Crew, Logs and Records — Page 102, Lesson 166

I want to walk you through the start of the chapter on Crew, Logs and Records. This is the beginning of a new topic, so let's build it from the ground up. We begin with Route and Aerodrome Qualification for Commander or PF. PF stands for Pilot Flying — that's the pilot who is actually handling the controls during a given phase of flight. Before an operator can assign a pilot to duty as Commander or as PF, the operator must first ensure that pilot has obtained adequate knowledge of the route to be flown and of the aerodromes — including alternates — and of the facilities and procedures to be used. So this isn't just about knowing the airport; it's about knowing the whole route, the alternate aerodromes you might divert to, and the specific facilities and procedures at each. Now, this qualification has a defined period of validity. The competence lasts for 12 months, plus the remainder of the month of qualification, or plus the remainder of the month of the latest operation on that route or to that aerodrome. Let me unpack that: if you qualify on a route on the 15th of March, your 12-month clock starts, but you also get the rest of March counted in your favour. Similarly, if you last flew that route on the 10th of June, you get the rest of June plus the next 12 months. The method of revalidating this qualification is straightforward — you must operate the route, or fly to that aerodrome, within that period of validity. And there's a critical additional rule: the 3-month rule also applies. That means if you haven't operated that route or aerodrome within the last 3 months, you may need additional recency or refresher training before you can act as Commander or PF on it again. Next, we move to Operations on More Than One Type or Variant. Flight crew members are only permitted to operate more than one type or variant if they are competent to do so. The operator must make a decision to allow this, and when they do, they must consider and justify the use, taking account of three specific factors: the level of technology, the operational procedures, and the handling characteristics. So if two aircraft types are very different in technology, procedures, or how they handle, the operator has to justify why it's safe for a pilot to fly both. Furthermore, when more than one type or variant is to be used, the Operations Manual — the OM — must include four specific items. First, details of the minimum experience level of flight crew. Second, the minimum experience level on one type or variant before beginning training for another type or variant — so you can't start training on a second type until you've reached a certain level on the first. Third, the training process to be employed. And fourth, the applicable recent experience requirements for each type or variant. Now, there's a separate rule for Operation of Aeroplanes and Helicopters. If a flight crew member operates both aeroplanes and helicopters, the operator must ensure that the helicopters and aeroplanes flown are limited to one type of each. So you can fly one type of aeroplane and one type of helicopter, but not multiple types of each. The operator is also required to detail the appropriate procedures and/or operational restrictions — as approved by the Authority — in the Operations Manual. We then move to Training Records. The operator is required to maintain records of all training — that means all courses — all checking, and all qualifications undertaken by a flight crew member. And the operator must make all such course records available, on request, to each flight crew member. So you as a pilot have the right to see your own training records. Finally, we have the definition of Cabin Crew. A cabin crew member is a person who is assigned by the operator to undertake tasks in the cabin. They shall be identifiable by virtue of an operator's cabin crew uniform to passengers as a cabin crew member. So the uniform is the key identifier. The excerpt also references the EU-OPS definition: a cabin crew member is a crew member, other than a flight crew member, who performs, in the interest of safety of passengers, duties assigned by the operator or the Commander of the aeroplane. So their primary role is safety-related, not service-related, even though they may serve passengers. Let me show you the relevant diagrams that support this material. First, we have a figure showing the retention of flight preparation documentation. Next, a figure on flight crew records. And finally, a figure on records for other operations personnel. These will help you visualise how these records and qualifications are tracked and retained.