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Air Operations Branch Director Course

Learn about duty day limits, minimum altitudes, fuel planning, winter operations, weather monitoring, separation planning, and dealing with overdue aircraft in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Air Operations Branch Director Course.

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Air Operations Branch Director Course

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  1. U.S. AIR FORCE AUXILIARY Air OperationsBranch Director Course Safety IssuesPart 1

  2. Mission Air Ops Safety Regulations and Policies • Duty Day Limits • Minimum Altitudes • Fuel Planning • Winter Operations • Weather • Separation Planning • Handling Overdue Aircraft

  3. Caveat • CAPR 60-1 changes often and a lot • You will need to stay on top of these changes • The information in this presentation is just a snapshot in time

  4. SafetyDuty Day Limits Pilot Duty Day Limits, CAPR 60-1 [Feb 2009] • 14 hour maximum duty day “of official CAP duty” • 8 hours maximum scheduled flight time per duty day • 10 hours rest required between duty days A duty day extension can be granted through the IC by the Wing Commander; see CAPR 60-1 for additional info.

  5. SafetyMinimum Patrol/Search Altitudes • Sustained flight below 1000 ft AGL is not authorized (CAPR 60-1)

  6. SafetyFuel Planning • CAPR 60-1: The PIC will plan all flights so as to have a minimum of one hour of fuel remaining upon landing (at normal cruise speed). • Minnesota Wing Supplement to CAPR 60-1: Flights will not exceed the following TACH times (including time enroute and time searching; and assuming full tanks at start): • Cessna 172, standard tanks – 3 hrs • Cessna 172, extended range tanks – 4 hrs • Cessna 182 – 4 hrs

  7. SafetyWinter Flight Operations (MN Wing Policy) • Tanis heater to be used for parked aircraft 24x7 November 15 through April 15 (or any day the temperature is forecast to be below 40°F for more than 24 hours) • Winter kits IAW POH • Minimum power settings for pilots for temperatures below 10°F

  8. SafetyWinter Flight Operations (MN Wing Policy) • No flight operations except with approval of wing DO below -20°F temperature or -50°F wind-chill • Requirements for operations at or below 0°F temperature or -30°F wind-chill • Flight release by an FRO who is also a pilot • 2 occupants minimum • No training flights authorized

  9. Safety – Air Operations Issues • Weather • Air branch director must stay informed • Don’t forget flight release responsibility • FRO should be ready to say no (safety responsibility is shared with PIC) • Weather information should be shared with planning section – they need to know too! • Remember to recheck multiple times during the day • Weather can change dramatically and surprisingly in short span of time • Even short-term forecasts can miss the mark

  10. Safety – Air Operations Issues • Separation Planning • Mission sorties must be planned to ensure aircraft are separated while executing search patterns • Quarter grid or equivalent area separation is desired • Alternatively, altitude may also be used (no less than 500 ft. separation) • Aircraft executing search patterns in close proximity to each other would be unsafe • Aircrews should be informed as to what other sorties are assigned nearby • Separation must also be managed with other agencies and emergent volunteers

  11. Safety – Air Operations Issues • Aircrew fatigue, dehydration • Weight and balance • PIC is responsible, but air branch can choose to verify • It’s easy to over-gross even a Skylane • Securing aircraft when not in use

  12. Safety – Air Operations Situational Awareness • Obstructions (Radio towers, etc.) • NOTAMs – Like weather, the Operations and Planning sections should stay informed on these and remember that they can change during the day • Rocket launches • Skydivers • Blasting • TFRs • Military operations (MOAs, low level training routes)

  13. Handling overdue mission aircraft • CAPF 104 is effectively a flight plan • Unlike other flight plans, it is filed with CAP, not the FAA • Follow up on overdue mission aircraft • Try to contact the aircraft by radio to get a revised ETA • Think like FAA flight service does • wait until 30 minutes overdue • call pilot on telephone • call units for ramp & hangar checks • Don't scare the family

  14. Air Ops Safety Suggestions • Advise sorties to request ATC flight following when maneuvering in high traffic areas (for example, under class B airspace) • Coordinate with Interagency Fire Center IAW MNICS All Risk Air Operations Plan • To the extent practicable, keep sorties in radio communication • Remember line-of-sight limitations • Consider using a “high-bird” or airborne repeater to extend the communications reach of the base/command post.

  15. Questions?

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