Kate Sarsfield/LONDON
The international single-engined aircraft community has formed an alliance to fight for a change of rules in Europe on the prohibition of single-engined instrument flight rules (IFR) operations for commercial aircraft.
The European Joint Aviation Authorities is now reviewing whether to alter its longstanding opposition to single-engined IFR operations under Joint Aviation Rules 1 (JAR OPS 1). The new regulations are scheduled for implementation on 1 October, 1999.
"We have to educate the JAA and make the organisation aware of how safe single-engined aircraft are. They seem to be less aware than other authorities of the reliability of single engine turbines [Pratt & Whitney PT6]," says UK Cessna Caravan distributor and alliance member, Bob Crowe.
The other 16 alliance members consist of commercial operators, airframe manufacturers and aircraft sales companies, including Switzerland's Transairco, Czech Aerospace, Pilatus Aircraft, Socata Aircraft, New Piper Aircraft and Cessna.
The alliance is concerned that, although a succession of aviation authorities - including those of the USA, Australia and Canada - have already recognised the benefits of running "modern, well-equipped aircraft for the operator and the consumer", the JAA has been slow to follow suit.
Under a recently issued Advanced Notice of Proposed Amendment, the JAA states that, in principle, it will only approve originally manufactured aircraft, for example the Cessna 208 Caravan, Pilatus PC-12 and Socata TBM-700, and even they will be forced to comply with strict conditions.
Crowe believes that a major stumbling block to any change to JAR OPS 1 lies with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which refuses to comply with existing European regulations allowing aircraft on any European register to operate transport freight commercially throughout the continent in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
The CAA, on the other hand, bans commercial operations within the UK under IFR at night or in IMC. "Why the UK is the only country to introduce such restrictions on commercial single-engined aircraft, and yet permit private operations, is difficult to comprehend," he says.
The alliance plans to "-work closely'' with the JAA committees "-to make certain that they have all the information needed to make intelligent, informed decisions."
Source: Flight International
