John Eacott
11th Dec 2012, 07:43
This is a notice of a new project, but a heads up to all in the helicopter community to register to get involved: New Standards Development Project - OS 12/38 (http://casa.infopop.cc/eve/forums?a=tpc&f=589603072&m=7627010463&r=7627010463#7627010463)
Please be advised a new Standards Development project has been approved by the Executive Manager Standards Division. Accordingly, the project has been registered as follows:
Project Number: OS 12/38
Project Title: Amendment to CAO 29.6 Air Service Operations – Helicopter External Load Operations
Project Priority: Medium
Project Stakeholder: Peter Cromarty, A/g Executive Manager CASA Operations
Project Leader: Dale South, Snr Standards Officer – Rotary Wing
Standards Officer: Dale South, Snr Standards Officer – Rotary Wing
Project Status: This project was approved by Peter Boyd, Executive Manager Standards Division on 22 November 2012.
ISSUE:
Subregulation 207 (1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (CAR 1988) states that a person must not use an Australian aircraft in a class of operation if the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has not authorised and approved the particular type of aircraft for that use.
Regulation 303A of CAR 1988 provides that CASA may issue an approval or authority subject to any condition that CASA thinks necessary for the safety of air navigation.
Section 29.6 of the Civil Aviation Orders contains the requirements for the conduct of helicopter sling load operations.
The CAO is out of date and does not reflect the latest concepts in the use of risk assessment and management in regard to these operations. It also does not contain a general low flying permission for helicopter external load operations, which requires these operations to be controlled by the issue of numerous CAR 157(3) permissions to avoid breaches of low flying regulations. This can at times itself lead to standardisation issues due to the number of permissions and delegates involved.
Helicopter operations are becoming more complex and diverse, a situation which is particularly true for sling load operations, which is a growing and highly specialised area of helicopter operations. The generic nature of the provisions in the current Order are now in a situation where they do not adequately address the many and varied situations which can arise in the operations, particularly when they occur in or near populous areas where the overall risk of the operation is potentially very high.
The introduction of CASR 138 will require a more detailed approach to an operator’s policies and procedures for risk mitigation and a more risk assessment based process for approval of helicopter external load operations, and it is felt there is great advantage in moving towards these general policies in the current provisions, prior to and until the operational CASRs are in place.
The consequences of not taking action are that the current regulatory standards for helicopter external load operations will continue to fall behind world’s best practice concepts and risk management based processes, which is a situation that is avoidable and should not be allowed to develop.
OBJECTIVE:
The project will amend CAO 29.6 to bring it in line with the policy for helicopter external load operations outlined in the drafting instructions for CASR Part 138. This will align its operational requirements to more contemporary strategies for controlling the safety of these operations.
CASR Part 138 policies have been extensively discussed at industry working groups and have been designed using a principle adopting modern international practices for these operations.
A fact sheet has been published on the "changing the rules" section of the website at: Project OS 12/38
Amendment to CAO 29.6 Air Service Operations - Helicopter External Load Operations (http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:PWA::pc=PC_101230)
Kind regards
Jill Collinge
Standards Division
Please be advised a new Standards Development project has been approved by the Executive Manager Standards Division. Accordingly, the project has been registered as follows:
Project Number: OS 12/38
Project Title: Amendment to CAO 29.6 Air Service Operations – Helicopter External Load Operations
Project Priority: Medium
Project Stakeholder: Peter Cromarty, A/g Executive Manager CASA Operations
Project Leader: Dale South, Snr Standards Officer – Rotary Wing
Standards Officer: Dale South, Snr Standards Officer – Rotary Wing
Project Status: This project was approved by Peter Boyd, Executive Manager Standards Division on 22 November 2012.
ISSUE:
Subregulation 207 (1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (CAR 1988) states that a person must not use an Australian aircraft in a class of operation if the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has not authorised and approved the particular type of aircraft for that use.
Regulation 303A of CAR 1988 provides that CASA may issue an approval or authority subject to any condition that CASA thinks necessary for the safety of air navigation.
Section 29.6 of the Civil Aviation Orders contains the requirements for the conduct of helicopter sling load operations.
The CAO is out of date and does not reflect the latest concepts in the use of risk assessment and management in regard to these operations. It also does not contain a general low flying permission for helicopter external load operations, which requires these operations to be controlled by the issue of numerous CAR 157(3) permissions to avoid breaches of low flying regulations. This can at times itself lead to standardisation issues due to the number of permissions and delegates involved.
Helicopter operations are becoming more complex and diverse, a situation which is particularly true for sling load operations, which is a growing and highly specialised area of helicopter operations. The generic nature of the provisions in the current Order are now in a situation where they do not adequately address the many and varied situations which can arise in the operations, particularly when they occur in or near populous areas where the overall risk of the operation is potentially very high.
The introduction of CASR 138 will require a more detailed approach to an operator’s policies and procedures for risk mitigation and a more risk assessment based process for approval of helicopter external load operations, and it is felt there is great advantage in moving towards these general policies in the current provisions, prior to and until the operational CASRs are in place.
The consequences of not taking action are that the current regulatory standards for helicopter external load operations will continue to fall behind world’s best practice concepts and risk management based processes, which is a situation that is avoidable and should not be allowed to develop.
OBJECTIVE:
The project will amend CAO 29.6 to bring it in line with the policy for helicopter external load operations outlined in the drafting instructions for CASR Part 138. This will align its operational requirements to more contemporary strategies for controlling the safety of these operations.
CASR Part 138 policies have been extensively discussed at industry working groups and have been designed using a principle adopting modern international practices for these operations.
A fact sheet has been published on the "changing the rules" section of the website at: Project OS 12/38
Amendment to CAO 29.6 Air Service Operations - Helicopter External Load Operations (http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:PWA::pc=PC_101230)
Kind regards
Jill Collinge
Standards Division