An operator may hold authorization to fly single pilot with autopilot, but is not required to do so. An operator to whom is issued A015 is not required to operate single pilot with an autopilot, and may operate with a SIC, if the company has a SIC program and a SIC-qualified pilot is available.
True, however in this case it’s the ability of that SIC to log the flight time IF A015 has been issued and the PIC has a 297(g) check.
The following excerpt is from the Nichols 2009 LOI and the reason the PDP was developed. IF an operator wanted to hold A015 (for operational flexibility), the development of a PDP was the solution…and apparently was ignored by management in this case. It’s not ambiguous. I’m pretty sure it was published before the company began flight operations. There’s no “oops” here. It was ignored. One last thought, do the PC12s have a CVR?
In your Part 135 operation example, you inquire whether an SIC may be utilized for an instrument flight rules (IFR) operation carrying passengers in an aircraft installed with an operativeapprovedautopilotsystem. Specifically,you ask whether the operator may elect to conduct the flight as a one-pilot or a two-pilot operation.
As a general rule, under 14 C.F.R. § 135.101, "no person may operate an aircraft carrying passengersunderIFRunlessthereisasecondincommandint heaircraft." Similartothe rule for a Part 91 operation, if the aircraft's type certification or the regulations under which the flight is being conducted do not require two pilots, a pilot designated as SIC for the Part 135 operation would not be a required flight crewmember and may not log SIC flight time. See Karch Interpretation (Mar. 9, 2000); Karch Interpretation (May 28, 1998).
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Under sections 135.101 and 135.105, two pilots are required when carrying passengers under IFR unless an operative and approved autopilot system is installed, in which case one pilotisrequired. Althoughsection135.105allowssingle-pilotoperationswiththeuseofan operative approved autopilot system, it does not require that all future flights be conducted in that manner. See Tarsa Interpretation (Mar. 26, 1992). In other words, the operator can elect either to operate under IFR with one pilot using the autopilot system or with two pilots, with the second pilot acting as SIC, without using the autopilot system. See id. Provided the certificate holder elects before the IFR operation to not use the autopilot system, then two pilots are required by the regulations under which the flight is conducted, and the pilot designated as SIC may log SIC flight time. Ifthe autopilot system is used, then the pilot designated as SIC is not a required flight crewmember and may not log SIC time.