Operational Procedures
Operational Procedures
This domain tests the practical conduct of a flight: pre-flight, fuel planning, alternates, MEL, emergencies, search and rescue and dangerous goods.
Flight planning. Fuel must include taxi, trip, contingency, alternate and final reserve. The final reserve is not planned for use; if it looks likely to be used, divert. An alternate is required when destination weather is marginal or when the destination has no instrument approach. The MEL allows dispatch with specified equipment inoperative only if the operator’s approved MEL permits it; it is not a general permission to fly a defective aircraft.
Emergencies and ground operations. Know the memory items for engine failure, fire, depressurisation and electrical failure. ELT activation, evacuation, survival and rescue coordination are part of the syllabus. Dangerous goods must be declared, packed and loaded according to the Technical Instructions; passengers must not carry undeclared dangerous goods.
Worked example
Trip fuel 80 L, taxi 5 L, alternate 13 L, contingency 4 L, final reserve 20 L. Total = 122 L. If the aircraft burns 40 L/h, the final reserve is 30 min. If weather at destination is below the alternate planning minima, the alternate fuel must be carried and the destination cannot be used as the planned alternate.
Traps
Do not treat the final reserve as trip fuel. Do not assume the MEL covers any defect. Do not forget that the alternate may need its own approach and weather minima. Do not plan to land with less than the final reserve.