New fuel requirements

General stuff that gets thrown about when Helicopter Pilots shoot the Breeze.
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hand in pants
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New fuel requirements

Postby hand in pants » Mon Oct 22 2018, 23:22

Just looking at the information sheet put out by caa regarding the "new" fuel requirements.

I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the draw but, not once does the word helicopter appear. All references are to "day visual flight rules (VFR) for piston or turboprop small AEROPLANES". (The capitals are mine).

We currently meet or exceed these requirements, always have.
So, question is, if we don't comply now, do we need to change?
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Niko
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Re: New fuel requirements

Postby Niko » Tue Oct 23 2018, 00:05

Hey Matey

In short yes; we have to modify operations manual to be compliant with the new fuel regulations. If you have an existing AOC you will be required to comply by end of February; if you're applying then you gotta comply on the 8th of November. Which is basically now. On the off-chance, if you have a comprehensively written Vol2B1, changes are minimal; but for most, they do require to write more comprehensive Fuel Management Policy. The new regs introduce requirements for fuel management inside flight, more closely align with international standards

The reason they introduced this, is because there have been times that some pilots found themselves with too much air in the tanks. Reasons varied, but a disproportionate number were not doing the right thing. Some were not even checking their fuel in flight. Sometimes it was company culture, sometimes it was pilot's actions. ATSB reports issued recommendations and CASA acted on those to create the new document. Anyway; instead of dedicating resources towards changing that culture by additional guidance or oversight, CASA has directed resources towards creating new regulations. You are right by pointing out that good operators/pilots already do everything that is inside those. The ones who don't, will most likely continue not to, but will break a few more regulations with a few more pages inside the operations manual. The latter is just my personal opinion

In regards to it being applicable to helicopters, look at page number 26. Which states that requirements for helicopters generally follow the same as aeroplanes.

They also introduced the rules for private pilots. They need to comply by the 8th of November. If you have been taught well, and do ANCA, CLEAROF or whatever check you have been taught, with whatever logging method you have been utilising, and understand the concept of capacity, consumption, reserves and margins, and have systems in place on what to do if you find yourself consuming more than planned etc, you won't have any trouble complying. Obviously you want to read the regs here https://www.casa.gov.au/aircraft/landin ... SSIFIED%5D

That's my understanding anyway, which is to say, may not even be remotely right. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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hand in pants
4th Dan
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Re: New fuel requirements

Postby hand in pants » Wed Oct 24 2018, 01:33

Thanks Niko, I do understand the new regulations and was just pointing out the fact that their information sheet doesn't mention helicopters. Nothing unusual, we seem to be an after-thought to them most of the time.
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Eric Hunt
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Re: New fuel requirements

Postby Eric Hunt » Wed Oct 24 2018, 06:24

Good onya CA$A, make some more rules. Show us that your FOIs are earning their expensive keep.
flyhuey
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Re: New fuel requirements

Postby flyhuey » Sat Oct 27 2018, 09:23

Anyone ever have an employer and/or Chief Pilot hand you a Flight Plan and tell you this is the fuel load you should take, based on HIS calculations or HIS experience?

Yeh.

One fellow I flew a twin engine turboprop for handed me a Flight Planning Sheet already filled out to carry HIS recommended Fuel Load, based on HIS calculations and experience, versus "real life", and that meant the difference between carrying a Payload of 1,500kg versus 1,000kg, meant the difference of sweating and pucker factor sucking the seat cushion up my arse crossing the blackness of the Bass Strait at Night in poor weather versus giving myself options for a second approach after a Missed Approach or Holding a bit longer until the weather cleared or if both Launceston and Hobart were down, I could safely make it to Devonport, with proper Reserve Fuel.

NOBODY should dictate to the Pilot-in-Command what Fuel he thinks he needs.

Carrying sufficient Fuel is about leaving yourself options, especially over-water, over vast expanse of mountainous terrain or desert with few airports selling fuel, at Night and Instrument Flying.

Every Pilot should know their aircraft and exactly what their aircraft's fuel consumption is under various configurations and atmospheric conditions and altitude and make copious notes to refer to.

Helicopter Pilots can fly higher than 500 feet AGL and in fact if they received Winds Aloft information say up to 12,000 feet, during their Weather Briefing, can use that knowledge to their advantage, say if there is a 30 knot tailwind at 5,000 feet versus 15 at 2,500 feet . . . If flying into a headwind, sometimes the wind is stronger closer to the ground and more turbulent than at a higher altitude, but you will not know that, without a thorough Weather Briefing. Knowledge that seems the exclusive domain of plank wing Pilots, can be applied to Helicopter flying and- vice versa.

Turbine engine aircraft become more fuel efficient flying higher.

I do not believe wrong-headed attitudes based on greed will ever change and there is not much CASA can do to change that, except more proactive surveillance and enforcement, which they do not have the budget for -thus, turn the thumbscrews a little tighter with more stringent Regulation.

I NEVER saw CASA Inspectors at MEL at 02:00, in the morning, and am confident they were as snug as a bug in a rug, at that early hour. Now, if it was the F.A.A. or Japan's Aviation Regulator, every little thing had better be in order, every bit of paperwork correct, every Manual updated with current charts and revisions filed, the moment they entered the Flight Deck, 02:00, on a Winter's morning or not. That is the difference between complicity with shonky operators (a nod and a wink "We have scheduled your operation for a CASA audit on Day/Month/Year/Hour") or ensuring compliance, as in the latter with proactive surveillance and enforcement. Simply writing more complex Regulations does very little to guarantee compliance.

AOC Holders and Chief Pilots coercing Pilots to scrimp on Fuel Load ("take just what you need and no more") to satisfy their "commercial realities" and Pilots-in-Command who don't stand up for what they know is right and/or legal have brought the increased CASA regulations upon themselves.

Compliance with Aviation Regulations starts with the Pilot's-in-Command professional ethics. Never compromise your professionalism. The first time you become a "team player", Operators and Chief Pilot's will expect you to compromise every time -and, "if you don't, I will find someone who will." That is when ALL Pilots should stand together. If one Pilot says "No", every Pilot should back him up. The only way things will change.

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