A332. Flag Operations in Excess of 16 Hours Block Time (Ultra Long Range (ULR) Operations) HQ Control: 11/27/07 HQ Revision: 000 a. Applicability. (1) This OpSpec has been issued because the certificate holder has met one or more of the following criteria: (a) The certificate holder schedules any pilot in flag operations to more than 16 hours of block time, or a duty period exceeding 18 hours between required rest periods (including the rest periods specified in this Operations Specification (OpSpec)); or (b) The certificate holder operates between any city pair in which more than 10 percent of the round trips for that city pair have one flight segment that will exceed or has exceeded 16 hours of block time, or a duty period that will exceed or has exceeded 18 hours in any consecutive 90-day period. (2) Once issued, the provisions of this OpSpec will apply to all flight segments between that city pair, even if the block time is not expected to exceed 16 hours or the duty period is not expected to exceed 18 hours. b. Authorization. This OpSpec is only issued at the direction of the Air Transportation Division, AFS-200. c. Authorized City Pairs. The certificate holder is authorized to conduct ultra long range (ULR) flag operations over the city pairs and routes listed in Table 1, in accordance with the provisions of the OpSpec: Aircraft M/M From: Departure time (Zulu) Departure Window Table 1 Approved ULR City Pair Routes To: Arrival time (Zulu) Scheduled Block Time Scheduled Duty Period Layover Rest Period/ TBD N/A d. Definitions: The following definitions apply to all provisions of this OpSpec: (1) Block time : The time between an airplane first moving from its parking location for the purpose of taking off until it comes to rest at the parking location for the purpose of deplaning passengers and all engines are stopped. (a) Scheduled block time is the block time used by the certificate holder for the purpose of building operational and crewmember schedules. (b) Assigned block time is the block time projected on the day of departure in accordance with the aircraft dispatch release. (2) Duty period : A period which starts when a crewmember is required by the certificate holder to commence a duty and ends when the crewmember is free from all duties. For a regularly scheduled assigned crewmember, a duty period begins when he/she reports at the assigned report time for his/her ULR flight assignment. For a reserve crewmember, a duty period begins when that crewmember begins his/her reserve period that includes a ULR flight assignment (a) Scheduled duty period is the duty period defined by the certificate holder for the purpose of building a crewmember s schedule. (b) Assigned duty period is the duty period projected on the day of departure based on the block time listed in the aircraft dispatch release. Print Date: 10/27/2008 A332-1 Certificate No.:
(c) Expected actual duty period is the duty period projected at the time of take-off based on the block time listed in the aircraft dispatch release, plus known and anticipated delays. (3) Physiological night s rest : A physiological night s rest is a continuous 10 hour period that includes the hours between 0100-0600 at the crewmember s home base time zone. A crewmember s home base is the location assigned by the certificate holder to the crewmember from where the crewmember normally starts and ends a duty period or series of duty periods. (4) In-flight Rest Break : A period free of all duties, but included in the duty period. A certificate holder may not count any time spent by a crewmember in in-flight rest breaks towards pre-duty, layover or return-to-base rest periods. e. Limitations and Provisions. The duty and rest provisions in this OpSpec and the following limitations are in addition to the duty and rest provisions of 14 C.F.R. 121.467 and subpart R of 14 CFR Part 121. (1) Maximum hours of service: (a) Scheduled block time may not exceed 18 hours. (b) A scheduled duty period may not exceed 20 hours. (c) An expected actual duty period may not exceed 23 hours. (2) Limitations on flight segments: (a) A duty period may only contain one flight segment, (b) A trip pairing may not contain additional flight segments, aside from those required to position a crewmember between the crewmember s home base and the domestic departure city. (3) The scheduled departure time (e.g., as offered to the public and reflected in such or like publications as the OAG) documented in Table 1, may be allowed to vary within the departure window listed in Table 1 without requiring a re-evaluation of the city pair authorization or an amendment to this OpSpec. In no circumstance may a variance in the departure time result in a reduction of a required rest period unless permitted elsewhere in this OpSpec. (4) Any deadhead time must be counted in the duty period. A certificate holder must provide a deadheading crewmember with the same rest periods as the working crewmembers. Deadhead time does not count toward weekly, monthly or yearly flight time limits. f. Four-Pilot Flight crew Ultra Long Range (ULR) Qualification Requirements: (1) All Pilots: Each pilot assigned to a ULR flight segment/sector must: (a) Be current and qualified in the aircraft type as appropriate to the pilot s duty position. (Note: Qualified as used in the context of this OpSpec means each pilot has completed all of the certificate holder s training program requirements to satisfy applicable regulatory requirements for pilot-incommand (PIC) or second-in-command (SIC), as applicable, and; (b) Be qualified for the specific route(s) and city pair(s) authorized in Table 1 above, in accordance with 14 CFR 121.443 and 121.445. (2) Pilots under Supervised Operating Experience (OE): Any pilot in the process of meeting supervised OE requirements, when on flight deck duty, must be under the direct supervision of a qualified check pilot. (3) PIC Requirements: Each ULR four-pilot flight crew must be composed of one or more, fully qualified PIC or check pilot, who is designated by the air carrier as the PIC for each flight per 14 CFR Section 121.385. Print Date: 10/27/2008 A332-2 Certificate No.:
(4) SIC Requirements: The remaining pilot crew members must be qualified as SIC and the following criteria apply: (a) The SIC must hold an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate with a type rating for the airplane being operated. Note: An SIC type rating does not satisfy the requirements of this subparagraph. (b) In addition to the provisions of 14 CFR 121.543, each SIC assigned to function as PIC during the en route cruise portion of flight in relief of the designated PIC, must have: i. A minimum of 1,000 hours of pilot time in Part 121 operations. ii. Completed 100-hour consolidation of knowledge and skills in aircraft type per 14 CFR 121.434. iii. Completed an approved training curriculum including, but not limited to, ground training and Line-Oriented Flight Training (LOFT) with particular focus on the following areas: (A) Security incident response, navigation and communications problems, aircraft and medical emergency response, adverse weather, diversion, effective use of resources, crew resource management (CRM), and (B) Applicable left-seat, task-specific training to include: manual landing, taxi and approach to certificate holder s lowest authorized approach minima. g. Pre-Duty Minimum Rest Period. Before reporting for the duty period that includes the domestic to international ULR flight segment listed in Table 1, each crewmember, including a reserve crewmember, must have a scheduled pre-duty rest period of 24 hours, reducible to no less than an actual 18 hour pre-duty rest period. The pre-duty minimum rest period must include a physiological night s rest. The certificate holder may only reduce the scheduled pre-duty rest period due to air traffic delays, airplane maintenance, weather, or a crew member unable to report for duty. (1) In order to assign a ULR flight segment to a reserve crewmember, the actual time spent on reserve duty combined with the actual expected duty period may not exceed 23 hours. (2) If a crewmember is not used for a ULR flight assignment during his or her first reserve duty period, the certificate holder may either assign the crewmember to a rest period for another ULR flight assignment, or keep the crewmember on reserve status for another non-ulr flight assignment. (3) If the reserve crewmember is assigned to a domestic, flag or supplemental operation, the appropriate flight, duty and rest time requirements apply. The crewmember must have another minimum 24-hour pre-duty rest period, including a physiological night s rest prior to being assigned a subsequent reserve duty period that may include assignment to a ULR flight segment. (4) If the reserve crewmember is not assigned to a domestic, flag or supplemental flight assignment and is assigned to be available for another subsequent ULR flight assignment, the crewmember must be assigned a rest period that includes a physiological night s rest, prior to beginning the subsequent reserve duty period. h. In-flight Rest Breaks. The certificate holder shall provide crewmembers with a plan for in-flight rest breaks based on the certificate holder s current accepted scientific data, in the form of an FAA-approved Ultra Long Range route guide, as amended. A crewmember must adhere to the approved plan for in-flight rest breaks so each crewmember, while on duty, is alert and able to safely perform his or her assigned duties. The PIC may use his or her discretion to modify the plan for in-flight rest breaks, provided the modification does not negatively affect the safety of the flight. i. Layover Rest. Except as in paragraph o, each crewmember that completes the domestic to international flight segment specified in the approved city pair(s) listed in Table 1 must be scheduled for a layover rest period as listed in Table 1. The layover rest must be either 48 hours, or contain two physiological night s rest, whichever is less. The certificate holder may reduce the layover rest period to no less than the Print Date: 10/27/2008 A332-3 Certificate No.:
