Notices
Fractional NetJets, FlexJet, etc

Polar Route?

Old 03-08-2008, 08:14 PM
  #1  
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
 
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: XJT CA
Posts: 528
Default Polar Route?

Just curious to know if any of the NJA aircraft ever do a Polar Route. I assume if it ever happens, it would be in the Falcon or the GIV/V, which I know are NJI... for now.

Anyone?
Bloodhound is offline  
Old 03-09-2008, 04:33 AM
  #2  
Gets Weekends Off
 
UCLAbruins's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Apr 2007
Position: F/O- G-V/550
Posts: 1,163
Default

The Falcon 2000 and G-IV don't have the range for that. Only the G-V, G550 and BBJ could do something like that, and I'm not sure if they do. ETOPS requirements now apply to General Aviation as well, not sure if the G-V has enough mojo to comply with that over the pole.

Looks like it would save some fuel.
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aer...olar_fig1.html
UCLAbruins is offline  
Old 03-09-2008, 06:29 AM
  #3  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Position: new guy
Posts: 382
Default

What is ETOPS?
milky is offline  
Old 03-09-2008, 06:34 AM
  #4  
Gets Weekends Off
 
EXTW's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Position: Up Front
Posts: 286
Default

Extended range Twin engine Operations
EXTW is offline  
Old 03-09-2008, 07:13 AM
  #5  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: retired
Posts: 560
Default

ETOPS now means "Extended Operations", more than 60 min for 2 engine A/C and more than 180 mins for all others. Not sure of the effective date. BTW flying a Polar route is not a big deal, just real far from anything.
filejw is offline  
Old 03-09-2008, 07:17 AM
  #6  
Gets Weekends Off
 
UCLAbruins's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Apr 2007
Position: F/O- G-V/550
Posts: 1,163
Default

ETOPS- Like EXTW said, but it applies to long flights over water or the Poles. Looks like a pain in the neck, probably easier to do a stop in Alaska than to deal with all that *******t. I got this from a site, hope it helps you:


ETOPS exclusions
Private jets are exempted from ETOPS by the FAA, but are subject to the ETOPS-120 minute rule in JAA's jurisdiction. Several commercial airline routes are still off-limits to twinjets because of ETOPS regulations. They are routes traversing the South Pacific (e.g. Auckland - Santiago, Chile), Southern Indian Ocean (e.g. Perth, Western Australia - Johannesburg) and Antarctica.


[edit] Beyond ETOPS-180
Effective February 15, 2007, the FAA ruled that US-registered twin-engined airplane operators can fly over most of the world other than the South Polar Region, a small section in the South Pacific, and the North Polar area under certain winter weather conditions provided that the inflight shutdown rate is 1 in 100,000 engine hours. This limit is more stringent than ETOPS-180 (2 in 100,000 engine hours).

The qualified aircraft must have appropriate fire-suppression systems, adequate oxygen supplies for crew and passengers (to continue high altitude flight) in the event of depressurisation, and automated defibrillators. Weather reporting, training, and diversion accommodation requirements remain unchanged. Since aircraft occasionally divert for non-engine mechanical problems or passenger medical emergencies, the rule requires that airplane systems be able to support lengthy diversions in remote and sometimes harsh environments. The rules do not apply to 3- or 4-engined cargo aircraft and freed twinjets from ETOPS constraints.

EASA distinguishes between twin-engine (ETOPS) and aircraft with 3 or 4 engines. Rules governing such aircraft (3 or 4 engines) are covered under LROPS rules. LROPS would demand similar rules with regard to emergency oxygen and fire-suppression. EASA is expected to release rules for ETOPS and LROPS in 2008.


[edit] ETOPS ratings
The following ratings are awarded under current regulations according the capability of the airline:

ETOPS-75
ETOPS-90
ETOPS-120/138
ETOPS-180/207
However, ratings for ETOPS type approval are fewer. They are:

ETOPS-90, which keeps pre-ETOPS Airbus A300B4 legally operating under current rules
ETOPS-120/138
ETOPS-180/207, which covers 95% of the earth's surface.

[edit] Approval for ETOPS
ETOPS approval is a two-step process. Firstly: the airframe and engine combination must satisfy the basic ETOPS requirements during its type certification. This is called ETOPS type approval. Such tests may include shutting down an engine and flying the remaining engine during the complete diversion time. Often such tests are performed in the middle of the oceans. It must be demonstrated that, during the diversion flight, the flight crew is not unduly burdened by extra workload due to the lost engine and that the probability of the remaining engine failing is extremely remote. For example, if an aircraft is rated for ETOPS-180, it means that it should be able to fly with full load and just one engine for 3 hours.

