or flight crew response(s) can induce an additional error, incident, or accident.

Note:All countermeasures are necessary flight crew actions. However, some countermeasures to threats, errors and undesired aircraft states that flight crew employ, build upon ‘hard’/systemic-based resources provided by the aviation system.

‘Unsafe situation’ means a situation, which has led to an unacceptable reduction in safety margin.

ED Decision 2019/008/R

MINOR FAILURE CONDITION

Minor failure conditions may include, for example, a slight reduction in safety margins or functional capabilities, a slight increase in crew workload, such as routine flight plan changes, or some physical discomfort to passengers or cabin crew. Further guidance can be found in AMC 25.1309.

Minor failure conditions are not considered to be unsafe conditions in accordance with AMC 21.A.3B(b).

ED Decision 2019/019/R

SIMPLE AND COMPLEX PERSONNEL-CARRYING DEVICE SYSTEM (PCDS)

(a)The following may qualify as a simple PCDS:

(1)A safety harness or rescue triangle for no more than two persons.

(2)A fixed-rope system for no more than two persons, to be attached under a single cargo hook or Y-rope to be attached to a dual hook.

(b)The following may not qualify as a simple PCDS:

(1)Any system that connects three persons or more to the helicopter.

(2)A PCDS with new or novel features.

(3)A PCDS that has not yet been proven by an appreciable and satisfactory service experience.

(c)The connecting elements to the hoist or cargo hook are part of the PCDS.

(d)The following standards may be used for a simple PCDS:

Table 1: Information on existing available standards applicable to a simple PCDS

ED Decision 2019/019/R

DETERMINING THE PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS

(a)The principal place of business encompasses the principal financial functions and operational control of the activities of an operator. It may refer to the organisation’s site from which the majority of its management personnel specified in ORO.GEN.110 directs, controls or coordinates its operational activities, ensuring that the organisation complies with Regulation (EU) No 965/2012. For non-commercial operations, this is usually the home base of the aircraft concerned or the location of the flight department.

(b)Since an operator, especially in the world of non-commercial operations, may use several places where it performs financial transactions, or several operational bases where there are personnel in charge of operational control, for the purpose of an effective oversight, it is relevant that the principal place of business be the one:

(1)where the operator has registered its organisation with the local register and where it pays corporate tax;

(2)where its main building facilities are located;

(3)where main administrative and financial work is being done (where salaries and employment benefits are paid); and

(4)from where the organisation management directs, controls or coordinates a substantial part of its activities, ensuring that the organisation complies with the requirements specified in Regulation (EU) No 965/2012.

(c)Organisations that perform also activities which are not subject to Part-ORO, Part-NCC or Part-SPO are recommended to consider that part of the organisation which is responsible for the operation of aircraft subject to Part-ORO, Part-NCC or Part-SPO.

For such organisations, the accountable manager is that manager who has the authority to ensure that all activities subject to Part-ORO, Part-NCC or Part-SPO can be financed and carried out in accordance with the applicable requirements. If the accountable manager is not located in the part of the organisation that is responsible for the operation of aircraft, but the other criteria mentioned in point (b) apply, the location of the accountable manager does not need to be considered for the determination of the principal place of business.

ED Decision 2021/002/R

EVIDENCE-BASED TRAINING

‘Behaviour’ refers to the way a person responds, either overtly or covertly, to a specific set of conditions, and which is capable of being measured.

‘Instructor concordance’ is also called ‘inter-rater reliability’.

‘Conditions’ refers to anything that may qualify a specific environment in which performance will be demonstrated.

‘Cycle’ refers to the combination of two modules where Cycle 1 comprises Modules 1 and 2, Cycle 2 comprises Modules 3 and 4, and Cycle 3 comprises Modules 5 and 6 of the 3-year EBT programme.

‘Equivalency of approaches’ refers to approach clustering in other industry documentation.

‘Equivalency of malfunctions’ refers to malfunction clustering in other industry documentation.

