Part 15RULES FOR EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATIONS

CHAPTER 15 RULES FOR EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATIONS Division 1 Class D external loads 15.01 Application Unless it provide otherwise, this Chapter applies only to an aerial work certificate holder. > Note 1 By virtue of subparagraph 138.030 (2) (b) (iii), only an aerial work certificate holder may conduct a Class D external load operation. > Note 2 It is a significant change requiring CASA approval for an operator to begin any kind of class D external load operation for the first time, whether it involves winching, a belly hook, a platform, rappelling, or a hover entry/exit) — see subparagraph 138.012 (a) (vii) of CASR. 15.02 Persons who may be carried as external loads For subregulation 138.410 (2), the following classes of persons are prescribed for carriage on or in a part of an aircraft that is not normally specified in the AFM as being for the carriage of crew members or aerial work passengers in an aerial work operation: (a) air crew members; (b) task specialists; (c) aerial work passengers. > Note Some AFM Supplements may provide, as part of a winching equipment supplement, for the carriage of a person on, for example, additional steps or footholds installed on a rotorcraft. 15.03 RESERVED 15.04 Equipment requirements if person carried on or in an attachment to an aircraft (1) For subregulations 138.410 (2) and 138.465 (2), for a Class D external load operation the requirement mentioned in subsection (2) applies to the operator and the pilot in command. (2) The requirement is that all external load equipment, fittings, lines, safety harnesses, restraint straps and rescue harnesses must be compliant with the requirements of, or approved under, Part 21 of CASR. 15.05 Classes of persons who may be picked-up or set-down For section 15.06, the following persons are the only persons who may be picked-up or set-down, and the picking up and setting down must be in accordance with the section: (a) air crew members; (b) task specialists; (c) aerial work passengers. 15.06 Operational requirements if a person is picked-up or set-down (1) For subregulation 138.410 (2), for a Class D external load operation where a person mentioned in section 15.05 is picked up or set down, the operator and the pilot in command must meet the requirements set out in this section. Class D external loads — winching (2) For a Class D external load operation that involves winching a person (operation) the operator and the pilot in command must meet the following requirements: (a) application of the operator’s operational risk assessment and mitigation process must indicate that the operation meets at least an acceptable level of safety; > Note See sections 13.04 and 13.06. (b) for an operation that is not an ESO — the rotorcraft must be a multi-engine rotorcraft capable of hovering out of ground effect with one engine inoperative during the winching operation; (c) despite paragraph (b), for a day VFR operation that is not an ESO — the rotorcraft need not be capable of hovering out of ground effect (HOGE) with one engine inoperative during the winching operation provided that the rotorcraft: (i) meets the requirements set out in paragraphs 9.05 (b), (c), (d) and (e); and (ii) has a mass that does not exceed 90% of the MTOW HOGE permitted by the AFM for the most limiting mass of the operation; and (iii) subject to subsection (2A), is not operating over water; and (iv) carries only flight crew, and essential air crew members and task specialists (if any); (d) for an operation that is an ESO, or training for an ESO — the rotorcraft must: (i) for day VFR operations — at least meet the requirements set out in paragraphs 9.05 (b), (c), (d) and (e); and (ii) for operations under the IFR — be a multi-engine rotorcraft with OEI accountability; and (iii) for operations at night: (A) be a multi-engine rotorcraft with OEI accountability; and (B) be capable of using (and the pilot in command must be using) NVIS for the operation; (e) despite subparagraphs (d) (ii) and (iii), and subject to Chapter 11, for an operation that is an ESO, or is training for an ESO, when operating over an ESO operating site, the rotorcraft need not be operated with OEI accountability provided the operator’s risk assessment indicates that it is safe not to so operate; (f) the FCMs, air crew members and task specialists in the operation must be able to communicate directly with each other using: (i) radiocommunications; or (ii) an effective system of visual communication. Class D external loads — winching over water for recovery of unserviceable rotorcraft (2A) If an operation, to which paragraph (2) (c) would otherwise apply, is over water for the sole purpose of assisting in the recovery of an unserviceable rotorcraft from the deck of a vessel or an off-shore platform, then the following requirements, additional to those mentioned in paragraph (2) (c), must be met: (a) the rotorcraft must be a multi-engine rotorcraft; (b) the rotorcraft must be fitted with an emergency flotation system; (c) each crew member for the flight (including each task specialist) must be current in underwater escape training, in accordance with this MOS. Class D external loads — belly hook or platform (3) If an operation is a Class D external load operation in the form of a person: (a) suspended from a belly hook attached to the rotorcraft; or (b) carried on a platform attached to the rotorcraft; then the operator and pilot in command must meet the following requirements: (c) application of the operator’s operational risk assessment process must indicate that the operation meets at least an acceptable level of safety; > Note See Chapter 13. (d) the FCMs, air crew members and task specialists in the operation must be able to communicate directly with each other using: (i) radiocommunications; or (i) an effective system of visual communication; (e) if the rotorcraft cannot hover out of ground effect (HOGE) with one engine inoperative during the operation, the following requirements apply: (i) the rotorcraft must: (A) meet the requirements set out in paragraphs 9.05 (b), (c), (d) and (e); and (B) have a mass that does not exceed 90% of the MTOW HOGE permitted by the AFM for the most limiting mass of the operation; (ii) if the operation is a water rescue operation; (A) the operation must occur within 5 NM of the coast; and (B) the rotorcraft must be equipped with an approved rotorcraft floatation system; (iii) except for a water rescue operation, only essential air crew members or task specialists may be carried in the operation. Class D external loads — belly hook (4) Subject to subsection (5), for an operation mentioned in paragraph (3) (a), the operator and pilot in command must ensure that the following requirements are met: (a) the operation must include a primary load path and a backup load path, each of which allow the person to be safely jettisoned in an emergency; (b) each load path must consist of: (i) a primary quick release system that requires 2 separate