AMC & GM to Part-ORO — Issue 2, Amendment 26
Annex VII to ED Decision 2025/002/R ‘AMC and GM to Part-ORO — Issue 2, Amendment 26’
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Annex I to Decision 2018/009/R of the Executive Director of the Agency of 14 September 2018 is amended as follows:
GM1 ORO.FC.100(c) Composition of flight crew
LICENCE AND RATINGS IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 1178/2011
When determining the composition of the crew, and monitoring whether the flight crew holds the appropriate licence and ratings, the operator needs to take into account any limitations prescribed in Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 applicable to the flight crew members such as, but not limited to, recent experience, privileges for single-pilot and/or multi-pilot operations in single-pilot aircraft, and operational multi-pilot limitation.
AMC3 ORO.GEN.110(f) Operator responsibilities
PROCEDURES FOR THE RELIEF OF FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS IN CAT OPERATIONS
If operating with augmented flight crew, the operator procedures should address all of the following: (a) the responsibilities and command chain in the flight crew compartment during the absence of the commander; (b) the assignment of flight crew member stations or seats to relieving crew members, accounting for different phases of flight, including any possible emergency scenarios and controlled rest periods. The operator should consider all possible crew compositions such as multiple captains operating together, instructors during line training, and possible consequences following an incapacitation. The operator should establish the minimum flight level or altitude below which crew members may not vacate their assigned station for the purpose of transferring duties to another crew member; and (c) any handover and related briefing between flight crew members should cover essential information on command delegation and associated task sharing. The briefing should focus on continuity of the flight.
GM3 ORO.GEN.110(f) Operator responsibilities
BRIEFING BETWEEN RELIEVING FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS
A typical briefing between relieving crew members includes:
(a) the technical status of aeroplane, including fuel;
(b) the navigation and ATC status;
(c) the en route and destination weather;
(d) the alternate airport’s status;
(e) contingency scenarios; and
(f) the cabin status.
AMC1 ORO.FC.230 Recurrent training and checking
RECURRENT TRAINING SYLLABUS
(a) Recurrent training […] (4) Aircraft/FSTD training […] (ii) Helicopters […] (B) Where a suitable FSTD is available and accessible, it should be used to complete the following additional items: — settling with power and vortex ring; — unanticipated yaw (loss of tail rotor effectiveness). Note: Additional guidance on how to deliver training on the recognition of and recovery from the incipient vortex ring state can be found in the EASA Together4Safety Helicopter Flight Instructor Guide. Rationale RMT.0587 During extensive discussions with the Advisory Bodies (R.COM) and competent authorities, it was decided to further clarify the considerations on vortex ring state (VRS) in this AMC. A note with a reference to the Helicopter Flight Instructor Guide published by EASA (Together4Safety) was added. This Guide provides more detailed and practical information and on what is expected in terms of demonstration, instruction and training concerning the recognition and recovery from VRS. In addition, guidance is provided on how to raise the awareness on the risk to encounter VRS in those exercises where VRS is mentioned as a threat.
AMC1 ORO.FC.A.201(a)(2)(ii) In-flight relief of flight crew members
INITIAL CRM TRAINING FOR THE PILOT RELIEVING THE COMMANDER
(a) The initial CRM training for the pilot relieving the commander should include the CRM training elements of the command course specified in point (g) of AMC1 ORO.FC.115.
MINIMUM EXPERIENCE
(b) The operator should define and specify in the operations manual the minimum level of experience for a first officer to be designated to act as pilot relieving the commander.
GM1 ORO.FC.A.201(a)(2)(ii) In-flight relief of flight crew member
SEATING POSITION AND MINIMUM EXPERIENCE OF A PILOT WHO IS RELIEVING THE COMMANDER IN FLIGHT
(a) It is recommended that flight crew members to whom the commander delegates the conduct of the flight remain seated at their natural seating position (for example, a first officer remains seated at the right-hand seat).
(b) Operators, when determining the minimum level of experience of a pilot who is relieving the commander in flight (see AMC1 ORO.FC.201(a)(2)(ii), are recommended to establish a minimum experience of 3 000 hours of flight time.
GM1 ORO.FC.A.201(a)(2)(ii);(iii) In-flight relief of flight crew members
LEADERSHIP AND DECISION-MAKING SKILLS OF THE PILOT RELIEVING THE COMMANDER
It is recommended that, to enhance the leadership and decision-making skills of the pilot relieving the commander, an operator include in its training programme training exercises related to issues identified by the operator’s safety risk management. Examples for such exercises are the initiation of
emergency descent, engine failure in the cruise, smoke control and/or removal, unreliable airspeed indication, total loss of electrical power supply or upset prevention and recovery training.
GM1 ORO.FC.A.201(b)(2)(iii) In-flight relief of flight crew members
TRAINING AND CHECKING OF CRUISE RELIEF CO-PILOTS
(a) Training
The training of a cruise relief co-pilot is the same as the training for co-pilots in accordance with point ORO.FC.230, including take-off and landing exercises in both the PF and PM role.
(b) Checking
(1) As the cruise relief co-pilot may not exercise functions at the control of the aircraft during the take-off, there is no need to check for those manoeuvres neither in the PF nor in the PM role.
(2) However, in unforeseen circumstances, the cruise relief co-pilot may need to exercise functions at the control of the aircraft during landing; thus, a check of the landing manoeuvres at least in the role of the PM is necessary.
