Seaplane Landing Sites

FUSETRA Malta 24/09/2010FUSETRA Malta 24/09/2010

Presentation by

Barry Lightening

Flight Operations Manager

Harbour Air Malta

Seaplane Landing Sites


A five point plan

FUSETRA

needs to negotiate with

EASA

for a smoother and more efficient

commercial seaplane operation.


A European controlled

and

regulated system

of

approving seaplane operating bases

so as to be

acceptable for all commercial operations.

They should have an accepted method of

classification regarding risk assessment

FUSETRA Malta 24/09/2010

Harbour Air Landing Sites

Harbour Air Malta operate to;

2 Base Stations

&

5 Satellite Stations




Accident/Incident Free

Harbour Air Malta has completed

3009 Accident/Incident free commercialflights from water bases.

2004 From Grand Harbour Valletta, a busy commercial harbour

955 From an almost open sea environment at Mgarr. A busy area for ferries and leisure boating.


Accident/Incident Free

88 Commercial movements from Sliema, this during the extremely busy tourist activity by commercial pleasure cruises.

6 Other commercial operations into other areas.

3009 operations or, 6018 commercial take off and landings on water bases


Landing Sites

APPROVED

OR

LICENCED


Landing Sites

Article 207 UK ANR

Aircraft must not take-off or land at a place in the UK other than;

a) An aerodrome licenced under this order for the take-off & landing of such aircraft

b) A Government aerodrome notified as available for the take-off & landing of such aircraft,


Landing Sites

ICAO Annex 14ICAO Annex 14


Landing Sites

Does not differentiate

between

LAND

and

WATER

AS A SURFACE


The

CAA

DEFINES THAT

AN AERODROME

CAN BE

AN AREA OF WATER

Landing Sites


As commercial seaplane operators we have more to do than just run the operations of

the carrier.

We are responsible for the management of our landing sites

Landing Sites


Landing Sites

This includes:

Passenger Handling:

Docking:

Security:

Fuel Farm Management:

Load Control:

Emergency Planning:

Rescue & Fire Fighting Services


Landing Sites

Responsibility for monitoring Third Parties Operating within the boundaries of

Landing Sites

Include:

Tenants & concessionaries under lease:

Fuel Farms:

RFFS:


If the operations of third parties gives cause for concern to the regulating authority, it would then have to take action with the party it regulates:

Namely:

The operating company

Landing Sites


Landing SitesLanding Sites

The licencing

criteria for land aerodromes are

inappropriate in some areas,

But are based on existing

aerodrome criteria


Landing Sites

Seaplanes require

more flexibility

in choosing

optimum areas of water

for

take-off and landing


An applicant for a licence

would be assessed

on the ability

to

meet the

relevant

requirements


The primary licencing factors for a landing site

Include:

• the physical characteristics of the operating environment

• Mooring procedures, and

• Rescue & fire fighting services (RFFS)

•


One fundamental licencing requirement remains the same.

The licence holder must;


ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN AN

APPROPRIATE

Safety Management System

(SMS)


The landing site criteria are designed to cater for;

• Day VFR operations only

They do not cater for;

• IMC conditions

And currently operations by seaplanes of performance A & B


In addition to aviation legislation

• A seaplane in contact with the water is subject to maritime legislation;

• Including the INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS for the PREVENTION OF COLLISIONS AT SEA.


Other Authorities

Where appropriate, applicants for a landing site should consult with those

bodies that have a regulatory or statutory interest in the use of, or in the

operation of, a landing site within the licenced area


Other Authorities

These would include:-

• A Maritime Authority

• Coast Guard Agency

• Ports Authority

• Health & Safety Executives

• Environmental Agency

• National Parks

• Transport Security


SECURITY

• All commercial flight activities with an MATW of 10tonnes or more or with more than 19 seats, and de facto the locations that they operate from, are subject to:

EU Regulation

2320/02

On aviation security


Landing Site Dimensions

Determine the lateral. longitudinal & sloping planes of the airspace & ground/water surfaces surrounding the ‘runway’ that

should be kept free of obstacles.

We need a reference code, which is based on the largest aircraft likely to be

operating.

We use the Twin Otter



The code determined from the table using the CAA CAP 168 is-

2BTherefore the minimum strip width must be

23 meters



Movement Area

This is an area of land or water on which seaplane operations may take place

Maneuvering Area

One or more maneuvering areas may be established within the Movement Area


Maneuvering Area

In most cases the maneuvering area must be large enough to provide a choice of

Take-off & landing direction.

For the purposes of this presentation it is termed;

‘omni-directional’


Maneuvering Area

In other cases such as on rivers, narrow lochs and even in some harbours, it is

appropriate to provide a maneuvering area

That caters for take-off &landing in one direction & its reciprocal.