Secondly: An operator who conducts ETOPS flights must satisfy his own country's aviation regulators about his ability to conduct ETOPS flights. This is called ETOPS operational certification and involves compliance with additional special engineering and flight crew procedures on top of the normal engineering and flight procedures. Pilots and engineering staff must be specially qualified and trained for ETOPS. An airline with extensive experience operating long distance flights may be awarded ETOPS operational approval immediately, others may need to demonstrate ability through a series of ETOPS proving flights.

Regulators closely watch the ETOPS performance of both type certificate holders and their affiliated airlines. Any technical incidents during an ETOPS flight must be recorded. From the data collected globally, the reliability of the particular airframe-engine combination is measured and statistics published. The figures must be within limits of type certifications. Of course, the figures required for ETOPS-180 will always be more stringent than ETOPS-120. Unsatisfactory figures would lead to a downgrade, or worse, suspension of ETOPS capabilities either for the type certificate holder or the airline.


[edit]

Last edited by UCLAbruins; 03-09-2008 at 07:25 AM.
UCLAbruins is offline  
Old 03-09-2008, 07:30 AM
  #7  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: retired
Posts: 560
Default

InFO
Information for Operators
U.S. Department InFO 07004
of Transportation DATE: 1/26/07
Federal Aviation
Administration Flight Standards Service
Washington, DC
http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviat...ne_safety/info
An InFO contains valuable information for operators that should help them meet certain administrative, regulatory, or operational requirements with relatively low urgency or impact on safety.
SUBJECT: New ETOPS Regulations
PURPOSE: This InFO announces the publication of new regulations on Extended Operations (ETOPS) and explains some of the major revisions and additions to current ETOPS guidance. This InFO is only a brief overview of this significant rulemaking. No attempt has been made to discuss all the particular requirements contained in separate sections. Advisory Circulars covering these new ETOPS requirements for 14 CFR part 121 operations, part 135 operations, and part 25 airplane certification are being developed and will be promulgated in the near future. Likewise, Inspector Handbook guidance will be promulgated to cover these operations.
BACKGROUND: Formerly the term ETOPS signified “Extended Range Operation with Two-Engine Airplanes.” ETOPS guidance has been used for over twenty years to allow two-engine airplanes in part 121 operations to deviate from the regulation that limited the distance these airplanes could fly from potential diversion airfields. With over twenty years of successful experience in ETOPS operations, improvements in aircraft technology and reliability, and the prospect of airline operations on routes of increasing distance and remoteness, the FAA and industry agreed that ETOPS guidance should be reviewed, evaluated for potential application to all airplanes, and codified in the regulations. Note that the changes can be characterized by the change in meaning of ETOPS to “Extended Operations” since these provisions have broadened to include aircraft with more than two engines and to include both part 121 and part 135 operations. These regulations were posted in the Federal Register on January 16, 2007, and can be accessed at:
HTML: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2...2007/07-39.htm
PDF: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2.../pdf/07-39.pdf
Approved by: AFS-200
DISCUSSION: Codification of current two-engine ETOPS guidance in part 121 accounts for the bulk of the new ETOPS rules and will be recognizable by those familiar with current ETOPS guidance. The regulations also contain an expansion of part 121 ETOPS approvals beyond limitations imposed by current guidance and structured in the same format and manner as previous approval guidance.
The most significant aspect of these new ETOPS regulations is the application of certain elements of current two-engine ETOPS guidance to other airplanes and operators in parts 121 and 135, as well as the codification of the FAA’s current Polar Policy guidance for all airplanes. These new regulations effect particular sections of parts 1, 21, 25, 33, 121, and 135.
To emphasize the broader application of ETOPS the acronym, ETOPS is now defined as “Extended Operations.” The new ETOPS rules are now applicable to:
Part 121
• All two-engine airplanes more than 60 minutes flying time from an adequate airport (at a one-engine-inoperative cruise speed under standard conditions in still air).
• All passenger-carrying airplanes with more than two engines and more than 180 minutes flying time from an adequate airport (at a one-engine-inoperative cruise speed under standard conditions in still air).
Part 135
• All multi-engine turbine-engine powered airplanes (other than all-cargo operations with airplanes having more than two engines) more than 180 minutes flying time (limited to 240 minutes flying time) from an airport meeting the requirements of part 135, §§ 135.385 or 135.393 and 135.219 at an approved one-engine-inoperative cruise speed under standard conditions in still air.
The ETOPS regulations have a 30-day effectivity date and will be effective on February 15, 2007, but some of the operational requirements under part 121 have delayed compliance dates. Some requirements, such as dispatch, weather minimums, and fuel supply, are already required by either current guidance or ETOPS approvals, and may require minimum adjustment to an operator’s ETOPS program within 30 days of publication of the ETOPS rule. For requirements that take additional planning and implementation time—such as updating manuals, crew/dispatcher training to address the elements of the rules that are different from the current practices of two engine ETOPS, or polar operations and passenger recovery plans—the FAA has established a 1-year extended compliance period. Those operations new to ETOPS in part 121 (e.g., application to airplanes with more than two engines) and part 135 (as defined above) have an operational implementation date of one year after the effective date of the regulations.
Approved by: AFS-200
For those carriers currently approved for ETOPS and currently operating ETOPS flights, there should be minimal, immediate impact. Current ETOPS guidance, codified in these regulations will have, for the most part, the same application. Two changes to current guidance in these regulations are more permissive and can be expected to receive attention from operators. The critical fuel scenario calculation is less restrictive and the area of applicability for the 207-minute ETOPS authority in the Northern Pacific has been expanded. The new two-engine ETOPS authorizations in the regulations will require new airplane-engine combination (AEC) certification before an operator can utilize such authority and the carrier will have to wait until the airplane manufacturer completes such re-certification before applying for these authorizations.
As stated earlier, there is a one-year delayed compliance period for:
• Part 121 passenger-carrying airplanes with more than two engines; and
• Part 135 multi-engine turbine-engine powered airplanes (other than all-cargo operations with airplanes having more than two engines).
After that time these certificate holders must comply with the operational aspects of these new rules. ETOPS for these operators applies only to routings, a portion of which takes the flight further than three hours from an adequate airport at an approved one-engine-inoperative cruise speed under standard conditions in still air. The operational areas defined by these distances are quite small and consist typically of the South Pole and portions of the Southern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Currently there are relatively few U.S. operations in this area and consequently this expanded application of the ETOPS rules should have minimal impact on current operations. It will be up to the operator however, to determine what operations will be defined as ETOPS for their airplanes based on an engine-out speed selected by the operator from within the performance parameters of the airplane.
The ETOPS certification requirements for airplanes used in these new ETOPS operations in part 121 and 135 (part 121 passenger-carrying airplanes with more than two engines and part 135 multi-engine turbine-engine powered airplanes other than all-cargo operations with airplanes having more than two engines) have a delayed implementation as well. No airplane manufactured prior to eight years from the effective date of this rule (February 15, 2015) will have to be certified for ETOPS, and may be used by the certificate holder in ETOPS without restriction.
The new Polar flying regulations have been expanded to apply to all airplanes in part 135. In part 121 it includes both the North (above 78 degrees N.) and South (below 60 degrees S.) Polar Areas. The regulation currently does not cover South Polar flying in part 135 since there is no expectation for such flying in the future. If, at a later date, a certificate holder wishes to apply for such part 135 flying, the application will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
In the requirements for long-range en route fuel requirements for all flag and supplemental operations, the rule also contains a new requirement for turbine engine powered airplanes with more than two engines (including airplanes on cargo operations) that will require an analysis of
Approved by: AFS-200
the decompression scenario similar to ETOPS. New part 121, § 121.646(a) requires operators of these airplanes to provide that flights more than 90 minutes from an adequate airport (a threshold similar to part 121, § 121.193) will have fuel for the decompression scenario of part 121, § 121.329. This new rule has an effective date of February 15, 2007. It is expected that in order to comply, a certificate holder need only develop a static planning case using the mean average conditions during the route planning phase.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Directors of safety, directors of operations (parts121 and 135), training managers, and pilots should be aware of the new ETOPS regulations and adapt their operations to the requirements in the stipulated timeframes. This is only a brief overview of this significant rulemaking. No attempt has been made to discuss all the particular requirements. If there are immediate questions, contact Robert W. Reich, AFS-220 at FAA Headquarters at 202-267-7262 (email; [email protected]).
Approved by: AFS-200
filejw is offline  
Old 03-09-2008, 07:40 AM
  #8  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Feb 2007
Posts: 264
Default

