S.I. No. 21/1999 - Air Navigation (Personnel Licensing) (Amendment) Order, 1999

The Irish Aviation Authority, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by sections 5 , 6 , 58 , 59 , 60 and 75 of the Irish Aviation Authority Act, 1993 (No. 29 of 1993), as amended by the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1998 , No. 24 of 1998, hereby orders as follows:—

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Air Navigation (Personnel Licensing) (Amendment) Order, 1999.

(2) The Air Navigation (Personnel Licensing) Orders, 1966 to 1996, and this Order may be cited together as the Air Navigation (Personnel Licensing) Orders, 1966 to 1999, and shall be construed together as one and (insofar as they relate to flight engineer licences) as giving effect to Section 3.3 of Chapter 3 of Annex I to the Chicago Convention.

(3) This Order shall come into operation on the 1st day of March, 1999.

2. (1) In this Order—

“the Act” means the Irish Aviation Authority Act, 1993 (No. 29 of 1993);

“the Principal Order” means the Air Navigation (Personnel Licensing) Order, 1966 ( S.I. No. 165 of 1966 ).

(2) In this Order a reference to an enactment or order shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to the enactment or order as amended as extended by or under any subsequent enactment or order, including this Order.

3. Notwithstanding any amendment to the Principal Order made by this Order, every flight engineer licence and rating granted, validated or renewed under the Principal Order, which is in force immediately before the commencement of this Order, shall continue in force as if such amendment had not been made, and the provisions of the Principal Order in force prior to any such amendment which relate to such licences and ratings, and to the holders thereof, shall continue to have effect in relation thereto during the currency of such licences and ratings.

4. The Principal Order is hereby amended—

(a) by the deletion of Article 4(1) and the substitution of a new Article 4(1) as follows:—

“4.—(1) The Authority may give directions for carrying out the purposes of this Order in respect of the matters to which Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 30, 31, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 47, 48, 49, 50 and 61 of, and Schedules I to VI to, this Order relate.”

(b) in Article 46, by the substitution of “18” for “21”;

(c) in Article 47, by the substitution in subarticle (1) thereof of—

(i) “No. 1” for “No. 2”;

(ii) “No. 1” for “No. 3”;

(d) in Article 49—

(i) by the deletion in subarticle (1) of—

—“, and the particular type or types of engines”,

(ii) by the deletion in subarticle (2) of—

“paragraph 4 of Schedule III to this Order”

and the substitution thereof of—

“paragraph 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule III to this Order which are applicable to the safe operation of that type of aircraft.”

(e) by the substitution of the following Schedule for Schedule III thereto—

“SCHEDULE III

Flight Engineer

The requirements for a flight engineer licence shall be as follows:—

1. Knowledge

(1) The applicant shall have demonstrated a level of knowledge appropriate to the privileges granted to the holder of a flight engineer licence, in at least the following subjects:—

(a) Air Law

rules and regulations relevant to the holder of a flight engineer licence; rules and regulations governing the operation of civil aircraft pertinent to the duties of a flight engineer.

(b) Aircraft general knowledge

(i) basic principles of powerplants; gas turbines; characteristics of fuels; fuel systems including fuel control; lubricants and lubrication systems; afterburners and injection systems; function and operation of engine ignition and starter systems;

(ii) principles of operation, handling procedures and operating limitations of aircraft powerplants; effects of atmospheric conditions on engine performance;

(iii) airframes, flight controls, structures, wheel assemblies, brakes and anti-skid units, corrosion and fatigue life; identification of structural damage and defects;

(iv) ice and rain protection systems;

(v) pressurisation and air-conditioning systems, oxygen systems;

(vi) hydraulic and pneumatic systems;

(vii) basic electrical theory, electric systems (AC and DC), aircraft wiring systems, bonding and screening;

(viii) principles of operation of instruments, compasses, auto-pilots, radio communication equipment, radio and radar navigation aids, flight management systems, displays and avionics;

(ix) limitations of appropriate aircraft;

(x) fire protection, detection, suppression and extinguishing systems; and

(xi) use and serviceability checks of equipment and systems of appropriate aircraft.

(c) Flight performance and planning

(i) Effects of loading and mass distribution on aircraft handling, flight characteristics and performance; mass and balance calculations; and

(ii) use and practical application of performance data including procedures for cruise control.

(d) Human performance and limitations

Human performance and limitations relevant to the flight engineer.

