General Aviation Operations - All Aircraft

Objective:

This chapter identifies operational policy and procedure for all aircraft operations conducted by and/or for the Division of Forestry.

1. Flight Plans:

Flight plans are required for all flights except;

• Those conducted within a 25-mile radius of the base of operations, which involve local flight training.
• Flight evaluations and maintenance test flights.

These exempt flights must be able to maintain continuous radio contact with the base of operations.

• IFR Flight Plans shall be filled with the FAA.
• VFR Flight Plans shall be filled through DOF dispatch or interagency dispatch office. During periods of the year when either DOF or Interagency Flight Following is not available (late fall, winter, early spring) than a flight plan should be filed with the FAA.

Pilots or DOF Helicopter Managers shall be responsible for providing the following information to dispatch prior to departure (excluding tactical operation).

Aircraft Identification (N # or Call Sign)
Type Aircraft
Departure Location
Destination
Route of Flight
Estimated Time En route
Hours of Fuel On Board
Name & Number of Soles On Board
Pilots Name

Dispatch personnel shall list flight plan information on the DOF Aircraft Request Form (ARF).

2. Flight Following Policy:

Flight following is required for all flights. The pilot and scheduling dispatcher will concur on the appropriate flight following method. Agency flight following shall be the standard when available.

3. Flight Following Procedure:

a. Agency Flight Following:

Agency flight following requires radio check-in with pre-established check in times (every 30 minutes for mission flights): This flight plan must be capable of maintaining radio contact with an agency (DOF, AFS, USFS) dispatch center at intervals specified in the flight plan, every 30 minutes unless otherwise predetermined. This system relies on state and federal agency repeater systems, available agency personnel and an operational teletype system.

Flight following information is relayed via TTY, or by phone if necessary, for both point-to-point and mission flights. Initial departure information, position reports, and arrival information is addressed to the sending, en route and receiving units (dispatch offices). Examples of flight following messages on the TTY are:

Aircraft calls airborne: When N901AK radios in that he is air born the dispatcher enter the following information into the TTY:

AICC AC/NRS/FAF
N901AK OFF PAQ w/ 2 SOB, 4+0 FOB, 1+10 ETE FBK
SCS MAW 1200

First 30 minute check in: When N901AK radios in his position, the dispatcher talking with the aircraft enters the following information into the TTY:

AICC AC/NRS/FAF
N901AK REPORTS 6230 X 14902 W/ 40 ETE FBK
SCS TB 1230

Second 30 minute check in: When N901AK radios in his position, the dispatcher talking with the aircraft enters the following information into the TTY:

SCS/NRS/AICC AC
NN901AK REPORTS +10 ETE FBK / REQUESTING FUEL
FAF KT 1300

On the ground: When N901AK radios in that he has arrived at FBK the dispatcher talking with the aircraft enters the following information into the TTY.

SCS/FAF/NRS
N901AK ON FBK
FLT OPS SN 1310

b. FAA VFR Flight Following:

When Agency Flight Following is not available VFR flight plans shall be filed with an appropriate FAA facility. DOF requires that a radio check-in every 60 minutes or less is made to an FAA facility (i.e., an ARTCC or FSS). FAA Flight Service will provide relay position reports on a workload-permitting basis to Area and Region dispatch office provided they are given a toll free number and person to contact when the flight plan is filed. Pilots shall update DOF/Agency dispatch of flight progress when possible.

c. IFR FAA Flight Plans:

IFR flight plans shall be filed with an appropriate FAA facility. An FAA Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan is required when flying into known or forecasted Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). An IFR flight plan may be filed at pilot discretion in other cases. Pilots shall update DOF/Agency dispatch of flight progress when possible.

4. Flight Locating:

When aircraft become overdue on their flight plan the dispatchers responsible for flight following the aircraft shall initiate flight-locating procedures.

See: Aviation Incident / Accident Response Guide

5. Aircraft Accident or Missing Aircraft:

When aircraft are involved in an accident or are missing the dispatchers responsible for flight following the aircraft shall initiate aircraft accident or missing aircraft emergency procedures.

See: Aviation Incident / Accident Response Guide

6. NTSB Notification of Aircraft Accident:

The Division shall adhere to the requirements of NTSB 830 for all aircraft accidents and incidents. The NTSB shall be notified immediately following an aircraft accident.

See: Aviation Incident / Accident Response Guide

7. Aviation Hazard or Mishap Reporting (Safecom):

Safecom reports should be used to report any condition, observance, act, maintenance problem, or circumstances, which has potential to cause an aviation related mishap.

8. Pilot (Flight Crew) Flight & Duty Time Limitations:

a. Reporting Flight Time.