24 hours (including at least one physiological night s rest) only for the following conditions: air traffic delays, aircraft maintenance, weather, or a crew member unable to report for duty. If the certificate holder reduces the layover to the minimum layover, the pilot-in-command must evaluate the crew for fitness for duty prior to the international to domestic flight segment, using the criteria provided in the FAA-approved ULR route guide. j. Return-to-Base Rest. Upon completion of the international to domestic flight segment, the certificate holder must provide each crewmember with a return-to-base rest. The certificate holder may not use the crewmember in any operation after the ULR flight segment until he or she has received the return-to-base rest period. (1) For pilots: The certificate holder shall give a pilot a return-to-base rest period that is at least twice the number of hours flown since the last rest period at his or her home base. (2) For flight attendants: The certificate holder shall give a flight attendant a return-to-base rest period of either 48 hours or two physiological nights rest, whichever is less. k. Crewmember Accommodations. The certificate holder must ensure the crewmember accommodations in the layover city are adequate to permit the rest requirements specified in this OpSpec. The certificate holder must consider both the hotel location and the ability of the hotel facilities to allow for uninterrupted sleep periods when determining the adequacy of the crewmember accommodations. l. Crewmember Education. The certificate holder s FAA-approved training program must include the following elements: (1) Fatigue and sleep; (2) Fatigue mitigation strategies and countermeasures for each approved city pair; (3) Use of pre-duty, layover and return-to-base rest periods for each approved city pair; (4) Schemes for optimal in-flight rest breaks for each approved city pair. At a minimum, the associated courseware must be based on the certificate holder s FAA-approved fatigue mitigation strategies set forth in this OpSpec. m. Flight Attendants. The certificate holder must comply with the crew augmentation and additional rest provisions of 14 CFR 121.467. n. On-Board Rest Facilities (1) For Pilots: The certificate holder must provide sleeping quarters determined adequate by the FAA. (2) For Flight attendants: (a) The certificate holder must provide bunks/berths for 50% of the flight attendants required for the operation by 14 CFR 121.391 and 121.467 and sufficient in-flight rest breaks so each flight attendant is alert and able to perform his or her assigned duties. (b) If the certificate holder is unable to provide the required number of bunks or berths, the certificate holder must propose effective alternate fatigue mitigations according to the following approved plan (If the certificate holder has met the requirement to provide bunks/berths for at least 50% of the required flight attendants, enter N/A): The certificate holder will provide a description of its approved mitigation plan here. o. Irregular Operations. (1) Flight Delay. The certificate holder may not use any crewmember for any of the approved city pairs in Table 1 if that crewmember s assigned report time at the domestic or international departure airport is delayed by the certificate holder, unless the following conditions are met: (a) If the notification to the crewmembers is at least 6 hours before initial scheduled report time, the certificate holder may set a new later report time; OR Print Date: 10/27/2008 A332-4 Certificate No.:
(b) If the notification to the crewmembers is less than 6 hours before the initial scheduled report time, the flight must takeoff no later than 4 hours after the initial scheduled departure time. (2) Flight Cancellation. If the crew reports for duty at one of the scheduled departure airports and the flight is cancelled for any reason, including that the duty period or flight time limitations are expected to be exceeded, then all crewmembers must be given either an 18 hour rest period or a rest period of less than 18 hours, provided it includes a physiological night s rest. (3) Pilot Unable to Report for Duty. If a pilot is unable to report for duty for the flight segment from the international to domestic city listed in Table 1, the certificate holder must provide a substitute pilot who fully satisfies or exceeds the qualifications of the pilot to be replaced. A substitute pilot must receive at least the reduced layover rest period listed in Table 1. (4) Flight Diversion. The certificate holder shall provide guidance to the Pilot-in-Command on recommended actions for a diversion in its FAA-approved ULR route guide. The certificate holder shall report any diversion to the FAA within 30 days. The report should include date, time, crew, and details of the incident. p. Data Collection Reports. The certificate holder will collect data from its crewmembers conducting these ULR flights in accordance with an FAA-approved protocol. Failure to comply with the approved protocol and the submission of the required data to the satisfaction of AFS-200 may result in the termination of this authorization. q. Crewmember Fitness for Duty (1) Crewmember Responsibility. A crewmember should notify the certificate holder when he or she determines he or she cannot perform his or her duties due to fatigue. (2) Discretion of the Pilot-in Command. The PIC is responsible to ensure the safe operation of a flight, including ensuring the crew is rested and fit for duty. (3) Removal from ULR Operations. The certificate holder shall remove from an ULR operation, any crewmember that consistently demonstrates or indicates that he or she is unable to get sufficient sleep or rest during in-flight rest breaks and/or on layover rest until the underlying fatigue issues have been resolved. This is not the same as a one-time/occasional incident when a crewmember calls in as being too fatigued to take a ULR flight segment. Print Date: 10/27/2008 A332-5 Certificate No.: