The Air Navigation Order 2016

Helicopters registered in the United Kingdom carrying out Performance Class 3 operations

129.—(1) Without prejudice to article 128(6), a helicopter registered in the United Kingdom carrying out a Performance Class 3 operation must comply with paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5).

(2) The helicopter must not fly over water for the purpose of public transport in the specified circumstances unless it is equipped with the required apparatus.

(3) If the helicopter is equipped with the required apparatus and is flying under and in accordance with the terms of a national air operator’s certificate, it must not fly in the specified circumstances on any flight for more than three minutes except with the permission in writing of the CAA.

(4) If the helicopter is equipped with the required apparatus and is flying on a flight under and in accordance with the terms of a police air operator’s certificate on which—

(a) is carried any passenger who is not a permitted passenger, it must not fly in the specified circumstances on any flight for more than 20 minutes; or

(b) no passenger is carried other than a permitted passenger, it must not fly over water on any flight for more than 10 minutes while more than five minutes from a point from which it can make an autorotative descent to land suitable for an emergency landing.

(5) The helicopter must not fly for the purpose of public transport over that part of the bed of the River Thames which lies between the following points—

(a) Hammersmith Bridge (512918N) (0001351W); and

(b) Greenwich Reach (512906N) (0000043W),

between the ordinary high water marks on each of its banks unless it is equipped with the required apparatus.

(6) A helicopter registered in the United Kingdom which is specified in its flight manual as being in either Group A or Category A may fly for the purpose of public transport in accordance with the weight and related performance requirements prescribed for helicopters carrying out Performance Class 3 operations if—

(a) the maximum take-off mass for the helicopter is less than 3,175kg; and

(b) not more than nine passengers are carried.

(7) For the purposes of this article, flying time must be calculated on the assumption that a helicopter is flying in still air at the speed specified in the flight manual for the helicopter as the speed for compliance with regulations governing flights over water.

(8) In this article—

“permitted passenger” means—

(a)

a police officer;

(b)

an employee of a police authority in the course of their duty;

(c)

a medical attendant;

(d)

the holder of a valid pilot’s licence who intends to act as a member of the flight crew of an aircraft flying under and in accordance with the terms of a police air operator’s certificate and who is being carried for the purpose of training or familiarisation;

(e)

a CAA Flight Operations Inspector;

(f)

a Home Office police aviation adviser;

(g)

an employee of a fire and rescue authority under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004(1);

(h)

an Officer of Revenue and Customs;

(i)

an employee of the Ministry of Defence in the course of their duty; or

(j)

such other person being carried for purposes connected with police operations as may be permitted by the CAA;

“required apparatus” means apparatus approved by the CAA enabling the helicopter to which it is fitted to land safely on water; and

“specified circumstances” means, in respect of a helicopter, circumstances in which it is more than 20 seconds flying time from a point from which it can make an autorotative descent to land suitable for an emergency landing.

(1)

2004 c.21.