Dual Basing

[stevegg5]

A friend of mine works for a company who contracts them to a dual base on an UK AOC. I am told that having dual bases is not legal but can not find any information about this. Any pointers.

[Hodin]

actually two bases or maybe dual gateway?

[Daifly]

Mostly it comes down to definitions for FTL purposes, under EASA anyway.

"ORO.FTL.105 Definitions
(14) “home base” means the location, assigned by the operator to the crew member, from where the crew member normally starts and ends a duty period or a series of duty periods and where, under normal circumstances, the operator is not responsible for the accommodation of the crew member concerned;"

"ORO.FTL.200 Home base
An operator shall assign a home base to each crew member."

"ORO.FTL.245 Records of home base, flight times, duty and rest periods
(a) An operator shall maintain, for a period of 24 months:
(1) individual records for each crew member including:
(iv) assigned home base;"

With all that in mind, whilst not "illegal" I believe you would have a very difficult time convincing any Authority of the concept of dual basing. There's no definition, but if you changed the base every week I think they wouldn't look favourably, each month maybe, six monthly more so. Probably a test of 'reasonableness' from the Authority's perspective on this: "where, under normal circumstances, the operator is not responsible for the accommodation of the crew member concerned".

[BizJetJock]

Although since this is the bizjet forum, the OP is likely talking about aircraft with less than 19 seats. Therefore ORO.FTL doesn't apply, it is still Subpart Q which is effectively National rules. So for the UK, if it is in the OMA Chapter 7 then it is legal!

[Daifly]

:ok:

Good point...!

[OutsideCAS]

Is it not the case that less than 19 seats refers to Air Taxi Operations? that definition is of course a minefield of its own.


It would be strange (other than case above) if AOC operators were subject to different rules with FTL's?.

[CL300]

Welcome to Q...

[BizJetJock]

An AOC operation with less than 19 seats is an Air Taxi operation unless it is scheduled routes. That is the definintion.

From Regulation 965/2012 as amended, Article 2:
’air taxi operation' means, for the purpose of flight time and duty time limitations, a nonscheduled on demand commercial air transport operation with an aeroplane with a maximum operational passenger seating configuration ('MOPSC') of 19 or less;

So yes, there are different sets of rules for different AOC operators.

[stevegg5]

OMA 7 only mentions " aerodrome which they normally operate"
And the swap back and forward is from trip to trip not long term switch so they are assuming that the FDP will start from either base and at times they will try to start at one base and end at the 2nd...