Division SPA.HOFO.110 Operating proceduresF1

The operator shall, as part of its safety management process, mitigate and minimise risks and hazards specific to helicopter offshore operations. The operator shall specify in the operations manual the:

1. (1)

   selection, composition and training of crews;

2. (2)

   duties and responsibilities of crew members and other involved personnel;

3. (3)

   required equipment and dispatch criteria; and

4. (4)

   operating procedures and minima, such that normal and likely abnormal operations are described and adequately mitigated.

The operator shall ensure that:

1. (1)

   an operational flight plan is prepared prior to each flight;

2. (2)

   the passenger safety briefing also includes any specific information on offshore related items and is provided prior to boarding the helicopter;

3. (3)

   each member of the flight crew wears an approved survival suit:

   1. (i)

      when the weather report or forecasts available to the pilot-in-command/commander indicate that the sea temperature will be less than plus 10 °C during the flight; or

   2. (ii)

      when the estimated rescue time exceeds the calculated survival time; or

   3. (iii)

      when the flight is planned to be conducted at night in a hostile environment;

4. (4)

   where established, the offshore route structure provided by the appropriate ATS is followed;

5. (5)

   pilots make optimum use of the automatic flight control systems (AFCS) throughout the flight;

6. (6)

   specific offshore approach profiles are established, including stable approach parameters and the corrective action to be taken if an approach becomes unstable;

7. (7)

   for multi-pilot operations, procedures are in place for a member of the flight crew to monitor the flight instruments during an offshore flight, especially during approach or departure, to ensure that a safe flight path is maintained;

8. (8)

   the flight crew takes immediate and appropriate action when a height alert is activated;

9. (9)

   procedures are in place to require the emergency flotation systems to be armed, when safe to do so, for all overwater arrivals and departures; and

10. (10)

    operations are conducted in accordance with any restriction on the routes or the areas of operation specified by the F2CAA.