(e) Operational procedures

(i) Principles of maintenance, procedures for the maintenance of airworthiness, defect reporting, pre-flight inspections, precautionary procedures for fuelling and use of external power; installed equipment and cabin systems;

(ii) normal, abnormal and emergency procedures; and

(iii) operational procedures for carriage of freight and dangerous goods.

(f) Principles of Flight

Fundamentals of aerodynamics.

(g) Radiotelephony

Radiotelephony procedures and phraseology.

(h) Navigation

Fundamentals of navigation; principles and operation of self-contained systems.

(i) Meteorology

Operational aspects of meterology.

(2) Examination

The examination shall be based on a syllabus determined from time to time by the Authority and shall include an examination on each type of aircraft for which the licence is sought.

2. Experience

(1) The applicant shall have completed, under the supervision of a person accepted by the Authority for that purpose, not less than 100 hours of flight time in the performance of the duties of a flight engineer on board an aircraft of the type for which the licence is sought, or one of similar characteristics, during the twelve months preceding the date of application. The Authority shall determine whether experience as a flight engineer in a flight simulator, which it has approved, is acceptable as part of the total flight time of 100 hours. Credit for such experience shall be limited to a maximum of 50 hours.

(2) When the applicant has flight time as a pilot, the Authority shall determine whether such experience is acceptable and, if so, the extent to which the flight time requirements of paragraph 2(1) of this Schedule can be reduced accordingly.

(3) The applicant shall have operational experience in the performance of the duties of a flight engineer, under the supervision of a flight engineer accepted by the Authority for that purpose, in at least the following areas:—

(a) Normal procedures

(i) pre-flight inspections;

(ii) fuelling procedures, fuel management;

(iii) inspection of maintenance documents;

(iv) normal flight deck procedures during all phases of flight;

(v) crew co-ordination and procedures in case of crew incapacitation;

(vi) defect reporting.

(b) Abnormal and alternate (standby) procedures

(i) recognition of abnormal functioning of aircraft systems;

(ii) use of abnormal and alternate (standby) procedures.

(c) Emergency procedures

(i) recognition of emergency conditions;

(ii) use of appropriate emergency procedures.

3. Skill

(1) The applicant shall have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Authority his ability to perform as flight engineer, of an aircraft type for which the licence is sought, the duties and procedures described in paragraph 2(3) of this Schedule with a degree of competency appropriate to the privileges granted to the holder of a flight engineer licence, and to:—

(i) use aircraft systems within the aircraft's capabilities and limitations;

(ii) exercise good judgement and airmanship;

(iii) apply aeronautical knowledge;

(iv) perform all the duties as part of an integrated crew with the successful outcome never in doubt; and

(v) communicate effectively with the other flight crew members.

(2) The use of an appropriate synthetic flight trainer for performing any of the procedures required during the demonstration of skill described in 3(1) of this Schedule shall be approved by the Authority.

4. Medical Fitness

The applicant shall meet the medical requirements specified in Article 47 of the Principal Order.

5. Renewal of Licence

The applicant shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Authority, in the course of a proficiency check with an authorised examiner on an aircraft type for which the licence is sought, his competence to perform the duties and procedures in paragraph 3(1) of this Schedule.

6. Flight Engineer Licence Holder — Age Limitation

The holder of a Flight Engineer licence who has attained the age of 65 years shall not exercise the privileges of that licence on an aeroplane engaged in a commercial air transport operation, unless and to the extent that such a person shall be exempted from the provisions of the Principal Order by a direction of the Authority under that Order for the purposes of Article 31 thereof.”

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

1. The purpose of this (Amendment) Order is as follows:—

—  to update, clarify, and where appropriate, prescribe the requirements for the grant of a flight engineer licence in accordance with the eighth edition of Annex I (Personnel Licensing) to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

In particular, this Order:

—  reduces the age requirement for the grant of a flight engineer licence from 21 years to 18 years;

—  updates the knowledge and skill requirements for the grant of a flight engineer licence;

—  introduces flight engineer knowledge requirements for the grant of additional aircraft type ratings;

—  increases the experience requirement for the grant of a flight engineer licence from 50 hours to 100 hours;

—  introduces No. 1 (Class 1) medical requirements for the grant or renewal of a flight engineer licence; and

—  introduces an age limitation of 65 years for exercise of flight engineer licence privileges in commercial air transport operations.