How can this be?

[weigh anchor]

Rumour has it that Bond Offshore Helicopters are operating to Performance Class 2 onshore. Rumour also has it that logbook times and FTL times are being recorded differently. Commercially these are great ideas (if you can get away with it) and someone in the UK CAA must have agreed them, so why aren't we all doing it? Before we do, here's a thought: has anyone explained it to the customers?

[joedirt]

Blocktime is different from FTL, so where is the goose ?

[weigh anchor]

Goose, or 'Goosed'

Yo Joe
It's not important to me, but from what I hear the pilots are being 'goosed' every day. I have no details, so someone else wlll have to pitch in to validate or refute this rumour.

[joedirt]

Since you do know the term FTL I presume your a pilot. Flight time limitations have nothing to do with blocktime, which is what people log in their logbook. So for the sake of good rumours...what's the problem ?

[Helinut]

I have no idea about the particular circumstances referred to here, but surely, in general, we record 3 things on our FTL records:

Duty Hours
Flying Duty Period
Flying Hours

I would have thought that flying hours on the FTL ought to be pretty much the same as the hours in our log book, or have I missed something? I don't know what block time means.

[JimL]

weigh anchor:

In the absence of further detail, here are some facts that might be considered:

1. There is abosutely no reason why PC2 cannot be used onshore by all operators - it is permitted when operating with a maximum approved seating capacity (MAPSC) of 19 or less. It requires calculation of the second segment climb performance (a climb of 150ft/min at 1000ft at Vy above the take-off surface) and might provide a higher take-off mass than the equivalent WAT for the Category A Clear Area procedure. The only other requirement is the ability for a safe-forced-landing in the event of a power unit failure on take-off; I think you will agree that most runways provide that. Under these circumstances, once the helicopter reaches Vy, de facto PC1 is achieved - obstacle clearance must be shown at all stages.
   
2. The recording of flight time differs when used for FTL, FCL or maintenance (as a reading of the ANO will show).
   
3. The definition of Flight Time (for FTL) might differ in each State depending on whether they have picked up the ICAO definition:
   Flight time — helicopters. The total time from the moment a helicopter’s rotor blades start turning until the moment the helicopter finally comes to rest at the end of the flight, and the rotor blades are stopped.

   in view of the misunderstandings that stem from this definition, there has been a proposal to add the following notes to the definition:
   Note 1.- The State should provide guidance in those cases where the definition of Flight Time does not describe or permit normal practices. Examples are: crew change without stopping the rotors; and, rotors running engine wash procedure following a flight. In any case the time when rotors are running between sectors of a flight should be included within the calculation of Flight Time.
   
   Note 2.- This definition is only intended for the purpose of flight and duty time regulations

   this goes beyond the purpose of block to block which (from memory) is the time from when the helicopter moves under its own power to the time it comes to a rest at the completion of the flight.
   
4. Flight time for maintenance is the time from lift off to touch down - and is usually the time put into the technical log.
   
5. Flight time for FCL purposes can be associated with 'stick time' under some interpretations.
   
6. The definition of flight time for FTL will only be harmonised over Europe when EASA produces a single regulation for helicopters.

I hope this clarifies some of the issues.

Jim

[Hilico]

JimL, if you did clarify it, you would be the first.

I once had occasion to develop a database for recording just this kind of information. I had quite a lot of rework to do when AIC 79/2002 (we're talking UK here) came out, mandating the recording of rotor start and rotor stop. The effect on the Company in question was that the average recorded duration of a bog standard 206 sector would increase by 5 minutes - while not actually changing at all.

[Hilico]

See, I knew that would kill it stone dead.