Crew, Logs and Records — Page 106, Lesson 170

I want to walk you through the start of the chapter on Crew, Logs and Records. We're going to look at the specific training requirements for the Senior Cabin Crew Member, the rules on operating multiple aircraft types, and then the two key documents you'll deal with on every flight: the Journey Log and the Operational Flight Plan. Let's begin with the Senior Cabin Crew Member. This is the lead cabin crew member on a flight. The regulations require that this person receives specific training in several areas. First, they must be trained to give pre-flight cabin crew briefings — that's the briefing they deliver to the rest of the cabin crew before passengers board. Second, they need training in Crew Co-operation, which is about how the cabin crew works together as a team. Third, they must be trained on the operator's legal responsibilities — what the airline is legally required to do regarding cabin safety. Fourth, they need training in human factors and Crew Resource Management, or CRM, which covers how people interact, communicate, and make decisions under pressure. And fifth, they must be trained on accident and incident reporting — knowing how and when to report something that goes wrong. Finally, they need training on flight and duty time limitations — the rules that govern how long they can work and when they must rest. Now, let's move to the rules about operating on more than one type or variant of aeroplane. A cabin crew member is generally not permitted to operate on more than three aeroplane types. However, there is an exception: the Authority — that's the national aviation regulator — may approve operation of up to four types. But there's a condition: for at least two of those four types, the non-specific normal and emergency procedures must be the same, and the safety equipment and type-specific normal and emergency procedures must be similar. So the idea is that if you're going to fly four different types, at least two of them have to be very closely related in how you operate them and handle emergencies. The excerpt also clarifies what makes aeroplane variants different from each other for this rule. Variants are considered different if they have different emergency exit operation, different location and type of portable safety equipment, or different type-specific emergency procedures. So if two variants of the same basic aeroplane have different emergency exits, or the portable fire extinguishers and life rafts are in different places or are different types, or the emergency procedures for that specific variant are different, then they count as separate types for this rule. Now, let's look at the Journey Log. This is a document that the operator — the airline — must retain for each flight. It contains a specific set of information. Let me list them: the aeroplane registration, the date, the names of the crew members, each crew member's duty, the place of departure, the place of arrival, the time of departure which is called "off blocks" — that's when the aircraft pushes back or moves from the gate — and the time of arrival which is "on blocks" — when it arrives at the gate and the parking brakes are set. It also includes the flight hours, the nature of the flight — whether it's a scheduled passenger flight, a cargo flight, a ferry flight, and so on — any incidents or observations that occurred, and the commander's signature. Importantly, the journey log can be replaced if the relevant information is available in other documentation. So if another document already captures the same data, you don't need a separate journey log. And there are two critical rules about entries: all entries must be made concurrently — meaning at the time the event happens, not later from memory — and they must be permanent in nature, so you can't use pencil or anything erasable. Now let's move to the Operational Flight Plan, or OFP. This is a much more detailed document than the journey log. The operator must ensure that the OFP used, and the entries made during the flight, contain a long list of items. Let me go through them carefully. First, the registration of the aircraft, the type and variant, the date of the flight, and the flight identification — that's the flight number. Then the names of the flight crew members and their duties. The place of departure, the time of departure — and here we have two times: off blocks and take-off. The place of arrival, both planned and actual, and the time of arrival — again two times: actual landing and block time. The type of operation — this could be ETOPS, which is Extended-range Twin-engine Operations, VFR which is Visual Flight Rules, a ferry flight, and so on. Then we have the route and route segments with checkpoints or waypoints, distances, times, and tracks. The planned cruising speed and flying times between checkpoints or waypoints, along with estimate and actual times overhead. Safe altitudes and minimum levels. Planned altitudes and flight levels. Fuel calculations, including records of in-flight fuel checks. The fuel on board when starting engines. Alternate airports for the destination and, where applicable, for take-off and en route. The initial ATS flight plan clearance and any re-clearance. In-flight re-planning calculations. And relevant meteorological information. There's an important note: the items I just mentioned that are marked with an asterisk — that's the planned cruising speed and flying times, safe altitudes and minimum levels, planned altitudes and flight levels, and fuel calculations — these must also be included for diversion routes and alternate airfields if applicable. So if you divert, you need that same level of detail for the diversion. Just like the journey log, information that is readily available in other documentation from other sources, or that is irrelevant to the operation, may be omitted from the operational flight plan. And a description of the layout and use of the operational flight plan must be included in the Operations Manual, or OM. Again, all entries are made concurrently and are permanent in nature. Let me show you the diagrams that illustrate these records. shows the retention of flight prep documentation. shows flight crew records. And shows records for other operations personnel. These figures give you a visual reference for how these documents are structured and retained.