Professional Pilot, January 2019

ETOPS LROPS EDTO thresholds ETOPS certifications for business aircraft have slowly come to fruition over the years Even though Part 91 operators are exempt from ETOPS requirements by the FAA check with the host countrys regulations to ensure compliance with regulatory variations PROFESSIONAL PILOT January 2019 63 aircraft systems now dictate maximum distances from alternates In case of an onboard fire or rapid decompression can the aircraft limp its way to an alternate within a reasonable amount of time For example how long can a cargo compartment keep a fire extinguished in a worst case scenario The same is true with other time critical systems Can the Auxiliary Power Unit APU be started in flight with reasonable assurance and can it run required systems for the necessary time Does the alternate in mind have adequate fire protection services How will passengers be recovered especially in cases of extremely remote alternates Moreover of course what if an engine fails All of these are considerations for ETOPS authorization for aircraft with 2 engines as well as those with 3 or 4 engines In addition aircraft have to be able to keep in contact with dispatch and air traffic control during the flight Weather conditions at the ETOPS alternate must be monitored carefully as the aircraft approaches the ETOPS part of the flight until it is safely back closer to civilization ETOPS flights must designate ETOPS entry and exit points stretches of the route that require ETOPS rules to be applied If the weather at the ETOPS alternate falls below requirements the aircraft either must avoid going ETOPS or identify a different alternate Operators also must attempt to minimize time in the ETOPS zone if possible Requirements for ETOPS Initially the FAA required 250000 hours of in service experience for an aircraft fleet to qualify for ETOPS For 120 minute ETOPS a certificate holder would need to have 12 consecutive months of service use of the aircraft with a specific Airplane Engine Combination AEC For 180 minute ETOPS a certificate holder would need 12 consecutive months of experience with 120 minute ETOPS Eventually with so many air carriers and aircraft types safely operating under various levels of ETOPS the FAA authorized Accelerated ETOPS Operational Approval so that in service proving times were no longer required The majority of ETOPS operations these days are approved in this aforementioned manner For continued ETOPS authorization users are required to adopt special maintenance procedures and record keeping This includes the ETOPS Pre Departure Service Check PDSC which includes checking all of the required systems such as engine and APU oil quantities and consumption rates as well as any other reported issues System reliability monitoring is also required This includes tracking of In Flight Shut Downs IFSD of engines diversions for failures or malfunctions of ETOPS mandated systems components engine surges or uncommanded changes in thrust inability to control an engine fuel loss or imbalance and any other issue that may jeopardize safe aircraft recovery while operating under ETOPS Increased security for ETOPS Increased scrutiny specific to ETOPS also includes engine condition monitoring oil consumption monitoring and the implementation of APU inflight start and run reliability programs According to AC 120 42B the maximum IFSD rates engine hours ETOPS for 2 engine aircraft 05 1000 for up to 120 minutes 03 1000 beyond 120 minutes up to but not including 180 minutes or 207 minutes in the North Pacific and 02 1000 for greater than 180 minutes except for 207 minutes in the North Pacific What does all of this have to do with business aircraft Legally not much unless you are a Part 135 operator However practically it should turn some heads If the airlines are going to these lengths to stay safe when flying in remote areas why shouldnt all operators particularly those carrying passengers Initially business aircraft manufacturers sided with the philosophy of more engines are better particularly for long haul flights Thus the 4 engine Lockheed JetStar was introduced in 1957 McDonald Douglas 119 220 which looked like a mini DC 8 was prototyped around the same time It became glaringly evident that such designs were not practical Thus more practical options namely the 3 engine Falcon 50 came to market for longrange business trips Yet just as in the commercial aircraft world the push for twin engine long haul business aircraft was realized Flying with fewer engines Today there are grand distance performers available such as the Bombardier Global Express and the Gulfstream G650 Some business jets have ETOPS authorization from different agencies The Bombardier Global 5000 for example received JAR OPS 180 minutes ETOPS Hawker 800 900 series have FAA ETOPS for Part 135 operations