‘Evaluation phase (EVAL)’ refers to the phase where a first assessment of competencies is performed in order to identify individual training needs. On completion of the evaluation phase, any areas that do not meet the minimum competency standard will become the focus of the subsequent training. The evaluation phase comprises a complete mission as a crew but not necessarily a complete flight.

‘Facilitation technique’ refers to an active training method, which uses effective questioning, listening and a non-judgemental approach, and is particularly effective in developing skills and attitudes, assisting trainees in developing insight and their own solutions, resulting in better understanding, retention and commitment.

‘Line-orientated flight scenario(s)’ are comprised of scenario elements derived from the table of assessment and training topics.

‘Line-orientated safety audit (LOSA)’ is one of the tools used to help evaluate the performance of the operations. It consists of line flights that are observed by appropriately qualified operator personnel to provide feedback to validate the EBT programme. LOSA may be one of the tools used to look at those elements of the operation that are unable to be monitored by FDM or Advanced FDM programmes.

‘Manoeuvres training phase’ refers to the phase where skill retention is trained (body memory actions). Flight path control may be accomplished by a variety of means including manual aircraft control and the use of auto flight systems.

‘Monitoring’ refers to a cognitive process to compare an actual to an expected state. It requires knowledge, skills and attitudes to create a mental model and to take appropriate action when deviations are recognised.

‘Observable behaviour (OB)’ refers to a single role-related behaviour that can be observed. The instructor may or may not be able to measure it.

‘Performance criteria’ refers to statements used to assess whether the required levels of performance have been achieved for a competency. A performance criterion consists of an OB, a condition (or conditions) and a competency standard.

‘Practical assessment (or EBT practical assessment)’ refers to a method for assessing performance that serves to verify the integrated performance of competencies. It takes place in either a simulated or an operational environment. An EBT assessment is equivalent to a proficiency check and is performed under the instructor privilege in the context of proficiency check in accordance with Appendix 10 to Part-FCL. More information can be found in ICAO Doc 9868 ‘PANS-TRG’.

‘Scenario-based training phase (SBT)’ refers to the largest phase in the EBT programme. It is designed to maximise crew’s exposure to a variety of situations that develop and sustain a high level of competency and resilience. The scenario for this phase should include critical external and environmental threats, to build effective crew interaction to identify and manage errors. A portion of the phase will also be directed towards the management of critical system malfunctions.

Scenario elements address the training topic and detail the threat and/or error that the crew are exposed to.

‘Train-to-proficiency’ refers to approved training designed to achieve end-state performance objectives, providing sufficient assurance that the trained individual is capable of consistently carrying out specific tasks safely and effectively.

Note: In the context of this definition, ‘train-to-proficiency’ can be replaced by ‘training-to-proficiency’.

ED Decision 2021/005/R

CONTAMINATED RUNWAY

As the runway condition is reported in runway thirds, a significant portion of the runway surface area is more than 25 % of one third of the runway surface area within the required length and width being used.

The runway length being used in this context is the physical length of runway available, typically from the start of the take-off run available (TORA) in one direction to the start of the TORA in the opposite direction. When the runway is shortened by a notice to airmen (NOTAM) — for example, due to works, or the aerodrome operator is not able to clear the full length of the runway and closes part of it for operations, the length being used is that declared in the NOTAM and the ‘reduced runway length’ that declared in the RCR.

The runway width being used in this context is the physical width of the runway (between the runway edge lights), or the ‘cleared width’ if reported in the RCR. It is not intended that 25 % coverage is reported when contaminants affect only the runway edges after runway cleaning. Runway inspectors are instructed to focus on the area around the wheel tracks when reporting the contaminant type, coverage and depth.

ED Decision 2021/005/R

DRY RUNWAY/WET RUNWAY

The ‘area intended to be used’ means the area of the runway that is part of the TORA, accelerate and stop distance available (ASDA) or landing distance available (LDA) declared in the aeronautical information publication (AIP) or by a NOTAM.

ED Decision 2021/005/R

RUNWAY CONDITION CODE (RWYCC)

The purpose of the runway condition code (RWYCC) is to permit an operational aeroplane landing performance calculation by the flight crew.

