Professional Pilot, May 2018

Bizav flights to and within Europe have improved O ver recent years the European operating environment has become more user friendly in certain respects while being more challenging in others Compared to just a couple of years ago there are more direct routing options charter trips have become easier to organize ground handling quality has improved at many smaller and more out of the way locales and airports throughout the EU have become more accommodating to GA The EU operating environment has become easier today in a number of ways says ITPS Ops Mgr Ben Fuller Airport slots access and support services at most locations all seem to be getting better Ground handlers have been adding staff efficiency seems to steadily improve and ground support providers are investing in augmented capabilities However there are still many saturated locations in this region with access and parking issues particularly during high season and special event periods Rules and regs have tightened The regulatory environment however does continue to tighten There are access issues to consider at many 68 PROFESSIONAL PILOT May 2018 popular destinations and applicable EU and EASA mandates are being strictly enforced Operators must understand all relevant Eurocontrol EASA Customs NOTAM and local requirements to ensure a trip goes smoothly concur international support providers ISPs Europe can be a challenging operating environment remarks UAS Regional Ops Mgr Duke LeDuc Youll need to consider airway and airport slots liability insurance must include specific verbiage and defined coverages Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft SAFA checks are on the increase cabotage issues have not gone away labor strikes are common in summer and there are various EASA mandates youll need to be in full compliance with Avfuel Account Specialist David Kang points out that while the EU has become more challenging from a regulatory perspective its become easier in terms of operations Regulatory compliance can be somewhat challenging But once you get past this routine day to day operations are simpler than even just a couple of years ago explains Kang There are however certain EASA equipment mandates to comply with and EU authorities are strict in terms of operators having paper copies of all manuals support documentation and insurance policies You may have electronic data for onboard crew use but inspectors will not be nice or gracious with you if you dont have printed backup copies somewhere onboard Regulatory compliance Operators to the EU must be in compliance with all EASA directives including 833 KHz radio channel spacing TCAS 71 and Mode S transponder mandates As of Jan 4 2018 833 KHz channel spacing was expanded to cover core EU airspace below FL195 and in the future this may encompass the entire EU Since 2004 the EU has mandated specific insurance requirements with liability coverage denoted in Special Drawing Rights SDR and based on MTOW By 2020 ADS B compliance mandates kick in For newer aircraft equipment mandates are not an issue but these regs can make things challenging for operators of older aircraft says Jeppesen Regulatory Compliance Specialist Kyle Sleeper SAFA checks meanwhile are on the increase across Europe Pop up SAFA checks can involve 30 minutes to 2 hours but are not usually an issue for those whove planned ahead and have all documentation ready INTERNATIONAL OPS New rules are tight and ground services are expensive By Grant McLaren Editor at Large London has multiple GA capable airports to choose from each with its own pros and cons depending on your particular mission Here a Dassault Falcon 7X makes final approach to LCY London UK Photo courtesy Dassault Falcon