This is termed;

‘bi-directional


Maneuvering Area

The maneuvering areas should be

• Square

• Rectangular, or

• Rhomboidal

& the minimum width will be coded W1,W2 or W3.

In Harbour Air Malta we use code W2 to cater for the Twin Otter


Maneuvering Area

No matter what the shape of the area, it must encompass all parts of the water surface intended for the taking off &

landing of seaplanes


Reference Point & Elevation

The landing site ‘Aerodrome Reference Point’

(ARP) should be located at the planned

geometric centre of the maneuvering area.

The landing site ‘Aerodrome Reference Elevation’

(ARE) should be determined at the ARP.

This elevation should be determined from the

Chart Height or the lowest recorded water level

converted to an elevation in metres above

Ordnance Datum.


Take-off Climb, Approach & Transitional Surfaces

for Bi-directional Maneuvering Area

Direction of take-off & landing

10%

Transition Surface

Transition Surface

Lines of Equal

Height

Take-off climb

or approach

area

Origin of Take-off climb or approach

surface


Origin of Take-off Climb or Approach Surface

• This should be established in the direction of take-off or landing.

• The elevation of the inner edges of both surfaces equal to ARE.

• For W2 maneuvering areas this must originate 60m from the appropriate runway centre line & slope upwards & outwards until reaching their limiting distance


Obstacle free zone where code number is 1 or 2

Plan

6%

Portion of the strip

10%

90m Portion of Approach

Side Surface. Slope 1:2.5

Baulked Landing Surface

1500m

60m Landing Distance Available + 60m

1143m

Profile

Approach Surface 1:40

Side Surface

Baulked Landing Surface 1:25


Rescue & Fire Fighting Service



CAP 168 Chapter 11

Procedures for the enhancement of passenger & crew post-accident survival must be developed, & facilities in terms of

staff & equipment must be provided,.



CAP 168 Chapter 11

Within the provision of the procedures & facilities, account must be taken of the

effect that variable environmental conditions might have on the ability of the RFFS to respond rapidly to accidents &

incidents


Rescue & Fire Fighting ServiceRescue & Fire Fighting Service

CAP 168 Chapter 11

A rescue vessel must be provided and must be of a design and size that would allow

survivors to be brought aboard, or it should be equipped with an adequate

number of floatation devices of a design that would enable survivors to remove

themselves from the water



CAP 168 Chapter 11

RFFS Personnel must receive initial and concurrent competence-based training

relevant to their role & task,

&

Must at all times be physically capable of performing the tasks expected of them


Emergency PlanningEmergency Planning

CAP 168 Chapter 11

The objectives of emergency

planning outlined for land

aerodromes apply equally to a

water aerodrome.


Emergency Planning

The emergency plan must consider the particular hazards associated with seaplane operations, including:

• Passenger evacuation into a further life-threatening environment;

• The onset of hypothermia, and its associated effects

• Toxicity & respiratory effects following ingestion of fuel and oils


Emergency Planning

Additional guidance on seaplane

accidents in the water

Is outlined in

Appendix 6 to the ICAO Airport

Services Manual (Doc 9137) Part 7


Aerodrome Manual


Aerodrome Manual

• The manual is a key document for the Aerodrome Management ,the National Aviation Authority, and the appropriate Maritime Authority.

• Supported by the safety report, it is the safety assurance document for the Authorities, and a management tool for the industry


Aerodrome Manual

CAP 168

The landing site management is responsible for providing the aerodrome manual.

The management must be satisfied as to the appropriateness of each provision of the manual to the particular operation.


Aerodrome Manual

The safety aim & objectives of the Manual & how it is to be used by employees should be stated in a preface by the aerodrome

management.

The manual must demonstrate from the highest level, a commitment to the way in

which safety will be managed


Aerodrome Manual

• The manual must contain such information & instructions as may be necessary to enable the operating staff to perform their duties.

• One of the principal objectives should be to create a medium for promulgating allprocedures & information relating to safe management.


Aerodrome Manual

As a general guide, the following

paragraphs set out the items

which should be included in the

Manual.


Aerodrome Manual

1. Introduction (This section will contain a short explanation of the general terms in the Manual including job titles and abbreviations.

2. Technical Administration. (This should include an organisation chart showing the hierarchy of responsibility for safety management).


Aerodrome Manual

3. Aerodrome Characteristics

4. Operational Procedures

5. Visual Aids

6. Rescue and Fire Fighting Services

7. Integrated Emergency Planning

8. Air traffic Services

9. Communications

10.Bibliography


Documents

Seaplane Landing Sites