ED Decision 2021/005/R

RUNWAY SURFACE CONDITION(S)

(a)The runway surface conditions used in the RCR establish a common language between the aerodrome operator, the aeroplane manufacturer and the aeroplane operator.

(b)Aircraft de-icing chemicals and other contaminants are also reported but are not included in the list of runway surface condition descriptors because their effect on the runway surface friction characteristics and the RWYCC cannot be evaluated in a standardised manner.

ED Decision 2021/005/R

RUNWAY SURFACE CONDITION DESCRIPTORS — GENERAL

The runway surface condition descriptors are used solely in the context of the RCR and are not intended to supersede or replace any existing World Meteorological Organization (WMO) definitions.

RUNWAY SURFACE CONDITION DESCRIPTORS — FROST

(a)Freezing refers to the freezing point of water (0 °C).

(b)Under certain conditions, frost can cause the surface to become very slippery, and it is then reported appropriately as downgraded RWYCC.

RUNWAY SURFACE CONDITION DESCRIPTORS — STANDING WATER

Running water of depth greater than 3 mm is reported as ‘standing water’ by convention.

RUNWAY SURFACE CONDITION DESCRIPTORS – WET ICE

Freezing precipitation can lead to runway conditions associated with wet ice from an aeroplane performance point of view. Wet ice can cause the surface to become very slippery. It is then reported appropriately as downgraded RWYCC.

ED Decision 2021/005/R

LANDING DISTANCE AT TIME OF ARRIVAL

The landing distance data to be used for a landing performance assessment at time of arrival allow to establish an operationally achievable landing distance from 50ft above runway threshold to full stop that takes into account AFM procedures for final approach and landing and is provided as a function of the main influence parameters such as aeroplane mass and configuration, pressure altitude, wind, outside air temperature, runway slope and approach speed increments. It may be provided for use of automation such as autobrakes and autoland and may account for reverse thrust use. As the landing distance at time of arrival is the unfactored minimum landing distance achievable for the assumed conditions, an appropriate margin should be applied to this distance to determine the minimum LDA necessary for a safe stop.

ED Decision 2021/005/R

SLIPPERY WET RUNWAY

(a)The surface friction characteristics of the runway are considered degraded when below the minimum standards.

(b)A portion of runway in the order of 100 m long may be considered significant.

ED Decision 2021/005/R

FLIGHT RECORDER

A flight recorder may be crash-protected or lightweight and may be deployable or not. Crash-protected flight recorders are capable of withstanding very severe crash conditions such as those encountered during some accidents of large aeroplanes and large helicopters. Crash-protected flight recorders comprise one or more of the following systems: a flight data recorder (FDR), a cockpit voice recorder (CVR), an airborne image recorder (AIR), or a data link recorder (DLR). Lightweight flight recorders are usually designed to meet less demanding requirements than crash-protected flight recorders, which allows them to be lighter. A non-deployable flight recorder is permanently attached to the aircraft. A deployable flight recorder includes a part that is capable of automatically deploying from the aircraft.

ED Decision 2022/005/R

FLIGHT MONITORING AND FLIGHT WATCH — RELEVANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Relevant safety information is any element that may affect the safety of the flight, such as:

(a)an aircraft technical failure (e.g. failures where flight operations personnel can help to calculate the landing distance or new trip fuel or to update the aerodrome minima);

(b)unforeseen hazards:

(1)air traffic (e.g. delays and/or long distance to complete the approach, extensive use of radar vectoring);

(2)meteorological conditions (e.g. DH and aerodrome operating minima, adverse or extreme meteorological conditions);

(3)aerodrome and runway status (e.g. insufficient runway length due to brake failure, obstruction or closure of the runway, runway contamination, failure or malfunction caused by on-ground navigation or approach equipment);

(4)navigation aid status (e.g. failure of the navigation aids);

(5)availability of communications (e.g. failure of communications capabilities, interruptions, interferences, change of frequency channels); and