ETOPS - Engines Turn Or People Swim
citationdrvrmob is offline  
Old 03-09-2008, 07:41 AM
  #9  
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
 
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: XJT CA
Posts: 528
Default

That's a lot of good info... but I've got the attention span of a puppy and I didn't read most of it. I guess I never thought about it and it makes perfect sense but I didn't know Polar Routes were ETOPS.
Bloodhound is offline  
Old 03-09-2008, 07:46 AM
  #10  
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
 
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: XJT CA
Posts: 528
Default

Originally Posted by filejw View Post
ETOPS now means "Extended Operations", more than 60 min for 2 engine A/C and more than 180 mins for all others. Not sure of the effective date. BTW flying a Polar route is not a big deal, just real far from anything.

I'm sure it's nothing special after a few times doing it but it's something I'd like to do it once or twice. But if I'm lucky enough to get hired by NJA, I'll take that over flying a PR.
Bloodhound is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Freighter Captain
Atlas/Polar
0
09-24-2005 08:50 PM
Freighter Captain
Atlas/Polar
0
09-16-2005 07:45 AM
Freighter Captain
Atlas/Polar
0
08-17-2005 02:17 PM
Freighter Captain
Atlas/Polar
3
08-03-2005 03:19 PM
RockBottom
Atlas/Polar
1
07-13-2005 11:02 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices