Operational Procedures — Page 35, Lesson 55

I want to walk you through the start of Chapter 4 in Operational Procedures. This chapter covers the rules and procedures that an operator — that is, the airline or company — must establish to run safe flight operations. First, under Establishment of Procedures, the operator is required to establish and define procedures for all ground and flight operations. These procedures relate specifically to the duties of ground staff and crew members, and they must be specific to each type of aeroplane used in the operation. So, a different set of procedures for a Boeing 737 versus an Airbus A320, for example. Next, checklists are to be formulated and used by crew members for all phases of the operation of the aeroplane. That means checklists aren't just for the cockpit — they cover every phase under normal, abnormal, and emergency conditions. These checklists must be applicable to OM Part B — that's the Operations Manual, Part B, which contains the detailed procedures. The idea is that the checklists ensure the procedures detailed in Part B are actually followed. The aircraft manufacturer's checklists, which are contained in the AFM — the Aeroplane Flight Manual — will be the basis for the company-specific checklists. So the operator starts with the manufacturer's official checklists and builds their own from there. The operator is also required to ensure that no procedures other than those required for the safe operation of the aeroplane are required during critical phases of the flight. In other words, during take-off, landing, and other high-workload phases, the crew should only be asked to do what is necessary for safety — no extra administrative tasks. Now let's move to Use of Air Traffic Control. Whenever an ATC service is available — and it will always be available in controlled airspace (CAS) and at controlled aerodromes — an ATC service is to be requested, and the ATC instructions must be complied with. Inevitably, this will require the filing of an IFR flight plan (FPL) in classes A, C, D, and E airspace, or a VFR/IFR FPL in class B airspace. Let me break that down: IFR means Instrument Flight Rules, VFR means Visual Flight Rules. The key point here is that all commercial operations will take place inside CAS — controlled airspace. As a controlled flight inside CAS, ATC will apply the required separation standards to all flights, thus maximizing safety. Next, Authorization and Selection of Aerodromes by the Operator. Only authorized aerodromes are to be used as destinations or destination alternates. A destination alternate is an alternate airport you can divert to if you can't land at your planned destination. All the aerodromes used for flight operations in the context of the operation are to be approved by the operator. Such consideration must take into account the types of aeroplane used and the nature of the operation concerned. So, a small turboprop might be approved for a short gravel strip, but a large jet would not be. Finally, the excerpt begins to introduce Take-off Alternate, but it cuts off there. A take-off alternate is an alternate aerodrome that is available for you to return to or divert to shortly after take-off, in case you need to land soon after departure. We'll cover that in more detail when the text continues. Let me show you the first figure that goes with this section. That figure illustrates the concept of destination alternates. And here is the second figure. That one continues the discussion on operator requirements for aerodrome selection.