(6)terrain and obstacles (e.g. geophysical phenomena (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunami), difficult terrain at an unplanned aerodrome (large bodies of water, mountains);

(c)updates of the operational flight plan when they affect the fuel reserves:

(1)diversion to an en route alternate (ERA) aerodrome, a destination alternate, or a take-off alternate aerodrome;

(2)change of the runway selected for landing if the new runway is shorter;

(3)location of the decision point or the point of no return (PNR) due to, for instance, change in altitude, in wind data, etc.;

(4)significant in-flight change of the flight route compared to the route in the flight planning; or

(5)significant deviation from the planned fuel consumption; and

(d)position reporting:

(1)flight-monitoring personnel should report in every phase of the flight: taxi, take-off, climb, cruise, cruise steep climb, descent, approach, landing;

(2)flight watch provides active tracking; and

(3)where no real-time automatic position-reporting is possible, the operator should have an acceptable alternative to ensure in-flight reporting at least every hour.

ED Decision 2022/005/R

FUEL/ENERGY

The energy used for aircraft propulsion comes from various sources and is of various types.

A frequently used type of energy in aviation is derived from processing (in a piston or turbine engine) hydrocarbon-based fuels that include gasoline (leaded or unleaded), diesel, avgas, JET A-1, and JET B. Hydrogen may also be used as fuel for fuel cell applications, which generate electricity that is used to generate propulsion. However, as current technologies already use other sources of energy for aircraft propulsion, such as stored electrical energy, the typical term ‘fuel’ has become restrictive and no longer covers emerging technologies.

Therefore, a broader, combined term is introduced to accommodate new types of energy, other than fuel, used for aircraft propulsion purposes.

The term ‘fuel/energy’ should cater for both typical fuel and any other type or source of energy used for aircraft propulsion, including but not limited to electrical energy stored in batteries.

When used in the combination ‘fuel/energy’, the term ‘energy’ only refers to the electrical energy used for aircraft propulsion purposes. It does not include any other form of stored electrical energy that is used on board an aircraft (e.g. batteries of EFBs, ELTs, underwater locating devices (ULDs), automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), or backup energy sources).

ED Decision 2022/005/R

FUEL/ENERGY EN ROUTE ALTERNATE (ERA) AERODROME

Fuel/energy ERA aerodromes could be used in the following cases:

(a)‘fuel ERA aerodrome critical scenario’: that aerodrome is used when additional fuel is required at the most critical point along the route to comply with point (c)(6) of point CAT.OP.MPA.181 ‘Fuel/energy scheme — fuel/energy planning and in-flight re-planning policy — aeroplanes’;

(b)‘fuel ERA aerodrome 3 %’: that aerodrome is used when an operator reduces the contingency fuel to 3 %; and

(c)‘fuel ERA aerodrome PNR’: that aerodrome is used at the PNR during isolated aerodrome operations.

ED Decision 2022/012/R

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS RELATED TO ALL-WEATHER OPERATIONS

The following terms and concepts are used in the provisions related to all-weather operations in the AMC and GM to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012:

‘Advanced aircraft’ means an aircraft with equipment in addition to that required for a basic aircraft for a given take-off, approach or landing operation.

‘AFM or additional data from the TC/STC holder’ — an AFM or additional data from the TC/STC holder may provide:

—limitations, in accordance with which the aircraft must be operated, as described under point 4.1 of Annex V to Regulation (EU) 2018/1139. This means that the aircraft may NOT exceed those given values; or

—demonstrated capabilities, which are the assumptions, envelope or conditions that were used to demonstrate adequate performance to comply with the appropriate certification specifications.

However, some AFMs (especially for those aircraft or landing systems that were certified before the introduction of CS-AWO Issue 2) may not include all of the assumptions, envelope or conditions that were used to demonstrate adequate performance. Information regarding the assumptions, envelope, or conditions that were used to demonstrate adequate performance of a landing system can be provided by equivalent documentation issued by TC/STC holder.

