Pilot and Dispatch Policy and Procedures

1
Pilot and Dispatch Policy and Procedures
Presentation 14
2
RVSM Documentation Webpage

• Documents Applicable to All RVSM Approvals
• 91-RVSM Appendix 4 - practices/procedures
  applicable to all RVSM operations
• 91-RVSM Appendix 5 - practices/procedures
  applicable to Oceanic RVSM operations
• Master Minimum Equipment List for RVSM
• TCAS II, Version 7.0 Modifications
• Large Transport Aircraft Documents Section
• Dispatcher Guidance for RVSM Operations

3
Area of Operations SpecificPolicy/Procedures

• RVSM Documentation Webpage, Global Areas of RVSM
  Operations North Atlantic, West Atlantic
  (WATRS), Asia/Pacific and Europe RVSM
  Documentation sections contain applicable
• Contingency Procedures
• Weather Deviation Procedures
• Track Offset Procedures
• Flight planning policies
• Caribbean including San Juan FIR and South
  America will be added

4
Area of Operations SpecificPolicy/Procedures

• North American RVSM section now provides
  information on Domestic U.S. and Canada
• Provision made for Mexican material as it becomes
  available
• Information will be added for Gulf of Mexico and
  Atlantic High Offshore airspace

5
FAA Notice DRVSM Operational Policy/Procedures

• Table of Contents.
• a. Applicability and RVSM Mandate Date/Time and
  Area
• b. Flight Level Orientation Scheme
• c. Aircraft and Operator Approval
  Policy/Procedures,
• Monitoring and Approvals Databases
• d. Flight Planning Into DRVSM Airspace
• e. Pilot RVSM Operating Practices and Procedures

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Table of Contents (cont.)

• f. Guidance on Mountain Wave Activity (MWA) and
  Severe Turbulence
• g. Guidance on Wake Turbulence
• h. Pilot/Controller Phraseology
• i. Contingency Actions Weather Encounters and
  Aircraft System Failures
• j. Procedures for Accommodation of Non-RVSM
  Aircraft
• k. Non-RVSM Aircraft Requesting Climb/Descent
  Through RVSM Flight Levels (Without Intermediate
  Level Off) To/From Flight Levels Above RVSM
  Airspace

7
Schedule for Notice

• Near-final draft posted on RVSM Docs in Feb 2004
• Material coordinated with Canada and Mexico to
  harmonize policy procedures to the extent
  possible
• Early June.posted Notice on RVSM Docs Webpage
• July 8publish Notice in Domestic/International
  NOTAM Book
• Late Julypost Sample Pilot Bulletin on RVSM Docs
• Revise and re-publish Notice when equipment
  suffix and
• Non-RVSM aircraft accommodation issues are
  resolved
• Aug 2005.publish material in Chapter 4, Section
  5 of AIM

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• 91-RVSM Appendix 4 Practices/Procedures

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Flight Planning

• Verify aircraft is RVSM compliant
• To show RVSM compliance as well as RNAV
  capability, annotate flight plan with appropriate
  block letter (discussed further in later slide)
• Check forecast and reported weather conditions
• Check MEL requirements
• Check RVSM operating limitations, if applicable

10
Pre-flight at the Aircraft

• Review maintenance logs and forms
• Check MEL required systems operational
• During external inspection, check condition of
  fuselage around pitot static sources
• Compare altimeters to known ground elevation
• Difference not to exceed specified limits

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Procedures Prior to RVSM Airspace Entry

• The following equipment should be operating
  normally
• Two primary altitude measurement systems
• One automatic altitude-control system
• One altitude-alerting device
• Transponder operating per 91.215

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Enroute Procedures

• Comply with RVSM operation limitations, if
  applicable
• Fly aircraft at cleared flight level
• Control altitude transitions - over/undershoot
  not to exceed 150 ft.
• In cruise, fly with automatic altitude control
  engaged except as required to trim aircraft or to
  disengage for turbulence
• Altitude alert should be operational