Crew duty and flight time shall be reported to local dispatch by each flight crewmember and used to administer flight time and duty time limitations. Flight time to and from a duty station as a flight crewmember (commuting) shall be reported and counted toward limitations. Flight time includes:

• Military flight time
• Charter
• Flight instruction
• Flight reviews
• Flight examinations by FAA designees
• Any flight time for which flight crewmembers are compensated
• Any other flight time of a commercial nature

b. Flight crewmembers shall be limited to the following flight hour and duty hour limitations. Duty includes flight time, ground duty of any kind, and standby or alert status.

• All flight crewmembers shall have two 24-hour periods of rest (off duty) within any 14 consecutive calendar days. In the conterminous United States, these two 24-hour rest periods shall be two calendar days off duty.
• All flight crewmembers shall have a minimum of 10 consecutive hours of rest (off duty) not to include any pre-flight or post-flight activity prior to any assigned duty period.
• Time spent by a flight crewmember going to or from a duty assignment, and not local in character, shall not be considered part of a crew rest period.

 

c. Single-pilot crew, the following limitations apply in addition to (a.) & (b.), above.

• A maximum of 8 hours flight time during any assigned duty period.
• A maximum of 14 consecutive duty hours during any duty period.
• A maximum of 42 hours flight time during any consecutive six-day period. When a pilot acquires 36 or more flight hours in a consecutive six-day period, the pilot shall be given the following 24-hour period of rest (off duty) and a new six-day cycle shall begin. In the conterminous United States, this 24-hour rest period shall be one calendar day off duty.

d. Two-pilot crew (Pilot-in-Command [PIC]/Second-in-Command [SIC]), the following limitations apply in addition to (a), (b), above.

• A maximum of 10 hours flight time (8 hours for fire missions) during any assigned duty period.
• A maximum of 14 consecutive duty hours during any assigned duty period.
• A maximum of 50 hours flight time during any consecutive six-day period. When a pilot acquires 40 or more flight hours in a consecutive six-day period, the pilot shall be given the following 24-hour period of rest (off duty) and a new six-day cycle shall begin. In the conterminous United States, this 24-hour rest period shall be one calendar day off duty.

e. Flight and crew duty time on all airtanker operations shall be in accordance with the single-pilot requirements above.

f. Any time the pilot is engaged in mechanic duties will apply against the pilot's duty limitations. In addition, all time in excess of two (2) hours (not necessarily consecutive) will apply against the pilot's flight limitations.

9. Aviation Fuel & Aircraft Fueling:

Aviation fueling standards & procedures outlined in the DOF Aviation Fueling Handbook shall be the standard for all aviation fueling operations conducted by and for the DOF.

10. Helicopter Operations:

The Division of Forestry adopts the Interagency Helicopter Operations Guide (IHOG) as a guideline for all helicopter operations conducted by and for the DOF. The DOF may deviate from IHOG guidelines when necessary.

The DOF annually publishes an IHOG supplement specific to DOF operations. When policy conflicts between the IHOG and the 2009 DOF IHOG supplement exist the DOF IHOG Supplement shall be governing.

11. Aviation Transport of Hazardous Materials:

a. The Division of Forestry accepts and incorporates the Interagency Aviation Transport of Hazardous Materials Handbook as policy for all transportation of HAZMAT by air conducted by or for the DOF.

b. The PIC Hazmat Notification Form has been designed to meet the pilot notification requirements for HAZMAT transportation by air as defined in the Interagency Aviation Transport of Hazardous Materials Handbook and is required to be accurately completed and given to the PIC prior to aviation transport of HAZMAT.

12. Early Season Helicopter Proficiency Training

Each Area Office that is assigned a helicopter is required to conduct early season proficiency training with DOF helicopter crewmembers and pilot. Each Area will be funded for a maximum of two hours of helicopter flight time. It is up to each Area Office to develop training curricula that are applicable to their helicopter operations.

At a minimum the annual early season helicopter proficiency training will include the following subject areas.

a. Ground Training Contract & DOF Aviation PPMs Review Aircraft preflight inspection to be conducted with pilot Crew safety briefing Radio and GPS operations and use Load calculations for specific helicopter Bucket attachment procedures Sling load operations Fueling procedures Safety briefings

b. Flight Training Bucket drops to ensure accuracy and crew coordination Actual radio & GPS operations Evaluations of unimproved helispots Pilot & crew coordination Area familiarization for pilot Sling load and long line operations

c. Crash Fire Rescue Training Each Area Office is responsible for providing annual Fire Extinguisher Operation Training and Crash Fire Rescue Kit Familiarization Training to all personnel assigned HECM or Helibase/Helispot duties.

13. Aerial Supervision Requirements:

The Division of Forestry adopts the Interagency Aerial Supervision Guide (http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/nifc/aviation/aerial_supervision.Par.58629.File.dat/IASG.pdf) as policy. In addition to the requirements of IASG, low level aerial supervision (ASM or Lead) shall be ordered, via the interagency AICC/dispatch system, whenever an airtanker/retardant is ordered for a fire.