Other types of information issued by the TC/STC holder may include (not an exhaustive list):

—equivalence between different aircraft models (types);

—equivalence between aircraft types and variants;

—landing systems equivalence;

—a list of runways with their demonstrated performance;

—a letter of no-technical objection/evaluation letter.

Note: ‘TC/STC holder’ should be understood as the holder of the certificate for the landing system.

‘Basic aircraft’ means an aircraft which has the minimum equipment required to perform the intended take-off, approach or landing operation.

‘Continuous descent final approach (CDFA)’: when the circling altitude/height is reached, it is acceptable to maintain altitude (level-off) and transition to the visual segment. The operator may provide a point in the visual segment in which the descent may be resumed to follow a continuous descent to a point approximately 15 m (50 ft) above the landing runway threshold or the point where the flare manoeuvre begins for the type of aircraft flown.

‘Enhanced flight vision system (EFVS)-Approach (EFVS-A)’ means a system that has been demonstrated to meet the criteria to be used for approach operations from a decision altitude/height (DA/H) or a minimum descent altitude/height (MDA/H) to 100 ft (30 m) threshold elevation while all system components are functioning as intended, but may have failure modes that could result in the loss of EFVS capability. It should be assumed for an EFVS-A that:

(a)the pilot will conduct a go-around at or above 100 ft threshold elevation, in the event of an EFVS failure; and

(b)descent below 100 ft above the threshold elevation through to touchdown and roll-out should be conducted using natural vision so that any failure of the EFVS does not prevent the pilot from completing the approach and landing.

‘Enhanced flight vision system (EFVS)-Landing (EFVS-L)’ means a system that has been demonstrated to meet the criteria to be used for approach and landing operations that rely on sufficient visibility conditions to enable unaided roll-out and to mitigate for loss of EFVS function.

‘Head-up display (HUD) or equivalent display system’ means a display system which presents flight information to the pilot’s forward external field of view (FOV), and which does not significantly restrict the external view.

‘Landing system’ means an airborne equipment, which:

(a)provides automatic control of the aircraft during the approach and landing (i.e. automatic landing system); or

(b)has been demonstrated to meet the criteria to be used for approach and landing operations (e.g. HUD landing system, EFVS-L or any other approved system).

‘Landing system assessment area (LSAA)’ means the part of the runway that extends from the threshold to a distance of 600 m from the threshold.

Note — Although the landing systems certification criteria use a value greater than 600 m after the threshold to evaluate limit conditions, for the purpose of flight operations assessment a distance of 600 m is the relevant part as landing beyond this point is not expected to occur in day-to-day operations. The LSAA may not necessarily be coincident with the touchdown zone. The touchdown zone is specified in CS-ADR DSN.

‘Low-visibility procedures (LVPs)’ means procedures applied by an aerodrome for the purpose of ensuring safety during low-visibility operations (LVOs).

Regular runway means a runway whose characteristics fit within the acceptable limits demonstrated by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) during certification. The classification of a runway as a ‘regular runway’ is different from one set of equipment to another.

‘Required visual reference’ refers to that section of the visual aids or of the approach area which should have been in view for sufficient time for the pilot to have made an assessment of the aircraft position and rate of change of position, in relation to the desired flight path. In the case of a circling approach, the required visual reference is the runway environment.

‘Satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS)’ means a wide coverage augmentation system in which the user receives augmentation information from a satellite-based transmitter. The most common form of SBAS in Europe is the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).

‘Synthetic vision system (SVS)’ means a system that displays data derived synthetic images of the external scene from the perspective of the flight deck.

‘Landing area’ means that part of a movement area intended for the landing or take-off of aircraft.

‘Touchdown zone (TDZ)’ means the portion of a runway, beyond the threshold, where landing aeroplanes are intended to first contact the runway.

‘Type B instrument approach operations categories’: where decision height (DH) and runway visual range (RVR) fall into different categories of operation, the instrument approach operation would be conducted in accordance with requirements of the most demanding category. This does not apply if the RVR and/or DH has been approved as operational credits.