and distinct actions to release; and (ii) a backup quick release system that requires 2 separate and distinct actions to release. (5) If the operation mentioned in paragraph (3) (a) is a water rescue operation, the operator and the pilot in command must ensure that the hook is attached to an approved attachment point on the helicopter and is such that: (a) it meets the requirements of paragraphs (4) (b) and (c); or (b) it allows the rescue equipment to be released by: (i) a means of release operated by the pilot; and (ii) another means of release operated manually by a crew member stationed in the helicopter. Class D external loads — rappelling (6) For a Class D external load operation, that involves rappelling, the operator and the pilot in command must ensure that the operation is conducted: (a) by personnel who have successfully completed the operator’s advanced operational training in rappelling; or (b) to train personnel for an operation described in paragraph (a). Class D external loads — hover exit and entry (7) For a Class D external load operation that involves a person emplaning or deplaning while the rotorcraft is in flight or partially in flight (a hover entry or exit), the operator and the pilot in command must ensure that the person is an air crew member, a task specialist, or an aerial work passenger, who has received hover entry and exit training in accordance with the operator’s operations manual. Division 2 General requirements 15.07 Requirements for external loads For subregulation 138.410 (2), the requirements set out in this Division are prescribed relating to the flight of an aircraft involving an external load operation, including for prescribed classes of such flights. > Note External load operations may be conducted over a populous area or a public gathering in accordance with section 13.09 — see subsection 15.09 (2). 15.08 Helicopter external load operations at night over water, including SAR (1) For subregulation 138.410 (2), the operator and the pilot in command for an external load operation at night over water must ensure that the requirements set out in this section are met. > Note This includes a night SAR operation involving an auto-hover over water. (2) For the operation, the flight attitude, height, and position of the helicopter must be maintained by the following: (a) monitoring the aircraft’s instruments; (b) reference to visible external objects. (3) For subsection (2), external objects are visible only if they are: (a) visible because they are adequately illuminated by ground or celestial lighting; or (b) visible through an NVIS, provided that the flight is conducted in accordance with the requirements for an NVIS operation. (4) Despite subsection (2), if the operation is a SAR operation with an auto-hover using a transition mode capability over water in accordance with Division 5 of Chapter 9, the flight attitude, height and position of the helicopter must be maintained by the following: (a) monitoring the aircraft’s instruments; (b) monitoring the aircraft’s navigation source data; (c) monitoring the aircraft’s autopilot and flight director SAR modes; (d) reference to external objects, if any. 15.09 Approvals required for Class C and Class E external load operations (1) This section applies to the following operators: (2) An external load operation may be conducted over a populous area or a public gathering in accordance with section 13.09. (3) A Class C external load operation or a Class E external load operation must not be conducted unless the operator is an aerial work certificate holder who has CASA approval under regulation 138.025 for the particular operation. (4) For subsection (3), an application for written approval must be accompanied by the operator’s: (a) detailed risk assessment and mitigation processes; and (b) proposed operations manual content and, if necessary, training and checking manual content, that includes the operational procedures to enable compliance with the applicable requirements of this Chapter. > Note Aerial work certificate holders who are required to have a formal training and checking system under regulation 138.125 of CASR must have a training and checking manual. Other aerial work certificate holders may choose to include their training and checking requirements in a separate training and checking manual, or in their operations manual. 15.10 External load operations over an AWZ An aerial work certificate holder must not conduct an external load operation in an AWZ over a populous area unless the aircraft is permitted to operate over a populous area by: (a) its certificate of airworthiness; or (b) an authorisation (however described), issued by the NAA of a Contracting State, that is equivalent to a certificate of airworthiness. > Note A limited aerial work operator is not permitted to conduct an external load operation over an AWZ that is over a populous area: see regulation 138.030. 15.11 External load operations at night A rotorcraft of an aerial work certificate holder conducting an external load operation at night over water must be equipped: (a) as specified under Chapter 26 of the Part 91 MOS for rotorcraft IFR flight; and (b) with lighting as specified under section 22.07 as if it applied to the operation; and (c) with an approved intercommunication system which permits continuous communication between the FCMs and the air crew members. > Note A limited aerial work operator is not permitted to conduct an external load operation at night over water: see sections 9.03, 9.06 and 9.14. 15.12 Additional requirements for Class E external loads (1) The following additional requirements are prescribed relating to the flight of an aeroplane in a Class E external load operation by an aerial work certificate holder. (2) The operations manual must contain detailed external load instructions, procedures and requirements. (3) For a towing operation, the operator, and the pilot in command, must ensure that: (a) the operation is conducted in VMC; and (b) the route is such that any accidental or emergency release of the load will not cause a hazard to any person or property on ground that is within a populous area or a public gathering. (4) The operator, and the pilot in command, must ensure that a risk assessment, in accordance with the relevant requirements of Chapter 13, is carried out: (a) before the flight commences; or (b) for a series of flights in the same aircraft, over the same area, on the same day, with the same external load, and for the same purpose — before the first flight commences. 15.13 Towed and long loads must be jettisonable (1) This section applies to the following operators: (2) For an aerial work operation that is the towing of a load outside the aeroplane, the operator and the pilot in command of the aeroplane must each ensure that the load is jettisonable. (3) For an aerial work operation that is the carriage of an external load that extends below the landing gear of a rotorcraft, the operator and the pilot in command of the rotorcraft must each ensure that the load is jettisonable.