601
Not necessarily so.
You quoted a bit selectively from the CAO.
The relevant part of the CAO is:-
2.4 For the purposes of subparagraph 2.3 (b), the amounts of fuel are: (my bolding)
(a) the minimum amount of fuel that will, whatever the weather conditions,
enable the aeroplane to fly, with all its engines operating, to the remote
island and then from the remote island to the aerodrome that is, for that
flight, the alternate aerodrome for the aircraft, together with any reserve
fuel requirements for the aircraft; and
2.3 The
minimum safe fuel for an aeroplane undertaking a flight to a remote
island is:
(a) the minimum amount of fuel that the aeroplane should carry on that
flight, according to the operations manual of the aeroplane’s operator,
revised (if applicable) as directed by CASA to ensure that an adequate
amount of fuel is carried on such flights; or
(b) if the operations manual does not make provision for the calculation of
that amount or has not been revised as directed by CASA — whichever
of the amounts of fuel mentioned in paragraph 2.4 is the greater.
This means that Para 2.4 has to be interpreted in association with 2.3 (b). If Para 2.3 (a) applies then the fuel required is as per the ops manual.
Do you know what the Pelair manual specifies. I don't.
An added complication as I see it is "was this flight was a charter or an Ambulance function airwork flight".
If it was a charter then the above rules apply.
If AWK then I do not think they apply. Bear in mind that Section 2 of CAO 82.0 is interpretation not the actual requirement.
CAO 80.0.3 A says:-
3A Conditions for passenger-carrying charter operations to remote
islands
3A.1 Each certificate authorising charter operations for the carriage of passengers is
subject to the condition that an aeroplane operated under the certificate is to
carry passengers on a flight to a remote island only if:
(a) the aeroplane has more than 1 engine; and
(b) the total amount of fuel carried by the aeroplane at the start of the flight is
not less than the minimum safe fuel for the aeroplane for that flight; and
(c) the alternate aerodrome for the aeroplane for that flight is not an
aerodrome located on a remote island.
This clearly applies to Passenger carrying charter, not freight charter, aerial work nor private operations.
So what are the real requirements. Frankly, I don't know. I suspect that a definative answer to this might involve Barristers and a Federal Court judge.
Unfortunately this is another case of complex convoluted regulation that has been developed by a reactive regulator rather than a proactive one.
Not having a go at you 601. Rather trying to point out the complexities of the regulatory system that we have to try interpret and fly by.