DGCA ATPL Air Regulations cheat sheet

Aircraft Act 1934 (Act XXII of 1934) is the parent statute; its preamble covers control of the manufacture, possession, use, operation, sale, import and export of aircraft.

The Act applies to the whole of India and, for Indian-registered aircraft, is extra-territorial in effect; foreign aircraft are covered while within Indian territory.

Aircraft Rules 1937 are subordinate legislation made by the Central Government under the Act and carry the operational detail: registration, airworthiness, licensing, rules of the air and aerodromes.

Hierarchy of norms: Act > Rules > Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) issued by DGCA > circulars and AIP; a CAR cannot override the Rules.

Rule 3 of the Aircraft Rules 1937 is the definitions rule; 'aircraft', 'aerodrome', 'accident', 'incident' and related terms are defined there and govern the later parts of the Rules.

Institutional split: DGCA is the licensing, airworthiness and operational regulator; BCAS handles aviation security; AAIB investigates accidents; AERA regulates airport tariffs under the AERA Act 2008.

Aircraft (Amendment) Act 2020 gave statutory status to the AAIB (with statutory backing for DGCA and BCAS) and substantially enhanced penalties for contraventions.

Indian civil aircraft carry the nationality mark 'VT' followed by a group of letters (for example VT-ABC), entered in the DGCA register of aircraft.

Chicago Convention 1944 (ICAO Doc 7300) has 96 articles and 19 annexes; Article 1 gives each State complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory.

Article 3: the Convention applies to civil aircraft only; state aircraft (military, customs, police) may not fly over or land in another State without special permission.

Articles 5 and 6: non-scheduled flights have a right of transit and non-traffic stop subject to State conditions, while scheduled international air services need special permission, normally a bilateral air services agreement.

Article 7 (cabotage): a State may refuse a foreign carrier the right to take on traffic for reward between two points within its own territory.

Article 12: over the high seas the ICAO rules of the air apply without exception; each State must apply them to its own aircraft wherever they fly.

Article 29 lists the documents carried on board: certificate of registration, certificate of airworthiness, crew licences, journey logbook, radio station licence, passenger list and cargo manifest.

Articles 32 and 33: licences and certificates are issued or validated by the State of registry and must be recognised by other States if they meet or exceed ICAO minimum standards.

Article 38: a State unable to comply with an International Standard must notify ICAO of the difference; Recommended Practices are desirable but not mandatory.

Article 90: Annexes are adopted by a two-thirds vote of the ICAO Council and take effect in about three months unless a majority of States disapprove; Article 94 amendments need two-thirds of the Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of States.

Nine freedoms exist; bilateral agreements commonly grant 1st/2nd (overflight and technical stop), 3rd/4th (own-country traffic) and sometimes 5th freedom (traffic between two foreign points), while 6th to 9th freedoms are rarely granted.

ICAO Annex 1 defines the licences (PPL, CPL, MPL, ATPL) plus ratings - type or class, instrument, instructor and examiner - together with medical and language-proficiency requirements.

ICAO minimum experience: PPL 40 hours, CPL 200 hours (150 hours in an approved course), ATPL 1,500 hours; minimum ages are 17, 18 and 21 respectively.

In India, flight crew licences are issued by DGCA under CAR Section 7 after written examinations, a skill test with an approved examiner and the appropriate medical assessment.

Privileges: the ATPL holder may act as pilot-in-command and as co-pilot in commercial air transport; the CPL holder may act as pilot-in-command in non-commercial operations and as co-pilot in commercial air transport.

A type rating is required for each multi-pilot or multi-engine type; a class rating covers single-engine aeroplanes; an instrument rating is required to fly IFR in controlled airspace.

Recency: three take-offs and three landings within the preceding 90 days (at night for night passenger carriage) before carrying passengers.

Medical: Class 1 for CPL/ATPL, Class 2 for PPL; Class 1 validity is normally 12 months, shortened in defined cases such as older pilots in single-pilot commercial operations.

English language proficiency at ICAO Level 4 or better is required and is endorsed on the licence with an expiry date.

No aircraft may fly unless it holds a valid certificate of airworthiness issued by DGCA and is maintained in accordance with an approved maintenance programme.

Type certification: an imported aircraft requires DGCA type acceptance or validation, and modifications or repairs require approved design data before fitment.

Airworthiness Directives are mandatory; compliance must be recorded within the stated times, and the aircraft is not airworthy until the directive is embodied.

Indian continuing airworthiness structure: CAR 145 for approved maintenance organisations, CAR M for continuing airworthiness management, CAR 66 for certifying staff and CAR 147 for training organisations.

A Certificate of Release to Service must be issued after maintenance and before flight; work outside the scope of the approval cannot be released.

The MEL, derived from the master MEL with DGCA approval, permits dispatch with specified defects under stated conditions; a defect not in the MEL must be rectified before flight, and the CDL covers missing items.

Records - logbooks, task records, AD and service-bulletin status, mass and balance data - must be kept and made available to DGCA on request.

