EU-OPS General Requirements — Page 20, Lesson 28

I want to walk you through the EU-OPS General Requirements that govern commercial air transport operations. This is the regulatory backbone that every professional pilot must know, and we're starting with the fundamental rules about who's in charge and what must be carried on board. Let's begin with the Authority of the Commander. This is a critical legal concept. The Commander — that's you, the Captain — is the representative of the State of Registration or the State of the Operator. This authority starts from the moment you enter the aeroplane and continues until you leave it. What does that mean in practice? From the time you step through that aircraft door until you step off at the end of the duty day, you are the direct representative of the regulatory authority and the airline. The Operator — the airline — is required to take all reasonable measures to ensure that every person on board obeys your lawful commands, but only those commands given for the purpose of securing the safety of the aeroplane and everyone on it. So your authority is not unlimited — it's specifically tied to safety. Now, Admission to the Flight Deck. Only three categories of personnel are permitted to enter the flight deck. First, the Operating Crew — that's you and your fellow pilots who are actually working that flight. Second, a representative of the Authority — that means an inspector from the civil aviation authority, like the CAA or EASA, when they're performing official duties. Third, persons permitted to do so in accordance with instructions in the OM — the Operations Manual. The OM is the airline's own detailed procedures manual. There's a very important note here: the final decision concerning admittance to the flight deck rests with the Commander. Even if someone falls into one of those categories, you have the ultimate say. Next, Unauthorized Carriage. The Operator must ensure that no person hides themselves — these are called stowaways — and that no cargo is hidden on board an aeroplane. This is a security and safety requirement. Portable Electronic Devices — PEDs. The Operator must take all reasonable measures to prevent the use of any portable electronic device on board that could adversely affect the performance of the aeroplane's systems and equipment. This is why we have the standard briefing about switching off mobile phones and other devices during critical phases of flight. Drugs and Alcohol. Where the safety of the aeroplane or persons on board would be affected, the Operator must ensure that no person is permitted to enter an aeroplane if it is obvious that the person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Notice the wording — "obvious" — this sets a threshold. If it's apparent to a reasonable observer, that person is not getting on board. Endangering Safety. The Operator must take all reasonable measures to ensure that no person acts negligently or in a manner that endangers the aeroplane or persons aboard, or causes an aeroplane to endanger any person or property. This is a broad catch-all provision. Finally, Documents to Be Carried. On every flight, the following documents must be on board. The Certificate of Registration — the original document. The Certificate of Airworthiness — again, the original. The Noise Certificate — also the original. And the Air Operators Certificate — for this one, a copy will suffice. The AOC is the document that authorises the airline to conduct commercial air transport operations. So you need the originals of the registration, airworthiness, and noise certificates, but a copy of the AOC is acceptable. That covers the core EU-OPS general requirements for command authority, flight deck access, prohibited items, and mandatory documents.