NCO.OP.110 Aerodrome operating minima — aeroplanes and helicopters

TAKE-OFF OPERATIONS

(a)General Take-off minima should be expressed as visibility (VIS) or runway visual range (RVR) limits, taking into account all relevant factors for each runway/final approach and take-off area (FATO)/operating site planned to be used and aircraft characteristics and equipment. Where there is a specific need to see and avoid obstacles on departure and/or for a forced landing, additional conditions, e.g. ceiling, it should be specified.

(b)Visual reference

(1)The take-off minima should be selected to ensure sufficient guidance to control the aircraft in the event of both a rejected take-off in adverse circumstances and an engine failure after rotation.

(2)For night operations, sufficient lighting should be in operation to illuminate the runway/final approach and take-off area (FATO) and any relevant obstacles.

(3)For point-in-space (PinS) departures to an initial departure fix (IDF), the take-off minima should be selected to ensure sufficient guidance to see and avoid obstacles and return to the heliport if the flight cannot be continued visually to the IDF. The minimum VIS should be 800 m and the minimum ceiling should be 250 ft.

(4)For helicopters outside of a runway environment, the minimum VIS should be 800 m, and for offshore helideck operations, the minimum VIS should be 500 m.

RVR OR VIS FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACH OPERATIONS — DETERMINATION OF DH/MDH FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACH OPERATIONS — AEROPLANES

(a)The RVR (or for non-instrument runways, VIS) for straight-in instrument approach operations should not be less than the greatest of the following:

(1)the minimum RVR (or for non-instrument runways, VIS) for the type of runway used according to Table 1;

(2)the minimum RVR determined according to the MDH or DH and class of lighting facility according to Table 2;

(3)the minimum RVR according to the visual and non-visual aids and on-board equipment used according to Table 3.

(b)For Category A and B aeroplanes, if the RVR determined in accordance with (a) is greater than 1 500 m, then 1 500 m should be used.

(c)The visual aids, if available, may comprise standard runway day markings, runway edge lights, threshold lights, runway end lights and approach lights as defined in Table 6.

(d)For night operations or for any operation where credit for visual aids is required, the lights should be on and serviceable except as provided for in GM5 NCO.OP.110. Table 1 Type of runway versus minimum RVR or VIS — aeroplanes

Table 2 RVR versus DH/MDH

Table 3 Visual and non-visual aids and/or on-board equipment versus minimum RVR — aeroplanes

DETERMINATION OF RVR FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACH OPERATIONS — HELICOPTERS

(e)For IFR operations, the RVR should not be less than the greatest of the following:

(1)the minimum RVR for the type of runway/FATO used according to Table 4; or

(2)the minimum RVR determined according to the MDH or DH and class of lighting facility according to Table 5;

(3)for PinS operations with instructions to ‘proceed visually’, the distance between the MAPt of the PinS and the FATO/approach light system.

(f)For PinS operations with instructions to ‘proceed VFR’, the VIS should be compatible with visual flight rules.

(g)The visual aids, if available, may comprise standard runway day markings, runway edge lights, threshold lights, runway, end lights and approach lights as defined in Table 6.

(h)For night operations or for any operation where credit for visual aids is required, the lights should be on and serviceable. Table 4 Type of runway/FATO versus minimum RVR — helicopters

Table 5 DH/MDH versus minimum RVR — helicopters

* Minima on 2D approach operations should be no lower than 800 m.

APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEMS — AEROPLANES AND HELICOPTERS Table 6 Approach lighting systems

VISUAL APPROACH For a visual approach operation, the RVR should not be less than 800 m.

AIRCRAFT CATEGORIES

(a)Aircraft categories should be based on the indicated airspeed at threshold (VAT), which is equal to the stalling speed (VSO) multiplied by 1.3 or where published 1-g (gravity) stall speed (VS1g) multiplied by 1.23 in the landing configuration at the maximum certified landing mass. If both VSO and VS1g are available, the higher resulting VAT should be used.

(b)The aircraft categories specified in Table 7 should be used.

Table 7: Aircraft categories corresponding to VAT values

(c)Helicopters are also eligible for Category H where applicable.

FLIGHTS WITH VFR AND IFR SEGMENTS Where a flight contains VFR and IFR segments, aerodrome operating minima need be established only as far as relevant to the IFR segments. Attention is drawn to NCO.OP.160 (a) and (c), according to which, the pilot-in-command shall be satisfied that the VFR segments will be conducted in conditions at or above the applicable VFR operating minima. For example, for a VFR departure changing to IFR at a transition point en-route and an IFR arrival at destination, the pilot-in-command should be satisfied that VMC will exist up to the transition point, and aerodrome operating minima should be established for the destination and any alternate destinations required.

MEANS TO DETERMINE THE REQUIRED RVR BASED ON DH AND LIGHTING FACILITIES

(a)The values in Table 2 are derived from the formula below: RVR (m) = [(DH/MDH (ft) x 0.3048)/tanα] — length of approach lights (m), where α is the calculation angle, being a default value of 3.00° increasing in steps of 0.10° for each line in Table 2 up to 3.77° and then remaining constant. An upper RVR limit of 2 400 m has been applied to the table.

(b)The lighting system classes in Table 2 have the meaning specified in Table 6.

USE OF THIRD-PARTY INFORMATION If a pilot-in-command uses information provided by a third party for aerodrome operating minima, the pilot-in-command verifies that the method for calculating minima is in accordance with this Regulation.

EFFECT OF TEMPORARILY FAILED OR DOWNGRADED GROUND EQUIPMENT ON LANDING MINIMA

(a)Lighting in Table 5 should be considered only if the relevant lighting is operating. For example, if components of a FALS have failed leaving only the last 250 m operating normally, the lighting facilities should be treated as BALS.

(b)Failures of standby equipment, standby power systems, middle markers and RVR assessment systems have no effect on minima.

VISUAL AND NON-VISUAL AIDS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ‘Visual and non-visual aids and infrastructure’ refers to all equipment and facilities required for the procedure to be used for the intended instrument approach operation. This includes but is not limited to, lights, markings, ground or space-based radio aids, etc.