Air Legislation - Assignment Example

 Question 1 A The aircraft technical log is one of the principal sources that is used to store both technical and operational data on each trip or flight that take place on an aircraft. This document is specific to every aircraft and it must be carried on board in an aircraft when it is flying. The technical log book is developed in accordance with the aviation authority regulations which are applicable and the nature of the customer’s operation. The information that is required in a technical log includes defects and malfunctions in the aircraft, fuel consumption rate and the block times. All the maintenance procedures that have been done in between the scheduled base maintenance on the aircraft are also recorded. The main purpose of a technical log is to communicate the condition of the aircraft to maintenance personnel and the operators. The maintenance experts look at the technical log sheet to determine whether there were any reported defects on the aircraft. It also alerts everyone that comes afterwards whether the defect on the aircraft was real or it was imagined or suspected (Giemulla and Weber 2011). Additionally, it may be used to update the engine and the airframe logbooks. A technical log book is not of great importance in the context where the aircraft is private and it is flown only by its owner. In this case its use may be very limited because it is only the owner that is responsible for its maintenance and does not need to alert anyone else about its condition. The aircrafts’ technical log is signed and certified by various number of persons involved. Firstly, before an aircraft departs, the captain will sign it and give a duplicate copy to the flight engineer who takes it to the permanent records. In the case of an aircraft crash, there will be a copy of it that exists. For small aircrafts such as helicopters, the pilot is allowed to write down all happenings in a notebook and then transfer them to the log later. An inspector is the one who takes over the overall charge of the technical logs. B Prior to the technological developments, the technical log data was recorded using a process which was paper based. However, the various developments in technology have come up with an exclusive regulatory appropriate electronic method that is used for collecting the technical log data. This data may be recorded either manually or electronically (Giemulla and Weber 2011). A table is drawn with different fields and the following formation is listed accordingly. The maintenance records, alterations, progressive and other approved inspections, the total time in service for the aircraft, current status of the life-limited parts, and the time since the last required overhauls were made. The records are kept by the owner or the operator who retains all the maintenance records for a period of up to one year after work is performed or until the work is repeated. After one year, some maintenance records need not to be retained. In most times, this relates to repairs and replacement of some spare parts that do not stay for long in an aircraft. However, most records must be retained and moved with the aircraft when it is sold. The owner or operator of the aircraft keeps all the records that contain the up to date status of the appropriate airworthiness directives which include the method of compliance, the airworthiness directive number, and the date of revision. If a recurring action is required, the time and date for the next action must be specified. C An aircraft maintenance schedule comprises a program of some scheduled maintenance tasks that have some documented organization procedures that define how the planned maintenance will be managed. The scheduled tasks are established from TCH/STCH/OEM program references. Each aircraft needs an individual task growth as each aircraft’s servicing history is different e.g. modifications, corrosion or general repairs. The maintenance schedule is mainly created by the manufacturer of the aircraft. The manufacturer lists all the maintenance work that should be performed on the craft and the time when it should be done (Belobaba 2009). In fact, it is the maintenance document that you will be first when you purchase an aircraft. Some maintenance tasks may be required while other tasks are recommended. The operator of the aircraft uses the plan given, while adhering to maintenance laws or a new rolling maintenance plan can be submitted to their respective National Aviation Authority for approval. The types of maintenance checks range from the rolling inspection which is performed so that all the required and important things are checked at proper time intervals but not all simultaneously. The maintenance tasks that have been scheduled are regularly transcribed on to the task cards. The task cards are put into use by the maintenance supplier who is responsible for maintenance at the point of delivery (Pelton and Jakhu 2010). Now we list the most common types of maintenance checks. i. A Check. This is implemented after every 500 to 800 flight hours or after 400 cycles. This check needs at least 20 to 50 man hours and is carried out at an airport gate. The real occurrence of this check differs by the type of aircraft, the cycle count and the exact number of hours that have been flown since the previous check. The occurrence can at times be delayed by the carrier if and only if some prearranged conditions are realized. ii. B Check. This check is performed after approximately 4 to 6 months. The procedure needs up to 150 man hours and it is performed in a span of 1 to 3 days at an airport barn. A comparable occurrence schedule that is similar to the A Check is applied. In other words, B Checks are integrated into successive A Checks. iii. C Check. Performed after every two years or as per specific count of flight hours as outlined by the manufacturer. This maintenance procedure is expensive as compared to the B Check simply because it requires a large number of the components of the aircraft to be inspected. This procedure puts the aircraft out of work for some time and should not live the maintenance site until the check is complete. Additionally, it needs more space as compared to the A and B checks. The minimum time required to complete such a task is approximately 1 to 2 weeks and the effort that is put there in can take up to 6000 man hours. This maintenance schedule also varies depending on the type of aircraft being investigated. iv. D Check. This is the most commanding, comprehensive, and demanding check that can be performed on an aircraft. It is also referred to as Heavy maintenance Visit. This check is carried out exclusively after every five years. This check entails the inspection of every component and thus it requires an overhaul of the entire parts of an aero plane. Even the paint may be removed so that the metal skin can undergo further inspection. That check can command up to 50,000 man hours and takes approximately two months to complete. This depends on the type of aircraft together with the number of technicians that are involved in that process (Pelton and Jakhu 2010). The check also requires a lot of space and it must be carried out in a place with the best conditions. From the prominent requirements that are needed in the process and the remarkable effort that is involved in the process, it is the most costly maintenance check, with a single visit costing in millions of dollars. To have a D Check performed on an aircraft, airlines must plan earlier for their aircrafts. An average commercial aircraft will have to undergo up to 3 D Checks before it is retired. An aircraft’s flying hours refers to the number of hours that it has flown usually measured from the time the engine starts to the moment that it stops while a flight cycle is a flight from the time the aircraft takes off to the time it lands. The technique of tracking hours and cycles used to be a manual effort that was accomplished on a daily basis. Currently most companies are making use of computer based systems in receiving inputs from the operation desks at any given airport and the input that comes directly from the airplane (Kane 2003). In addition to that, many operators make use of the manual system in the recording of the flight hours or cycles and then distribute copies of the same to the relevant departments. Work packs have been established in order to allow the operators who have repetitive maintenance tasks to control these tasks in a better way by grouping the tasks into work packages. It is only the packages that are forecast relatively than every individual task. The tasks can be defined by the type of the aircraft and then regrouped together, arranged, signed off and finally generating some history of the accomplishment. Some features have to be there in order to determine routine tasks together with the connected details such as the required parts, the man hours, task procedures, distinctive instructions, the checking period and frequency, and the access panels. The planner can arrange these tasks into required packages. The aircraft maintenance job cards are a piece of paper that contains a description of a task that is to be carried at any particular time on an aircraft. It has a description on how the task should be done, where it should be done, the person to do it and the station. These job cards ensure that the aircraft is maintained according to schedule. The aircraft maintenance records are a list of documents that keep the history of the work that is carried out on an aircraft during its maintenance program. This maintenance records must include the following: i. A description of the work that has been performed on the aircraft, ii. The date of accomplishment of the work executed, iii. The signature and number of the certificate of the person who is approving the aircraft so that it may return to service. iv. The total amount of time that the airframe, the engine, the propeller and the rotor have been in service. v. The present status of the life-limited parts of each engine, rotor, airframe, and appliances. vi. The total amount of time since the last overhaul the items that have been installed on the aircraft which required to be replaced on a stated time basis. vii. The present inspection status of the aircraft, which includes the time elapsed since the last inspection. D Service bulletin is a document that is sent to the aircraft owner from the manufacturer. It contains a special recommendation from the manufacturer with which the owner of the aircraft must comply with. It also reflects issues such as flight safety, an issue which the manufacturer believes should be addressed to the aircraft owner in good time. This may address some improvement that has been developed by the manufacturer or a defect that the manufacturer has determined and would like the aircraft owner to know. Manufacturers of aircrafts approve service bulletins because they are the ones who respond to various conditions on the aircraft by issuing this document that recommends a specific inspection, performing some maintenance or replacing certain components. At times the compliance to service bulletins by the occurrences of certain events. In addition to that, the service bulletin is mandatory to every aircraft owners or operators as it is very useful in case of any event or incident. E Airworthiness directives are the legally enforced guidelines that have been issued by the FAA in agreement with 14 CFR part 39 for the purpose of correcting any unsafe condition in a product. A product is defined as a propeller, aircraft, engine or appliance. If any certified aircraft has got an outstanding AD that have not been fulfilled, then this particular aircraft is not considered to be airworthy. As a result, it is mandatory for any operator of an aircraft to comply with the Airworthiness Directive. The purpose of the Airworthiness Directive is to aid in the results of an aircraft accident during investigations. The aircraft manufacturer and the respective country’s civil aviation authority, issue the Airworthiness Directive. In detail the Airworthiness Directive notifies the aircraft owners the following; i. The aircraft may have a dangerous condition. ii. The aircraft may not have conformed to its basis of certification or the situations that may affect the crafts airworthiness. iii. That there exists some compulsory actions that should be carried out so as to ensure a sustained safe operation. iv. That with cases of urgency, the aircraft should not be flown till corrective measures have been put in in place and implemented. In most jurisdictions, Airworthiness directives are mandatory and they contain the dates and the flying hours of the aircraft by which agreement must be completed. F The certificate of airworthiness is a document issued by the national civil aviation authority to an aircraft in the state where the aircraft was registered. This certificate’s main purpose is to attest that the aircraft is airworthy and that it conforms to its particular type of design. This certificates are issued in different categories (Kane 2003). For example in the USA, Canada and Australia the certificates may be classified as either special or standard airworthiness certificate. The validity