The certificate of airworthiness lapses on expiry, on failure to comply with maintenance or ADs, or after major damage; DGCA may suspend or revoke it where safety is affected.

An Air Operator Certificate is issued by DGCA under the Aircraft Rules 1937 and CAR Section 3 after assessment of organisation, aircraft, manuals, training and proving flights.

The operator must hold DGCA-approved operations manual, MEL, training programme and a safety management system, with documented quality and occurrence-reporting processes.

The flight and duty time limitation scheme under CAR Section 7 Series J must be approved and reflected in rosters; records of flight time, duty and rest are retained.

Flight time limits: 8 hours in any 24 hours for a two-pilot crew (9 hours with three pilots, 10 hours with four), 100 hours in 30 consecutive days and 1,000 hours in 365 days.

Fuel policy: taxi, trip, contingency, destination alternate where required, and final reserve - 30 minutes holding at 1,500 ft for turbine aeroplanes, 45 minutes for piston aeroplanes.

Take-off, landing and alternate minima must be published in the operations manual; descent below minima requires the specified visual reference, otherwise a go-around or diversion follows.

Before flight the operator must complete the load sheet, confirm mass and balance limits, and ensure passengers are briefed on emergency equipment and procedures.

Occurrences, accidents and serious incidents must be reported under the mandatory occurrence reporting scheme and to AAIB/DGCA as applicable.

India applies ICAO Annex 2 through the Aircraft Rules 1937 and the AIP; an ATC clearance does not relieve the pilot-in-command of responsibility for compliance and safe separation from terrain.

Right of way: converging aircraft - the one with the other on its right gives way; head-on - both turn right; overtaking - the overtaken aircraft has right of way and is passed on the right.

Landing: an aircraft on final approach or landing has right of way over aircraft on the ground; the lower aircraft has right of way but must not cut in ahead of another on final.

Semicircular cruising levels: magnetic track 000–179° uses odd thousands, 180–359° even thousands; VFR adds 500 ft; the transition altitude in India is generally 4,000 ft.

Speed: 250 kt IAS below 10,000 ft in airspace classes C to F unless ATC authorises otherwise; ATC may impose lower speeds.

SSR codes: 7500 unlawful interference, 7600 radio communication failure, 7700 general emergency.

Vertical separation: 1,000 ft below FL290; 2,000 ft at and above FL290 without RVSM; 1,000 ft within the RVSM band FL290–FL410.

Emergency: the pilot-in-command may deviate from the rules to the extent necessary, must inform ATC as soon as practicable and submit a report afterwards.

Airspace classes A to G: Class A is IFR only with all aircraft separated; Class C separates IFR from VFR and VFR from VFR; Class G is uncontrolled with no separation service.

Annex 13: the State of Occurrence institutes the investigation; the States of Registry, Operator, Design and Manufacture may appoint accredited representatives.

Accident: an occurrence between boarding and disembarking in which a person is killed or seriously injured, the aircraft sustains substantial damage or structural failure, or the aircraft is missing or inaccessible.

Serious injury: an injury requiring hospitalisation for more than 48 hours, starting within seven days of the injury, or involving fracture, serious laceration or comparable damage.

Incident: an occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of operations.

In India the AAIB, statutory since 2020 and independent of DGCA, investigates accidents and serious incidents; the sole objective is prevention, not apportioning blame.

The State of Occurrence notifies ICAO of accidents involving aircraft over 2,250 kg maximum mass and sends a preliminary report within 30 days of the accident.

Flight recorders are protected and read out at approved facilities; cockpit voice recorder content is not used for disciplinary purposes except where safety requires.

Mandatory occurrence reporting by operators and pilots supplements accident reporting and feeds safety recommendations to regulators and operators.

Annex 17: each State establishes a civil aviation security programme; India's NCASP is administered by BCAS, with airport security provided through the aviation security group arrangements.

Security measures include screening of passengers, cabin and hold baggage, cargo and mail, access control to security restricted areas, and protection of aircraft and navigation facilities.

Annex 18 and the ICAO Technical Instructions govern dangerous goods; the operator needs a dangerous goods manual and training programme, and the shipper signs a Shipper's Declaration.

Dangerous goods classes: 1 explosives, 2 gases, 3 flammable liquids, 4 flammable solids, 5 oxidisers and organic peroxides, 6 toxic and infectious substances, 7 radioactive, 8 corrosive, 9 miscellaneous including lithium batteries.

Hidden dangerous goods must be declared by the shipper; items such as certain lithium batteries, matches, self-heating substances and aerosols are restricted or forbidden in baggage.

Annex 9 (Facilitation) sets standards for clearance of aircraft, passengers and cargo at borders while preserving effective customs, immigration, health and quarantine controls.

Annex 16 Volume I covers aircraft noise certification (chapters by aircraft type), Volume II engine emissions, Volume III CO2 certification and Volume IV the CORSIA offsetting scheme.

Indian-registered aircraft must meet the applicable noise certification requirements and operators must hold noise documentation and follow airport noise abatement procedures.