HONDURAS AGENCY of CIVIL AERONAUTICS (AHAC) RAC-OPS-1 SUBPART Q FLIGHT / DUTY TIME LIMITATIONS AND REST REQUIREMENTS 01-Jun-2012
Contents Contents... 2 RAC OPS.1.1080 General provisions... 3 RAC OPS.1.1085 Definitions... 3 RAC OPS.1.1090 State Responsibilities... 4 RAC OPS.1.1095 Responsibilities of the operator... 5 RAC OPS.1.1100 Responsibilities of flight crew members... 5 RAC OPS.1.1105 Cabin Crew and Flight Crew Members.... 5 RAC OPS.1.1110 Limitations on flight times and periods of duty... 5 RAC OPS.1.1115 Maximum hours of duty for flight crew members and cabin crew... 6 RAC OPS.1.1120 Maximum period of flight duty for flight and cabin crew... 6 RAC OPS.1.1125 Flights performed with augmented crew and flight relay... 7 RAC OPS.1.1130 Minimum rest periods... 7 RAC OPS.1.1135 Decisions that the pilot-in-command may take... 7 RAC OPS.1.1140 Miscellaneous Provisions... 8 RAC OPS.1.1145 Records... 8 RAC OPS.1.1147 Time Limitations in Duty : Dispatchers... 9 RAC OPS.1.1148 Duty Time Limitations: Maintenance Personnel... 9 Page 2
RAC OPS.1.1080 General provisions a) These provisions apply to flight crew members, cabin crew, dispatchers and maintenance personnel of aircraft engaged in public transport. All operators of commercial air transport services should include in their operations manuals flight and cabin crew flight and flight time limitations as well as the maximum and minimum duty and rest periods respectively for personnel applicable. The limitations of flight time and maximum periods of duty cannot exceed those established here, likewise, rest periods cannot be lower than those established in this regulation. RAC OPS.1.1085 Definitions Suitable accommodation. A furnished and individual bedroom that offers the opportunity to rest in a suitable way. Home Base. The place designated by the operator to the crew member from which that member normally initiates and terminates a period of duty or a series of periods of duty. Unforeseen operational circumstance. An unplanned event, such as unpredicted weather conditions, equipment malfunction, or air traffic delay that is beyond the operator's control. Standby. A specified period of time during which the operator requires the flight crew member or cabin crew member to be assigned a specific duty without an intermediate rest period. Presentation time. The time at which the operator requires crew members to present themselves to provide their duties. Working hours. A list provided by the operator of the hours at which a crew member is required to perform duties. "Working hours" as defined here, is synonymous with "scheduling", "itinerary", "schedule duty ", "duty schedule" and "duty shifts". License, which is assigned essential obligations for the operation of an aircraft during a period of flight duty. Member of the crew. Person to whom the operator assigns obligations to be fulfilled on board an aircraft during a period of flight duty. Member of cabin crew. A crew member who, in the interest of passenger safety, fulfills the duties assigned to him by the operator or pilot-in-command of the aircraft, but who shall not act as a member of the flight crew. Member of the flight crew. Member of the crew, holder of the corresponding Operator. Person, body or company that dedicates, or proposes to dedicate, to the operation of aircraft Period of duty. Period that begins when the operator demands to the members of the flight or cabin crew to present themselves or to start a duty and that ends when the person is free of all duty. Flight duty period. Period that begins when a crew member is required to be present, on a flight or a series of flights, and ends when the airplane stops completely at the end of the last flight of which it is a member of the crew. Period of rest. Continuous and determined period of time that follows and / or precedes the duty, during which flight or cabin crew members are free of any duty. Page 3
Duty. Any task that the operator is required to perform to flight crew members, including, for example, flight duty, administrative work, training and travel to join their position and standby, Homework induces fatigue Enhanced flight crew. A flight crew consisting of more than the minimum number required to operate the airplane and enabling each flight crew member to leave the assigned position and be replaced by another appropriately qualified flight crew member for in-flight rest purposes. Flight time - aircraft. Total time elapsed since the airplane begins to move for the purpose of taking off, until it stops completely at the end of the flight, "Flight time", as defined here, is synonymous with time "between chocks", 'in general use And is counted from the moment the airplane begins to move for the purpose of taking off, until it stops completely at the end of the flight. Transfer to join the position. The transfer of a crew member who is not in operation from one place to another, as a passenger, at the request of the operator. "Transfer to join the position," as defined here, is synonymous with "relocation." RAC OPS.1.1090 State Responsibilities a) The objective of this Subpart is to ensure that members of flight and cabin crews are sufficiently alert to perform their operations with a satisfactory degree of performance and safety in all circumstances. The fundamental principle is to ensure that each flight crew member and cabin crew member is adequately rested when he commences a flight duty period and is sufficiently alert during the flight to perform his duties with a satisfactory degree of performance and Safety in all normal and abnormal situations. Page 4
RAC OPS.1.1095 Responsibilities of the operator a) Operators must take into account in their operations manuals all elements of this Subpart that are suitable for the operations they perform. If operations that cannot be managed within the published limitations are projected, an exemption may be requested. In such a case, and before it is approved, the operator must demonstrate to the CAA that such an exemption can give an equivalent level of safety and that the objections based on safety grounds have been considered. b) Work schedules should be prepared and posted well in advance so that flight crew members and cabin crew members have the opportunity to plan an adequate break. Adequate attention should be paid to the cumulative effects of prolonged hours of duty interspersed with a minimum rest and to avoid working hours that seriously transform the established sleep and work schedule. Working hours must cover at least a period of 28 days. c) Flights must be scheduled to be completed within the allowable flight duty period, taking into account the time required for pre-flight duty, flight and rotation times, and the nature of the operation. The minimum rest periods needed to provide adequate rest must be based on the actual operation. d) To avoid any difficulty in the performance of the flight crew member or cabin, Should be given the opportunity to eat when the flight duty period is more than 4 hours. e) The operator must designate a home base for each flight crew member and cabin crew member from which the crew member will normally start and end a period of duty or a series of periods of duty. The basis of domicile must be assigned with a certain degree of permanence. f) An operator shall not require a flight crew member to perform operations on an airplane if it is known or suspected that the flight crew member is fatigued to such an extent that flight safety may be compromised. RAC OPS.1.1100 Responsibilities of flight crew members a) No member of the flight crew shall perform operations on an airplane when he or she is known to be fatigued or incapacitated to such an extent that the flight safety may be compromised. b) Flight crew members should make the best possible use of facilities and opportunities provided for rest and meals and should plan and use their rest periods to ensure their full recovery. RAC OPS.1.1105 Cabin Crew and Flight Crew Members. The following text specifies the limitations applicable to the operations of flight crew members and cabin crew members. RAC OPS.1.1110 Limitations on flight times and periods of duty a) Maximum flight hours 1 The maximum number of flight hours may not exceed: (i) 8 hours in any flight duty period. (ii) 32 hours for seven days (7) of which the seventh must be rested at its base (iii) 100 Hours for 28 consecutive days; (iv) 250 Hours for 90 consecutive days. (v) 1000 hours for 365 consecutive days. Page 5
RAC OPS.1.1115 Maximum hours of duty for flight crew members and cabin crew a) The hours of duty may not exceed: 1 12 hours programmed during a period of 24 hours, being able to extend to 14 hours no more than once in 7 consecutive days; And 2 60 hours scheduled for 7 consecutive days. b) The duty comprises all tasks performed at the request of the operator. These include, but are not limited to: pre-flight preparation; The performance of the flight (whether or not it is commercial air transport); Post-flight measurements; The instruction given or received (classroom, flight simulator or airplane); Office hours / administration time; And travel to join the post. RAC OPS.1.1120 Maximum period of flight duty for flight and cabin crew a) The maximum flight duty period should be 14 hours. b) This limitation should allow variation to take into account aspects that may have an impact on fatigue, such as the number of sectors planned, the local time at which the duty is started, the rest and sleep scheme related to the circadian rhythm Of the flight crew member, the organization of working time and the increase of the flight crew. c) The hours at which the crew presents themselves to work should realistically reflect the time required to complete pre-flight, safety and duty obligations (if applicable), And a standard margin of 30 minutes to be added at the end of the flight time in order to complete checks and registrations. For registration purposes, the pre-flight report time should be counted as a duty and as a flight duty, and the time frame after the flight as a duty. d) Flight duty periods may be extended in unforeseen operational circumstances for not more than 2 hours, only in the judgment of the pilot-in-command. Before making this decision, the pilot-in-command must be convinced that all crew members who are to perform operations on the airplane feel capable of doing so. e) Operators should consider the peculiarity of their operations when designing the crews' programming, such as: 1 The type of aircraft and its equipment; 2 The probability of operational delays; 3 Route characteristics (eg traffic density, availability of navigation aids, communication difficulties and the need to fly to high levels on non-pressurized aircraft, instructional activities); 4 The proportion of day and night flight of the duty that is carried out, taking into account criteria that tend to a balance between the Crew; 5 The accommodation available to provide the crew with a break; 6 The stability of the duty programming system (depending on the availability of staff reserves) 7 The number of take-offs and landings; 8 The flight without autopilot; and 9 Any future changes, the impact of which has proven to be relevant. f) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Subpart, a Crew member shall not fly, nor shall the operator require him to do so, if he or she has reasonable grounds to believe that the Crew member is suffering from excessive fatigue or, taking into account the circumstances of the flight Particular that it must be carried out, it is likely to accumulate excessive fatigue during it. Page 6