of a standard airworthiness certificate is maintained as long as the specified aircraft meets its approved type and design as well as the condition of its safe operation. In the United States, this certificate remains worthy as it provides maintenance, and alterations that may be carried out in line with the significant requirements. Standard airworthiness certificate will cease to be valid if the aircraft is not registered anymore. A change in the ownership of an aircraft does not need a re-issuance of an airworthiness certificate. With respect to keeping the certificate, the certificate must be carried on board the craft when it ids flying and it should be presented at any aviation authority upon request by any representatives. Question 2 A An appropriate quality system in the aviation industry mainly comprises a group of policies, developments, and procedures that are needed for the preparation and the execution of some safe and well-organized air operations. This system incorporates the different types of internal processes and it facilitates the organization to categorize, measure, improve, and control the success and safety of all of its activities (Wensveen and Wells 2007). The quality system requires that; i. The operator establish and designate a quality manager to monitor the compliance and the adequacy of all the procedures that are needed to ensure efficient operational practices. ii. It is described in some relevant documentation. B A part 21 company adopts the common technical requirements as well as some administrative guidelines that should be followed in order to ensure that the airworthiness and the environmental compatibility of all the aircraft products and parts are realized. All the requirements and procedures should must specify all the conditions to issue, maintain or revoke some certificates. The organizations that take part in the design and manufacture of products have to comply with specified technical requirements so that their capabilities can be demonstrated. Part 21 company structure includes Avionics, electrical systems, cabin interiors, and some galleys. C The light aircraft maintenance schedule is a program for maintaining relatively light aircrafts. This schedule performs the following functions. i. Annual inspection which includes cleaning the aircraft’s engine, running the engine to check for any static RPM, and to remove all the inspection plates and access doors. ii. Engine compartment to check for any evidence of oil or fuel leaks and then clean the entire engine compartment. iii. Checking the propeller assembly for any cracks, nicks and oil leakage. iv. Observing the fuel system for fuel vents and vent valves. D For a large transport aircraft, the following logbooks are required. i. Type certificate data sheet ii. Export certificate of airworthiness iii. Material flammability certification iv. Interior arrangement and emergency equipment list v. Summary of aircraft time in service vi. Airworthiness directives status vii. Service bulletin status viii. Structural inspection items status ix. Landing gear overhaul data and the life limited parts A Sample of Typical Logbook entry. E The purpose of an MOR is to report and give a description of any incidents or accidents that may occur on an aircraft. The obligation to report is personal and mandatory. How the MOR is implemented. Both you and other peoples’ contributions are very in improving the aviation safety. All the filed report are subjected to confidentiality and are not made available to the media. The reported occurrences are made anonymous and are usually filed in database, where they are eventually included in a number of statistics that are used to improve the aviation safety. Question 3 A Commercial air transportation refers to an aircraft operation whereby the transportation of passengers, freight, and mail is done by means of air transport. The purpose of commercial air transportation is to ferry goods, passengers and other important commodities from one place to another usually in a short period of time. Commercial air transport has been used in ferrying of goods such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers that are highly perishable (Wensveen and Wells 2007). The structure of commercial air transportation is in line with a particular countries aviation authority, which gives licenses to various commercial airlines so that they can operate. The JAR OPS subpart M organization functions is to govern the airworthiness and control the release of commercial aircrafts. It specifically necessitates that an EASA part 145 repair station carries out the job and releases the aircraft. Specifically; i. An operator will not control an aircraft unless it has been released to the service by an approved organization. ii. The aeroplane unremitting airworthiness requirements need to conform to the operators’ certification necessities. B The requirements of an AOC vary from one country to another, but they can be generalized as below. i. Adequate personnel who have the required experience that correspond to the type of operations that have been requested. ii. Systems that are acceptable for the training of the crew iii. A favorable and quality system that will ensure all required regulations are followed. iv. A proof that the operator has got adequate finances for funding the operation. C The EASA permit to fly is given out when the certificate of airworthiness is invalid temporarily due to damage, or when the certificate cannot be issued when an aircraft does not conform to the important necessities for airworthiness or when the compliance with such retirements has not yet been displayed. An agency may approve flight conditions in instances that are related to safety which are defined as below. i. Failure of an aircraft to conform to the approved design. ii. A limitation from the airworthiness as a result of a directive that has not been complied with. iii. All the intended flights are found outside the envelope which has been approved. Reference List GIEMULLA, E. M., & WEBER, L. (2011). International and EU aviation law: selected issues. Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands, Kluwer Law International. PELTON, J. N., & JAKHU, R. (2010). Space safety regulations and standards. Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann. WENSVEEN, J. G., & WELLS, A. T. (2007). Air transportation: a management perspective. Aldershot, England, Ashgate. BELOBABA, P., ODONI, A., & BARNHART, C. (2009). The Global Airline Industry. Chichester, John Wiley & Sons KANE, R. M. (2003). Air transportation. 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