Weather Criteria
For ship or shore operations - 500’ and 1
If positive radar control and a CCA, PAR, or ILS, is available for recovery - 200’ and 1/2
Crew Requirements
Enlisted aircrew should be utilized to the maximum extent practicable on all flights.
Night formation flights should be scheduled with two aircrewmen to the max extent practicable.
NVD Formation syllabus flights shall have two aircrewmen.
Night LZ flights should have two aircrewmen (excluding the Bullring).
CAL flights shall have two aircrewmen.
FCF checklist items shall only be conducted when the crew includes a designated FCP.
COs shall designate minimum crew
requirements for ground maintenance turns.
Minimum crew requirements for tactical training events are: HAC/L3, PQM, and aircrewmen.
Flight Currency
Any pilot who has not flown in 45 days SHALL fly a warm-up flight with a current HAC. Warm-up flights SHOULD include auto-rotations and other FAM type maneuvers as determined by squadron COs.
Instrument Currency
To be considered instrument current, pilots shall have flown a minimum of 2.0 hours of simulated or actual instrument time within the preceding 60 days in the aircraft or the simulator.
If currency lapses, it must be regained prior to flying any missions in the aircraft as the PIC.
Night Currency
To be considered night current, a pilot shall have flown a minimum of 2.0 night hours within the preceding 45 days.
Between 45 and 60 days, the squadron CO may authorize a day into night transition to regain night currency.
After 60 days, currency shall be regained by flying with a night current PIC.
Pilots shall not fly at night as PIC, unless they are night current.
Night Coupler Currency
To be Night Coupler Current, the PIC shall have flown 2 Windline Rescue or Night/IMC Dip-to-Dip patterns to automatic approaches to a coupled hover at night in the preceding 90 days.
PICs failing to meet this requirement shall not be scheduled to fly Night SAR missions, to include Plane Guard.
DLQ currency
All pilots should be night current prior to conducting night DLQs.
Aircrewmen who have not conducted free deck landings should be accompanied by an aircrewman that has conducted free deck landings.
Only Night Clear Deck landings on single-spot air capable ships may extend night free deck DLQ currency by 90 days.
Pre-embarkation Proficiency
To the maximum extent practicable, pilots should fly a minimum of nine hours within the 45 days preceding fly-on for an underway period. Pilots shall obtain night currency and instrument currency prior to the embarkation flight.
During intervals of 45 days or less between embarked operations, pilots should fly a minimum of 6 hours and achieve night and instrument currency prior to the next embarkation.
Crew Rest Requirements (Ashore)
Aircrew shall not be scheduled to brief a flight event until 10 hours after completion of post-flight duties.
For scheduling purposes, post-flight duties are defined as one hour after the flights scheduled land time.
Aircrew whose crew day will exceed 12 hours shall receive CO approval before performing flight duties or ground turn evolutions.
Pilots shall not be scheduled for a flight the day following a 24 hour SDO period.
FCF crews should not begin their crew day prior to one hour before the scheduled FCF briefing time. If an FCF crew member needs to begin their crew day prior to this time, they shall notify the SDO as soon as possible.
Minimum Altitudes
Unless dictated by operational requirements or as directed/required by controlling agencies, published restrictions, or approved training ranges…
Overland:
Populated = 1000’ AGL
Unpopulated = 500’ AGL
Overwater:
Unaided Night = 150’ AGL
NVD Night = 100’ AGL
Coupled Hover = 70’ AGL (NOTE 1)
Day = 50’ AGL (NOTE 2)
SACT:
Night = 500’ AGL
Day = 100’ AGL
Terrain:
Approved Low-Level Routes/Ranges Only = 200’ AGL
Note 1:
Following establishment of a steady coupled hover at 70 FT, aircraft altitude may be reduced to no lower than 40 FT to conduct live hoisting operations at the PIC’s discretion.
Note 2:
Flight operations down to 50 FT over water during day conditions is intended for operational or tactical training flights where the altitude profiles support authorized mission or training objectives.
Simulated Emergencies
Simulated emergencies shall only be introduced in the aircraft under the cognizance of designated HAC.
Compound emergencies involving the degradation of 2 or more unrelated systems shall not be introduced, initiated, or practiced.
No circuit breaker shall be pulled to simulate an emergency with the exception of: HACs may pull the Battery Bus Panel circuit breaker during day/VFR conditions only in order to simulate a failed backup attitude indicator. ANI aircrewman and current/qualified FRS Aircrew Instructors may pull circuit breakers necessary for simulating Rescue Hoist, Cargo Hook, RAST, Mission Power, Radar, and Acoustic Malfunctions.
Simulated single engine failures from a HOGE shall only be initiated over a surface where a run-on landing can be made.
Dual engine, T/R drive, Total A/C power, EDECU lockout emergencies shall only be accomplished in an OFT.
Intentional degradations of AFCS and SAS/BOOST are prohibited for shipboard takeoffs and landings.
The APU shall be turned on prior to conducting single-engine training and practice autorotations.
