9 February 2007
The CAA has released proposals for revising the weather minima for helicopter and gyroplane operations in a <a href=’http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/224/LoI%20_26_Jan_07%20.pdf’ target=’_blank’>Letter of Intent</a>. The CAA has already held two consultations on this issue, the results of which are on the <a href=’http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=224&pagetype=68&groupid=789′ target=’_blank’>CAA website</a>.
The proposals are being made as a reaction to the fact that 40 percent of fatal helicopter accidents involve pilot disorientation in conditions of low cloud and poor visibility, or at night, The solution, the CAA believes, must lie “in a combination of improved regulations, and assisting pilots towards a better understanding of the problems that can be associated with attempting flight by visual reference into unsuitable conditions.”
The proposal itself reads: ‘A key element in this proposal is that for flights conducted by visual reference the need for an adequate visual cue environment will be made explicit in the Rules of the Air.
‘Private helicopter pilots will be limited to flight under VFR (unless of course they hold an instrument rating) and the minimum visibility for VFR flight will be 1500 metres. It follows that flights to be conducted by visual reference when the visibility is less than 1500 metres must be made under IFR, and a basic scale of flight instruments will be required even when such flights are to be conducted by visual reference.
‘In addition, private helicopter pilots holding UK licences will be required to have an instrument rating in circumstances where compliance with IFR is required, in line with the JAR-FCL provisions. Professional helicopter pilots holding UK licences will be required to hold an instrument rating to fly in cloud.’
The process is now undergoing a RIA (Regulatory Impact Assessment) which is also available on the CAA website (from CAA home page follow the links <b>Safety Regulation > General Aviation > Information</b> or click
<a href=’http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/224/srg_gad_Revised%20RIA01.pdf’ target=’_blank’>here</a>).
