Professional Pilot, February 2019

EASA EFVS operations In 2016 EASA began a wide sweeping review and updating of their EFVS operating and compliance regulations to include HUDs EFVS Synthetic Vision Systems SVS and Combined Vision Systems CVS The current and proposed new operational regulations reside under section 4 called AMC3 SPA LVO 100 Low visibility operations In reference to operational credit paragraph F states approach operation utilising enhanced vision systems EVS for which an operational credit is applied to reduce the runway visual range RVR minimums by no more than one third of the published RVR A long title but it incorporates the EASA plan to provide a means to operate with EFVS closer to the means described by ICAO FAA Transport Canada and others Some of the key elements of the new EASA proposed regulation are that The DA H used should be the same as for operations without EFVS The lowest RVR minima to be used should be determined in accordance with criteria specified in the AFM for the expected weather conditions By reducing the RVR determined for operation without the use of EFVS CVS in accordance with Table A Table A shows equipment credit for EFVS in terms of reduced minimums With an EFVS equipped and approved operator on an approach with published minimums of 1800 ft RVR the operational credit could be as low as 1200 ft RVR In other words if the actual visibility was reported as the 1200 ft RVR as a Cat I 56 PROFESSIONAL PILOT February 2019 operator you could begin the approach with EFVS EASA is also addressing the EFVS landing regulations On its coming new EFVS operations the organization has outlined aspects similar to those in the FAAs FAR 91176 regarding use of EFVS to land There are 2 different EFVS operations 1 EFVS A approach which is equivalent to the type of most of the EFVS operations flying today the ability to fly the approach and transition to natural vision at 100 ft HAT and 2 EFVS L landing which is also mostly harmonized with the new FAA rule for landing An important change to highlight is the definitions as EASA has changed the old EVS to EFVS further aligning with the term used within the FAA regulatory system Another new area for international flight operations that is new here is CVS or the integration of SVS and EFVS into a single display first certified by Dassault in their FalconEye system Dassault also offers dual HUD installations for the Falcon 8X and 6X business jets providing the means to meet the copilot monitor requirement no matter whos flying And following suit last year Bombardier announced their movement to combined vision for the Global 7500 at Farnborough this summer as well The operational approval difference seems to boil down to an EFVS Letter of Authorization LoA for Europe that an operator will need to show compliance with equipment certification and crew training In the past the FAA was reluctant to add still another LoA for Part 91 operators along with the myriad of others such as RVSM Cat II and more but with the new EFVS regulation FAR 91176 and the need for a LoA for this capability in the US the path to European approvals may have already arrived Confused harmonization Are you confused Well join the club From the US perspective the FAA has been engaged with the JAA and EASA in reaching harmonized EFVS operations since the beginning in 2001 For US operators flying in Europe the FAA advises that you check Within the EFVS Operational Advisory Circular 90 106 Enhanced Flight Vision Systems Change 1 the FAA says U S and foreign regulations with respect to EFVS operations may differ EASA has recently introduced the idea of EFVS operations where no approval is needed called the EFVS 200 Operation EFVS 200 Operation is a new term by EASA and states that operators will be permitted to conduct certain EFVS operations without needing a specific approval SPA from the competent authority Such operations may be conducted only in Cat I or better meteorological conditions ie not LVOs and down to a height of 200 ft above the runway threshold the approach may only be continued below 200 ft if the pilots have natural visual reference In the meantime the FAA and OEMs in Europe and elsewhere continue to expand the scope of EFVS operations internationally AC 90 106A provides the process for Foreign operators with EFVS coming to the USA EASAs SPA LVO 100 provides a lot of details as well As a seasoned pilot friend points out you check all the rules of your home country USA FAA International ICAO rules and all sovereign states or countries that youre flying over But that can often be a very complex task Glenn Connor is president of Discover Technology Intl He is a pilot and a researcher specializing in the development of enhanced vision systems and advanced avionics Table A Operations utilizing EFVS CVS RVR CMV reduction RVR CMV m required without the use of EFVS RVR CMV m required with the use of EFVS 550 350 600 400 700 450 750 500 800 550 900 600 1000 600 through 2400 through 1600