13
Enroute Procedures (cont.)

• At approximately one hour intervals, cross check
  primary and stand-by altimeters
• Check primary altimeter agreement within 200 ft.
• At least initial cross check should be recorded
• Normally, altimeter controlling autopilot should
  provide source for transponder reporting to ATC

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• Scenarios addressed in DRVSM Notice

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DRVSM Aircraft System Malfunction Enroute

• Scenario Loss of Automatic Altitude Control,
  Altitude Alerter or All Primary Altimeters
• Pilot will
• Contact ATC and state Unable RVSM Due to
  Equipment
• Request clearance out of RVSM airspace---unless
  operational situation dictates otherwise

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DRVSM Aircraft System Failure Enroute

• Scenario One Primary Altimeter Remains
  Operational
• Pilot will
• Cross check stand-by altimeter
• Notify ATC of operation with single primary
  altimeter
• If unable to confirm primary altimeter accuracy,
  follow actions for failure of all primary
  altimeters

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DRVSM Aircraft System Failure Enroute

• Scenario Transponder Failure
• Pilot will
• Contact ATC and request authority to continue to
  operate at cleared FL
• Comply with revised clearance, if issued
• Controller will
• Consider request to continue at cleared FL
• Issue revised clearance, if necessary
• Note 91.215 regulates operations with
  inoperative transponder

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DRVSM Severe Turbulence Encounter

• Pilot will
• Contact ATC and state Unable RVSM Due
  Turbulence
• If not issued by controller, request vector clear
  of traffic
• Request FL change or re-route, if so desired
• Controller will
• Vector aircraft to avoid merging target with
  traffic at adjacent flight levels
• Issue FL change or re-route, traffic permitting

19
DRVSM Mountain Wave Activity (MWA)

• Pilot actions
• Contact ATC and report experiencing MWA
• If controller calls traffic at adjacent FL, pilot
  may request vector to avoid merging targets
• Request FL change or re-route, if so desired
• Controller actions
• Advise pilot of traffic at adjacent FLs
• If pilot requests, vector aircraft to avoid
  merging targets
• Issue FL change or re-route, traffic permitting

20
DRVSM Wake Turbulence

• In RVSM airspace, wake turbulence generally found
  to be moderate or less
• Wind direction determines probability of
  encounter
• Minor adjustment to track can mitigate encounter
• Pilot should
• Contact ATC and request vector, FL change or
  lateral offset (if capable)
• Controller should
• Issue vector, FL change or lateral offset
  traffic permitting

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Non-RVSM Aircraft

• Procedures for accommodating cruise in RVSM
  airspace of
• Non-RVSM DoD, Lifeguard, Foreign State and
  certification/development flights are being
  discussed
• DRVSM Notice will be revised and re-published
  when procedures are finalized
• Non-RVSM Aircraft Climbing/Descending Through
  RVSM FLs To/From FL 430 and above
• Will be handled on a workload permitting basis
• Aircraft must be capable of continuous climb at a
  normal rate to a FL above RVSM airspace

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Post flight

• Annotate maintenance documents
• See 91-RVSM, Appendix 4 paragraph 6

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• Miscellaneous

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Flight Plan Equipment Suffix

• Currently filing letter W in either the ICAO or
  FAA Flight Plan shows ATC that operator/aircraft
  are authorized for RVSM operations
• For FAA Flight Plan, considering adoption of
  additional equipment suffixes to show
  authorization for RVSM and RNAV or Required
  Navigation Performance (RNP )
• We will revise the DRVSM Notice and advise
  industry as the policy develops

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TCAS V7.0

• Traffic Alert threshold 850 ft.
• Preventive RA threshold 700 ft.
• Corrective RA threshold 600 ft.
• Operating Recommendations
• Operate TCAS in TA/RA mode during RVSM operations
  including transition areas
• Limit climb and descent rates to 1,000 fpm when
  operating within 5 nm and 2,000 ft vertically of
  other aircraft

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• Conclusion