{"id":"F2008L03046","name":"CASA 420/08 - Permission and direction - helicopter special operations","slug":"casa-420-08-permission-and-direction-helicopter-special-operations","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":75081,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2008L03046-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"CASA 420/08 - Permission and direction - helicopter special operations","content":"Instrument number CASA 420/08\n\nI, gregory JEROME VAUGHAN, Group General Manager, General Aviation Operations, a delegate of CASA, make this instrument under subregulations 207 (3), 250 (2) and 251 (9) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988.\n\n\\[Signed G.J. Vaughan\\]\n\nGreg Vaughan  \nGroup General Manager  \nGeneral Aviation Operations\n\n2 October 2008\n\nPermission and direction — helicopter special operations\n\n1 Duration\n\nThis instrument:\n\n(a) commences on the day after it is registered; and\n\n(b) stops having effect at the end of 31 August 2010.\n\n2 Application\n\nThis instrument applies to a helicopter flight mentioned in Schedule 1 (a special operation) by Helistar Aviation Pty Ltd, trading as Helistar Aviation, Aviation Reference Number 585948 (the operator).\n\n3 Permission\n\nWhen a helicopter is in the hover to enable a passenger to leave or board, the passenger may be carried on the undercarriage for the purpose of leaving or boarding.\n\n4 Direction\n\nWhen a helicopter is in the hover to enable a passenger to leave or board, the passenger is not required to occupy a seat or wear a seat belt.\n\n5 Condition\n\nThe permission in section 3 is subject to the condition mentioned in Schedule 2.\n\nSchedule 1 Special operation\n\nA helicopter search and rescue operation, law enforcement operation, firefighting operation or training for any of those operations, in which, for the purpose of the operation or training, it is necessary for a person to leave or board the helicopter when a landing is not possible or safe.\n\nSchedule 2 Condition\n\nThe special operation must be carried out in accordance with the instructions, approved by CASA, set out in the operator’s operations manual.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":1782},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument maintains a narrow, specific scope limited to emergency and law enforcement hover-exit operations for a single operator, consistent with its original purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Single operator scope (applies only to Helistar Aviation Pty Ltd)","Limited to four specific operation types listed in Schedule 1","Only two operative provisions (permission in section 3 and direction in section 4) plus one condition","No nested definitions or complex cross-references beyond citations to enabling regulations","Straightforward structure with clear schedules defining scope and conditions"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this does:** This instrument gives Helistar Aviation (a specific helicopter company) special permission to break normal aviation safety rules during dangerous emergency missions.\n\n**Normally:** Aviation law requires passengers to sit in seats with seatbelts fastened.\n\n**Under this permission:** During search and rescue, police, or firefighting operations (or training for these), rescue workers can ride on the outside of the helicopter (on the undercarriage/skids) while the aircraft hovers, and they don't need to be belted in. This only applies when it's too dangerous or impossible to land the helicopter.\n\n**Key constraint:** The operator must follow the specific safety procedures in their CASA-approved operations manual when doing this.\n\n**Why it matters:** This allows emergency responders to board or exit helicopters in situations where landing isn't possible—such as over water, cliffs, or dense forest—while maintaining regulatory oversight."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/casa-420-08-permission-and-direction-helicopter-special-operations","history":"/api/acts/casa-420-08-permission-and-direction-helicopter-special-operations/history","analysis":"/api/acts/casa-420-08-permission-and-direction-helicopter-special-operations/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/casa-420-08-permission-and-direction-helicopter-special-operations/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/casa-420-08-permission-and-direction-helicopter-special-operations/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/casa-420-08-permission-and-direction-helicopter-special-operations/documents"}}