Simulated Emergencies at Night
Simulated emergencies requiring the actual degradation of aircraft systems at night are prohibited except:
- Single-engine approaches and landings to a prepared surface with adequate overrun/underrun to allow for safe execution.
- Single-engine running landings.
- Boost-off and failed SAS/AFCS.
- Simulated lost ICS.
- STAB Auto Mode failure.
Practice Autorotations
Practice auto-rotations at night are prohibited.
Pilot and copilot radar altimeter indicators shall be operable.
APU shall be turned on.
Night TACFORM
Center and cross turns shall not be practiced.
Hook turns should be initiated away from Wing prior to practicing hook turns into
Wing.
Rollout headings or degrees of turn shall be specified.
Sonar Dipping Operations
Should not be conducted in seas with wave heights exceeding 10 feet during unit-level training, or fleet-level exercises. Pre-flight deliberate and in-flight time critical ORM of forecasted or observed sea state conditions shall be accomplished prior to dipping sonar operations.
“Establish a steady coupled hover” shall be completed prior to “down dome”.
PNAC should adjust LAT/LONG velocity potentiometers to control drift and limit ground speed to no greater than 2kts (Does not apply to Cable Angle Hover). If towing groundspeed limits are exceeded, cease dipping and document on a MAF.
With a 1177 fault (to include on MBIT), cease dipping operations until maintenance action is performed.
Cable angle hover mode shall be operable.
Dipping operations are prohibited with AFCS degradations affecting Automatic Approach, Coupled Hover, or Cable Angle Hover Functions.
Submerged Override shall not be used for routine operations.
Dipping sonar operations (POCL)
During training operations (with or without a submarine), POCL shall be no more than half the ceiling up to 1,000’.
When ceilings are above 1,000’, POCL shall be no more than 500’ below ceiling.
During operational ASW involving a submarine POCL need not be restricted. ORM shall be conducted to minimize the risk to the transducer assembly in the event of a malfunction.
The POCL for the final dip sortie should be greater than or equal to the deepest depth in the sortie (bottom depth and ceiling permitting).
Dipping Operations Rota
Authorized in the Dipbox with prior clearance from ALMART and shall be annotated on the flight schedule.
Dome depths shall be limited to 90 feet unless otherwise annotated on the flight schedule.
Aircrews will notify Rota Tower with intentions to utilize the Dip Box.
Active sonar is prohibited in the “Dip Box.”
Hung Dome Procedures
Air Boss or HCO shall ensure all personnel are clear of the landing spot with the exception of the minimum number of maintenance personnel required (approximately four)
Consideration should be given to securing a mattress or padding to the deck either on or adjacent to the landing spot
The LSE should be positioned in the best location to provide signals for placing the dome on the deck.
Conditions will dictate whether the cable will be sheared or the dome lowered to the deck.
Maintenance personnel shall ensure the dome is grounded to prevent electrical shock and will then disconnect the dome from the cable. After the dome is detached, the aircraft will begin a descent and cable shall be walked with two-person integrity away from the landing spot. If there is insufficient POCL to allow maintainers to safely work under the aircraft, the crew may opt to lower the dome onto the padding and then slide over to land. After landing and placement of chocks and chains, the cable should be placed in the aircraft cabin prior to aircraft shutdown.
If at any time, a stable hover cannot be maintained during or after disconnecting the dome and during the descent, the crew shall execute the appropriate emergency procedure to facilitate safe recovery.
Hung Dome Procedures (Rota)
The primary location for executing hung-dome procedures is the grassy area north of taxiway Papa, south of the runway and West of taxiway to B
To shear the dome, crews should consider doing so in the shallow water near Admiral’s Beach.
Crews should minimize flight over populated areas with a hung dome.
Sonar Dipping AWR Requirements
A Level II SO shall be in the helicopter on any flight in which dipping is intended. A Level III SO should be scheduled to the max extent practicable.
Post-installation Maintenance Dips
From shore, shall be conducted in an area with no more than 2000’ water depth to facilitate recovery efforts in the event of a loss of the transducer.
Anti-Exposure Suits
When the OAT corrected for wind chill is greater than 32° F:
At or above 59° F, anti-exposure suit wear is at the discretion of the PIC.
This is reduced down to at or above 55° within the CTR.
Below 55°, anti-exposure suit wear is required for all overwater flight.
During overwater flight outside the CTR (excluding shoreline transits, i.e. southbound to SDR) anti-exposure suit wear is required below 59°.
Shipboard Radius of Action
Shipboard radius of action is 150 nm or maximum reliable navigation or communication range, whichever is less.
Radius of action beyond 150 NM in support of specific operational or tactical training missions may be approved by assigned CVW or Type-Wing Commander when independently deployed, provided deliberate ORM has been conducted.
Time spent beyond 150 NM shall be limited to the minimum required to accomplish mission objectives.
One-Way Flight Radius of Action
Ship-to-ship or shore-to-ship shall be limited to 150nm (or 200nm with a functioning AUX tank).
Ship-to-shore range is 200nm (or 250nm with a functioning AUX tank).
Shore is defined at the nearest point at which a safe landing can be made.
