Critical Planning, Part I: Planning is everything, but knowing what should be planned, reviewed and considered when putting together a schedule for a flight operation is equally important. Aviation requirements change globally but there are a number of standards that can be included in the planning and feasibility checks which apply to just about all categories of flight operation.
Airport Selection
Airport selection is important for many reasons, some are obvious but there are several considerations that are not so obvious. They include: operating hours, noise abatement procedures and curfews, navigation equipment (in relation to the aircraft) for published approaches and departures, prior permissions required PPR, adequate fire coverage/category, runway direction length and slope, pavement strengths, parking space availability and the prices related to all of these and more. Airports are generally selected on the basis of operational suitability in terms of handling-related services, but what if a maintenance related issue occurs? Is there an MRO or similar maintenance support provider at the airport approved to carry out maintenance and countersign the tech log? Will something as simple as a wheel change or hydraulic leak potentially delay your aircraft indefinitely? – These are important questions to be explored when choosing the best airport for your needs.
Handling Agent
Are their staff trained to look after your aircraft type? Have they the correct equipment? Will the steps reach the passenger door? If the purpose of the flight is to drop off or collect cargo, does the agent have the right equipment? (Pallet dollies 10 foot / 20 foot, Main Deck Loader, tail strut, etc.) Finally, when all of the big questions of concern are answered in relation to handling, are you satisfied you’re getting a fair deal financially?
Fuel Planning
It’s vital to know the conditions for optimum performance of your aircraft and to correctly apply these to a computer flight plan for dispatch purposes. Agree as much as possible in advance with the pilot in command on all fuel-related decisions in order to reduce the chances of wholesale changes to the fuel uplift requirements on the day of flight. Also, develop some policies on fuel tankering. For instance, when does tankering actually save you money? Or, is a fuel tankering decision taken to save time only on a technical landing when duty time limitations are a factor? Will the tankering of fuel affect take-off performance, breaking distance or limit payload allowances? When is a reclear flight plan a viable option? Are these decisions in line with your Ops Manual? Fuel the aircraft the day before the flight to reduce the risk of delivery delays and the negative impact on the schedule this can cause.
Route Planning
When it comes to optimum route planning, there are many questions to consider. Is the aircraft equipped for RVSM, MNPS, FANS airspace? Is the aircraft 8.33 radio equipped if operating in Europe? If the plane is twin engine is ETOPS a factor, are terrain avoidance and engine out drift down analysis required? Is the route of the flight over-flying countries that are politically unstable? Are there poor relations between the country being over-flown and the country of aircraft registry? Is the aircraft insured for the territories it will transit? Has the ATC route been validated as acceptable to all ATC centres and FIR’s on route?
International Ops
Over-flight permit requests generally require significant prior notice. Time frames can vary between countries but allowing at least two full working days prior notice is good practice. Landing permits usually take two or three working days to process and approve. In both cases, many CAA’s request additional documentation for the aircraft. At a minimum, expect that they will review the aircraft’s airworthiness, registration and insurance certificates. Landing permits may also require a review of an operator’s AOC to confirm the flight category. Some authorities also routinely request copies of pilot licences, training and medical records, the meeting party, local sponsor details and consignee/consignor details.
Domestic Ops
Many countries (including China, Taiwan, Indonesia, India and several European countries like Germany and France) are very sensitive in approving domestic operations for foreign registered aircraft, especially those operating under a commercial category. They are often seen as contravening cabotage rules in relation to the definitions of the ICAO issued 8th and 9th Freedoms of the Air. Even fuel stops or technical landings, layovers for legal and safety-related crew duty rest periods can be met with strong resistance.
Need some assistance with your critical planning needs? Contact dxb@uas.aero
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Mitch Launius
Instructor Pilot for 30 West IP
Mitch is the CEO of 30 West IP where he is also an instructor providing pilot training on international procedures. With an illustrious career of over 34 years in the cockpit, Mitch has acquired over 13,000 hours of flight time flying worldwide, with over 9,000 hours of this in Challenger and Gulfstream aircraft. He is an experienced safety officer and was also an IS-BAO project manager for a fortune 500 flight department. He has presented on Safety and Operations topics at the NBAA International Operators Conference and the Canadian Business Aviation Association Convention and is currently on the NBAA International Operators Committee and serves as the North Atlantic Regional Lead. Mitch is also a member of an FAA working group on General Aviation International Authorizations and Tabletop Exercises (GIATE). He was recently selected to represent IBAC as a member of the ICAO Personal Training and Licensing Panel (PTLP) and was also recently named as a 2020 recipient of the NBAA Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award for his contribution to the business aviation community.
Henry ‘Duke’ LeDuc
Director Of Operations, Americas, UAS International Trip Support
Duke has been a dearly respected member of UAS Americas team and the UAS global family for more than five years. A safety-oriented, FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he oversees all of the operations of the elite UAS Operations Team. With twenty-five years of experience in aviation overall with more than fifteen years of experience in international flight planning and VVIP trip coordination, he is responsible for the development of the dispatch training program and involved in the strategic development of UAS Americas. With a myriad of rich aviation experience behind him, he has extensive experience in worldwide operations with both corporate and charter environments, including seven years as Operations/Dispatch Manager in an industry-leading, Fortune 500, IS-BAO Stage III Certified corporate flight department. Duke is frequently asked shares his knowledge at major industry events and is currently serving on the NBAA’s International Operators Conference (IOC) Planning Committee.
Dudley King
President and Founder, FlightBridge
Dudley is the Founder and President of FlightBridge, which he established in 2011 and has been focused on technology solutions for the private aviation industry since 2006. Since he graduated from Dartmouth in 1988, he has worked with an array of companies listed anywhere from VentureWire to the Fortune 100. A rare blend of executive, entrepreneur, and consultant, Dudley’s executive roles have included acting CIO positions for several companies and tech advisory services to CEOs trying to rebuild their technology organizations or looking for an external, professional point of view. Highly skilled at deeply understanding his customer’s business challenges and drawing from a long and varied experience in information technology services, Dudley excels at designing technology solutions to solve their problems.
Dr. Paulo Alves
Global Medical Director, Aviation Health, Medaire
Paulo has extensive experience in medical advisory in the aviation industry. As a cardiologist, he provides technical guidance and analysis for MedAire’s MedLink medical advisory service and is MedAire’s liaison with civil aviation regulators and industry associations. Paulo worked with Varig Brazilian Airlines for 23 years, 10 of which were spent as General Medical Manager. A member of the MedAire Medical Advisory Board, Paulo is also President of the Ibero-American Aerospace Medical Association, a member of the International Academy of Aerospace Medicine, a member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Safety Committee, a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), and a Fellow of the Civil Aviation Medical Association. Throughout his illustrious career, Paulo has held industry leadership roles including Chairperson of the AsMA’s Air Transport Medicine Committee, President of the Airlines Medical Directors Association, President of the Brazilian Society of Aerospace Medicine and was a member of the IATA Medical Advisory Group from 2002 to 2006.
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