Fotnoter
- N o t e t o t h e re a d e r
- In amended, and in particular in existing (that is, unchanged) text, ‘Agency’ is used interchangeably with ‘EASA’. The interchangeable use of these two terms is more apparent in the consolidated versions. Therefore, please note that both terms refer to the ‘European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)’.
- Annex VII to ED Decision 2025/002/R Page 1 of 6
- AMC and GM to Part-ORO Issue 2, Amendment 26
- Rationale RMT.0587
- In the context of the proposed amendments to point FCL.725 and Appendix 9 (licence endorsements for the form of operation in single-pilot aircraft), this GM is amended to further clarify an operator’s responsibilities. Particularly, an operator can assign flight duties involving a particular form of operation (single-pilot or multi-pilot operation in a single-pilot aircraft) to a particular pilot only if that pilot possesses the privileges for that form of operation, in accordance with Part-FCL.
- Rationale RMT.0190
- See NPA 2014-25. The RMT.0190 review group identified the need for additional AMC to illustrate how a proper handover of the aircraft should be conducted when crews are changing in flight. This is consistent with
- Annex VII to ED Decision 2025/002/R Page 2 of 6
- AMC and GM to Part-ORO Issue 2, Amendment 26
- the approach that was taken with EASA RMT.0573 where EASA developed AMC for the handover of operational control personnel (AMC2 ORO.GEN.110(f)).
- Rationale RMT.0190 See NPA 2014-25. This GM is introduced to provide additional recommendations in the context of AMC3 ORO.GEN.110(f) – see the rationale for that AMC. This GM was developed with a group of airlines that have extensive experience in long-haul flight operations. For the focused consultation with the EASA Advisory Bodies (20 June 2022), this draft GM was presented as GM2 ORO.FC.120(f). Based on an internal review, it is renamed into GM3 ORO.FC.110(f), since a GM2 ORO.FC.120(f) was already introduced with ED Decision 2022/014/R. Based on a comment received during the above-mentioned focused consultation, in point (c) in the phrase ‘… briefing between relieving flight crew members…’ the word ‘relieving’ was deleted to clarify that not only the crew members swapping positions are involved but also any other affected crew members. After a final review prior to the publication of the ED Decision, the following changes were made, for clarification and to better reflect today’s best practices: — in point (a), the wording was changed from ‘remaining fuel’ to ‘fuel’, since also other aspects of fuel (e.g. fuel consumption) should be included; — a new point (b) was inserted (navigation and ATC status); — in point (d), the word ‘status’ was added.
- Annex VII to ED Decision 2025/002/R Page 3 of 6
- AMC and GM to Part-ORO Issue 2, Amendment 26
- Rationale RMT.0190
- Annex VII to ED Decision 2025/002/R Page 4 of 6
- AMC and GM to Part-ORO Issue 2, Amendment 26
- See NPA 2014-25. The driver of this AMC is the necessary safety improvement consequential to the accident of Air France 447 (see the Final Report: https://bea.aero/fileadmin/documents/docspa/2009/f-cp090601.en/pdf/fcp090601.en.pdf, Chapter 4 Subchapter 4.3, Recommendation 4.3.5). In reaction to a comment received for NPA 2014-25, and also with regard to the above-mentioned Final Report related to the Air France 447 accident, an additional point (b) is added to ensure that the operator defines the minimum experience needed before relieving the commander in flight. This is in line with recommendation 4.2.1 ‘Relief captain’ in the Air France accident report referred to above.
- Rationale RMT.0190
- Following safety recommendation 4.2.1 ‘Relief captain’ in the Air France accident report referred to in the rationale for the amendments to AMC1 ORO.FC.A.201(a)(2)(ii), this additional GM contains recommendations based on best practices from industry, as analysed by the RMT.0190 rulemaking group. To reduce the complexity of handover procedures, and to allow pilots to perform their delegated commander duties from their usual seating position, point (a) recommends that a ‘relief commander’ remains at his or her more natural seating position. Performing the task from that position is more likely to result in better performance, especially in the case of emergency situations. The minimum experience for ‘relief commanders’ required by different operators’ procedures ranges from 3 000 up to 5 000 hours. In that context, the RMT.0190 RMG concluded that 3 000 hours should be recommended to be considered as a minimum.
- Annex VII to ED Decision 2025/002/R Page 5 of 6
- AMC and GM to Part-ORO Issue 2, Amendment 26
- Rationale RMT.0190 See NPA 2014-25. The GM gives additional guidance on the training for pilots who relieve the commander in flight and is to be seen in the context of AMC1 ORO.FC.A.201(a)(2)(ii). Please refer to the rationale for that AMC. During the focused consultation meeting with the EASA Advisory Bodies (20 June 2022), the introductory part of the second sentence of this GM was changed to clarify that the listed exercises solely constitute examples while it will be entirely up to the operator to design the training, based on its safety risk assessment.
- Rationale RMT.0190 See NPA 2014-25. The RMT.0190 review group concluded that additional GM was necessary to ensure a proper understanding of point ORO.FC.A.201(b)(2), as proposed to be amended. Please also refer to the rationale provided with the draft amendments to point ORO.FC.A.201(b)(2), as included in EASA Opinion No 05/2023 .
- Opinion No 05/2023 - Cruise relief co-pilots | Regular update of flight crew licensing and medical requirements | Better flight crew licensing requirements for general aviation | EASA
- Annex VII to ED Decision 2025/002/R Page 6 of 6