RAC OPS.1.1125 Flights performed with augmented crew and flight relay a) The composition and number of flight crew members carried as in-flight relief and the quality of the rest facilities provided must determine how long the limitations of the basic flight duty period may be extended. A good balance must be maintained between the subdivision of the flight duty and rest. The number of cabin crew members shall be determined taking into account the rest facilities provided and other parameters related to the operation of the flight. b) An operator shall ensure that flight crew members and cabin crew members are notified prior to the commencement of the rest period preceding the flight, c) For this type of operation the operator shall consider that no pilot may fly as a flight crew member for more than: 1 8 hours in flight duties 2 12 hours as a member of the flight crew. 3 100 hours in one month 4 310 hours in ninety consecutive days 5 1,200 hours in the last twelve months. RAC OPS.1.1130 Minimum rest periods a) The minimum rest period immediately prior to commencement of a flight duty period may not be less than 8 hours. b) Arrangements should be made for rest to take into account the effects of crossing time and night operations. c) Larger rest periods should be given on a regular basis to avoid cumulative fatigue. d) The operator to facilitate an adequate rest period should provide the crew member with a suitable accommodation. e) The minimum rest periods may be reduced in unforeseen operational circumstances by no more than 2 hours, only in the judgment of the pilot-in-command. f) The travel time of a flight crew member or cabin in transit between a resting place and the point at which it is required to be present at work is not counted as a duty, even when it is a factor contributing to the fatigue. Excessive travel time immediately prior to the commencement of a flight duty period may, therefore, result in a decrease in the flight crew member's or cabin crew's ability to counteract fatigue from the duty and, therefore, When deciding where to take the pre-flight break. RAC OPS.1.1135 Decisions that the pilot-in-command may take a) The pilot-in-command, in his or her judgment, considering the special circumstances that could lead to unanticipated levels of fatigue, and after discussed with affected flight or cabin crew members, may reduce a real period of flight duty and / Or to extend a minimum rest period (see RAC-OPS 1.1130 (d)), in order to eliminate any detrimental effect affecting the safety of the flight. b) The pilot-in-command must inform the operator of his decision to extend or Reduce duty or rest. Page 7
RAC OPS.1.1140 Miscellaneous Provisions a) Standby (i) When a flight duty period is on standbyat the airport, the relationship between the standby period and the assigned flight duty must be defined. In this case, standby at the airport will be considered, if it can produce fatigue, as part of a period of duty and must be taken into account in calculating the minimum rest preceding a subsequent flight duty period. (ii) When flight and cabin crew members are required to wait in an operatorprovided accommodation, adequate rest facilities must be provided. b) Availability When crew members and flight crew members are required to be available to make contact with them, For a short period of time and in order to receive instructions concerning a possible change in working hours, this requirement should not prevent members of the flight and cabin crew from enjoying a rest period before they arrive at the place where they commence your duty. The time spent in this case of availability should not be considered as a duty.. c) Transfer to join the position All the time used to join the position is counted as a duty and this time, followed by operations without an intermediate rest period, also counts as a flight duty. However, the journey to join the post should not be considered part of the operations when planning or calculating a period of flight duty. RAC OPS.1.1145 Records a) In order for the operator to be sure that the scheme for fatigue management is operating as intended and as approved, it must be stored for 3 months, according to Appendix 1 to RAC- OPS 1.1065, records of the duties performed And covered rest periods to facilitate the inspection of the operator's authorized personnel and the audit of the State of the operator. b) The operator shall ensure that, for each flight crew member and cabin crew member, at least the following are included in these records: 1 the start, duration and termination of each flight duty period; 2 the start, duration and termination of each duty period; 3 rest periods; And 4 flight hours; c) The operator must also keep records of the occasions on which a pilot-in-command has made a decision (as described above). If the decision is to be applied for similar reasons on more than two percent of the occasions, when flying along a particular route or route configuration, it is very likely that the purpose of this guidance text has not been Complied with and may lead to undue fatigue. Arrangements should be made to modify the itinerary or crew designation arrangements to reduce the frequency of these events. The CAA may require copies of certain records to be submitted. d) Flight crew members must keep a personal record of their daily flight hours. Page 8
RAC OPS.1.1147 Time Limitations in Duty : Dispatchers a) An operator shall establish the daily duty period for a dispatcher, so that it commences at a time that allows adequate familiarity with the meteorological conditions existing throughout the Route, before dispatching any aircraft. You must remain on the work shift until each aircraft dispatched by you, completes your flight or flies beyond your jurisdiction, or has been relieved by another qualified dispatcher. b) Except for emergencies due to circumstances beyond control: 1 No operator may schedule a dispatcher for more than ten consecutive hours of duty. 2 If a dispatcher is scheduled for more than ten hours of duty within twenty-four consecutive hours, The operator will provide you with a rest period of at least eight hours. 3 Every dispatcher must be released from duty for at least a full calendar day within any period of seven consecutive days. c) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this article, an operator may, under AAC approval, schedule a dispatcher for more than ten hours of duty in a twenty-four hour period if the Dispatcher is released from duty by the operator for at least eight hours during each twenty-four consecutive hour period. RAC OPS.1.1148 Duty Time Limitations: Maintenance Personnel personnel of an operator or maintenance personnel on their aircraft shall enjoy at least one calendar day of rest within seven consecutive days. Page 9