VFR Night - JAR / EU Ops single engine

[dissymetry]

Hi,

I was hoping on some input on VFR night operations with a single engine helicopter for police missions.

Lets say the local police wants to hire you for a mission at night. Can you complete it with a single engine aircraft. I know the requirements in JAR-OPS 3, but when looking at the applicability i am not sure.

Ref: JAR-OPS 3.001 Applicability

(a) JAR-OPS Part 3 prescribes requirements
applicable to the operation of any civil helicopter
for the purpose of commercial air transportation
by any operator whose principal place of business
is in a JAA Member State. JAR-OPS [Part] 3 does
not apply:

[(1)] To helicopters when used in
military, customs, police services.

[Helinut]

Police Ops are specifically excluded from JAR-OPS 3. Some national authorities choose to regulate police ops as some sort of quasi-CAT, but most consider it a "state" operation and fully exempt.

My suggestion is the the change you mention is unlikely to change any national police ops significantly in EASA/JAA land. Have you any info that makes you think things will change?

What you seem to be talking about is CAT at night, operated by a commercial operator. If that is correct, I cannot see it having any effect. Single engine CAT will still be a no-no, whatever the flight rules.

If you operate under a JAR-OPS 3 AOC, you need to comply with no SE at night, I would have thought.

The change in flight rules options you mention is basically a UK-only change which came about because the UK had an unusual requirement for night flying. If the rules have changed for you, I am assuming you are in the UK. If that is so, it will make no difference at all, unless you are going to do some sort of flying that requires neither an AOC or a PAOC. I cannot see how "police operations" would be anything other than AOC or PAOC operations.

The actual answer may be affected by the country of operation, which you have not mentioned.

[Jet Ranger]

If you work on a police mission, that mean that you don´t do CAT. You are not working according to JAR-OPS 3.

No problem with the SE night flying inside the Europe.

JR

[Helinut]

I am afraid that I cannot agree with Jet Ranger. As I said, it is likely to depend upon which country in Europe, but, for example, you could not do "police missions" in the UK without either having an AOC or a PAOC. The rules associated with those operators' certificates require the use of twin engine helicopters to fly at night (whatever flight rules are adopted).

I am assuming that this "police mission" involves carrying a police officer or police force employee.

In the UK it is illegal to fly in the service of the police without a PAOC, according to our Air Navigation Order.

I would suggest that there are also other practical limitations. Why would the police approach you to do some flying for them? They have existing aviation facilities. Even if they do not have availability, I imagine your helicopter will have none of the special equipment they would need to use.

[aegir]

In Italy we had a service for the Municipality of Rome for about 10 years (the service was stopped in Spring 2012).

The service was performed (mandatory) by an AOC operator that brought on board the police officers with a manual camera.

The service war considered as "wet lease" so under JAR OPS requirements and was performed with twin engine helicopters (A109 the first years and than EC135).

[dissymetry]

Appreciate all the replies. The police in this region does not have a helicopter service. And they cover great distances by car. (Rurual) So they want to get involved with a civil operator who can offer helicopter services when needed. Mainly for supervision and transportation of officers when needed.

And some of the need will be at night.