SPA.HOFO.120 Selection of aerodromes and operating sites

DESTINATION AERODROME — SUFFICIENT OPERATIONAL CONTINGENCY

(a)Any alleviation from the requirement to select an alternate aerodrome under instrument flight rules (IFR) routing from offshore to a land destination should be based on an individual safety risk assessment with sufficient operational contingency to ensure a safe return from offshore.

REVISED AERODROME OPERATING MINIMA

(b)Unless the destination is a coastal aerodrome, the operator should ensure that all the following criteria are met:

(1)the destination aerodrome has a published instrument approach;

(2)the flight time is less than 3 hours; and

(3)the published weather forecast valid from 1 hour prior, and 1 hour subsequent to the expected landing time specifies that:

(i)the ceiling is at least 700 ft above the minima associated with the instrument approach, or 1 000 ft above the destination aerodrome, whichever is the higher; and

(ii)visibility is at least 2 500 m.

COASTAL AERODROME

(c)A coastal aerodrome is an aerodrome used for offshore operations within 5 nm of the coastline.

(d)If the coastal aerodrome has a published instrument approach, the operator should use the aerodrome operating minima defined in (b)(3).

(e)The operator may use the following operating minima by day only, as an alternative to (b)(3):

(1)the cloud base is at least 400 ft above the minima associated with the instrument approach; and

(2)visibility is at least 4 km.

(f)If descent over the sea is intended to meet VFR criteria, the operator should ensure that the coastal aerodrome is geographically sited so that the helicopter is able, within the rules of the air and within the landing forecast, to proceed inbound from the coast and carry out an approach and landing in full compliance with VFR for the associated airspace category(ies) and any notified route.

(g)If the operator makes use of the provisions in (e) or (f), the following should be taken into account as part of the risk assessment: 1) where the destination coastal aerodrome is not directly on the coast, the required usable fuel for the flight should be sufficient to return to the coast at any time after crossing the coastline, descend safely, carry out an approach under VFR and land, with the VFR fuel reserves intact;

(2)the descent to establish visual contact with the surface should take place over the sea away from the coastline and in an area clear of surface obstructions, or as part of the instrument approach;

(3)routings and procedures for coastal aerodromes nominated as such should be included in the operations manual (Part C for CAT operators);

(4)the MEL should reflect the requirement for airborne radar and radio altimeter for this type of operation; and

(5)operational limitations for each coastal aerodrome should be specified in the operations manual.

OFFSHORE DESTINATION ALTERNATE AERODROME ‘Aerodrome’ is referred to as ‘helideck’ in this AMC.

(a)Offshore destination alternate helideck landing environment The landing environment at an offshore location proposed for use as an offshore destination alternate helideck should be pre-surveyed, together with the physical characteristics, such as the effect of wind direction and strength, as well as of turbulence established. This information, which should be available to the pilot-in-command/commander both at the planning stage and in-flight, should be published in an appropriate form in the operations manual (OM) (including the orientation of the helideck) so that the suitability of the alternate helideck can be assessed. This helideck should meet the criteria for size and obstacle clearance appropriate to the performance requirements of the type of helicopter concerned.

(b)Performance considerations The use of an offshore destination alternate helideck should be restricted to helicopters that can achieve one engine inoperative (OEI) in ground effect (IGE) hover at an appropriate power rating above the helideck at the offshore location. Where the surface of the helideck or prevailing conditions (especially wind velocity) precludes an OEI IGE, OEI out-of-ground effect (OGE) hover performance at an appropriate power rating should be used to compute the landing mass. The landing mass should be calculated based on graphs provided in the operations manual (OM) (Part B for CAT operators). When this landing mass is computed, due account should be taken of helicopter configuration, environmental conditions and the operation of systems that have an adverse effect on performance. The planned landing mass of the helicopter, including crew, passengers, baggage, cargo plus 30-min final reserve fuel (FRF), should not exceed the OEI landing mass of the helicopter at the time of approach to the offshore destination alternate.

(c)Weather considerations

(1)Meteorological observations When the use of an offshore destination alternate helideck is planned, the meteorological observations, both at the offshore destination and the alternate helideck, should be made by an observer acceptable to the authority responsible for the provision of meteorological services. Automatic meteorological-observation stations may be used.

(2)Weather minima When the use of an offshore destination alternate helideck is planned, the operator should neither select an offshore location as destination nor as alternate helideck unless the weather forecasts for the two offshore locations indicate that during a period commencing 1 h before and ending 1 h after the expected time of arrival at the destination and the alternate helideck, the weather conditions will be at or above the planning minima shown in the following table: Table 1 — Planning minima

(3)Conditions of fog To use an offshore destination alternate helideck, it should be ensured that fog is not forecast or present within 60 nm of the destination helideck and alternate helideck during the period commencing 1 h before and ending 1 h after the expected time of arrival at the offshore destination or alternate helideck.

(d)Actions at point of no return Before passing the point of no return, which should not be more than 30 min from the destination, the following actions should have been completed:

(1)confirmation that navigation to the offshore destination and offshore destination alternate helideck can be assured;

(2)radio contact with the offshore destination and offshore destination alternate helideck (or master station) has been established;

(3)the landing forecast at the offshore destination and offshore destination alternate helideck have been obtained and confirmed to be at or above the required minima;

(4)the requirements for OEI landing (see (b) above) have been checked in the light of the latest reported weather conditions to ensure that they can be met; and

(5)to the extent possible, having regard to information on the current and forecast use of the offshore alternate helideck and on prevailing conditions, the availability of the helideck on the offshore location intended as destination alternate helideck should be guaranteed by the duty holder (the rig operator in the case of fixed installations, and the owner in the case of mobile ones) until the landing at the destination, or the offshore destination alternate helideck, has been achieved or until offshore shuttling has been completed.