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Civil Aviation Act, 2009 (Act No. 13 of 2009)

Regulations

Civil Aviation Regulations, 2011

Part 127 : Commercial Helicopter Operations: Passengers Cargo and Mail

Subpart 2 : Flight Crew

Division One : Minimum Crew Requirements

127.02.1 Composition of flight crew

 

(1) The minimum number and composition of the flight crew of a helicopter shall not be less than the minimum number and composition specified in the helicopter flight manual (AFM) referred to in regulation 91.03.2.

 

(2) An operator shall allocate additional flight crew members when it is required by the type of operation, and the number of such additional flight crew members shall not be less than the number specified in the operations manual referred to in regulation 127.04.2.

 

(3) The operator shall not assign and no person shall act as a flight crew member on a helicopter type or variant unless the flight crew member meets the qualification requirements specified in regulation 127.02.7.

 

(4) The flight crew shall include at least one member who holds a valid radiotelephony operator licence or equivalent document issued by an appropriate authority, authorising such member to operate the type of radio transmitting equipment to be used.

 

(5) The flight crew shall include at least one member who is proficient in navigating over the route or within the area to be operated.

 

(6) The operator shall ensure that—
(a) in the case of operations under IFR or by night, when carrying passengers in a helicopter certified for the transport of more than nine passengers; or
(b) in the case of any operation, when more than 19 passengers are carried,

the minimum flight crew of such helicopter is two pilots.

 

(6) The operator shall ensure that the flight crew of a commercial air transport helicopter consists of two pilots—
(a) in the case of operations under IFR or by night when more than nine passengers are carried; or
(b) in the case of any operation when more than 19 passengers are carried.

 

(7) A helicopter, other than a helicopter referred to in subregulation (6), may be operated by a single pilot: Provided that the requirements referred to in Document SA-CATS 127 are complied with: Provided further that if the requirements referred to in Document SA-CATS 127 are not complied with, the minimum flight crew shall be two pilots.

 

(8) The operator shall designate one pilot among the flight crew as pilot-in-command and the pilot-in-command may delegate the conduct of the flight to another suitably qualified pilot.

 

(9) A flight crew member may be relieved in flight of his or her flight deck duties by another flight crew member qualified in accordance with regulation 127.02.7.

 

(10) An operator shall not assign flight crew members to any helicopter required to be operated with two flight crew members unless such flight crew meets the crew pairing requirements prescribed in document SA-CATS 127.

 

(11) The operator shall not assign a person, and no flight crew member may accept any assignment, to act as a flight crew member of any helicopter operated in terms of this Part unless such person meets the requirements prescribed in document SA-CATS 127.

 

(12) The operator shall publish procedures in its operations manual to ensure flight crew members who do not meet the requirements specified in subregulations (1) and (2) are not assigned to flight duty.