Basscheffers crossing Bass Strait

[Guest Qwerty]

Basscheffers

 

I think that I have found it below.

 

In AIP Enroute section Paragraph 77

 

77. FLIGHTS OVER WATER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

77.7 SAR Alerting:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a. VFR flights may choose to operate on reporting schedules for

 

 

 

 

 



the over‐water stages of a flight. Schedules may be arranged

 

 

 

 

 



before commencing the over‐water stage and terminate on

 

 

 

 

 



completion of the crossing.

 

 

 

 

 



b. VFR aircraft not equipped with radio which will enable continuous

 

 

 

 

 



communication, or not radio equipped, must carry a survival

 

 

 

 

 



beacon as prescribed in CAO 20.11, for the over‐water

 

 

 

 

 



stages of the flight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From CAO 20.11

 

5.2 Life rafts

 

 

5.2.1 An aircraft that is flown over water at a distance from land greater than the permitted

 

 

 

distance must carry, as part of its emergency and lifesaving equipment, sufficient life

 

 

 

rafts to provide a place in a life raft for each person on board the aircraft.

 

 

 

5.2.1.1 For the purposes of paragraph 5.2.1, the permitted distance is:

 

 

 

(a) in the case of an aircraft that has:

 

 

 

(i) 4 engines; or

 

 

 

(ii) 3 turbine engines; or

 

 

 

(iii) 2 turbine engines and complies with section 20.7.1B;

 

 

 

a distance equal to 120 minutes at normal cruising speed, or 400 miles, whichever

 

 

 

is the less; or

 

 

 

(b) in any other case — a distance equal to 30 minutes at normal cruising speed, or

 

 

 

100 miles, whichever is the less.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAO 20.11 in paragraph 5.1 says

 

5.1 Life jackets

 

 

 

 

 



5.1.1 Aircraft shall be equipped with 1 life jacket for each occupant when the aircraft is

 

 

 

over water and at a distance from land:

 

 

 

(a) in the case of a single engine aircraft — greater than that which would allow the

 

 

 

aircraft to reach land with the engine inoperative; and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it, basically no distance restriction, but you need life jackets and a radio or ELT .

 

It is common practice to follow the islands.

 

So when are we going to see you on this side of the pond.

 

Cheers, Qwerty

 

77.1 Aircraft engaged in PVT, AWK, or CHTR operations, and which are

 

 

 

 

 

 

normally prohibited by CAR 258 from over‐water flights because of

 

their inability to reach land in the event of engine failure, may fly

 

over water subject to compliance with the conditions in this section.

 

These conditions are additional to the requirements for flight

 

over land.

 

77.2 In the case of passenger‐carrying CHTR operations, the distance

 

from land areas suitable for an emergency landing must not exceed

 

25NM. In the case of helicopters, a fixed platform or a vessel

 

suitable for an emergency landing, or for seaplanes an area of

 

water suitable for an emergency landing and located adjacent to

 

land may be considered acceptable for this requirement.

 

77.3 There is no limitation for PVT, AWK or freight‐only CHTR operations.

 

77.4 Each occupant of the aircraft must wear a life jacket during the

 

flight over water unless exempted from doing so under the terms of

 

CAO 20.11.

 

77.5 A meteorological forecast must be obtained.

 

77.6 VFR flights are required to submit a SARTIME flight notification to

 

ATS or leave a Flight Note with a responsible person.

 

 

 

 

 

[sain]

Umm... if its an RA-Aus plane then the rules are probably different (see http://www.raa.asn.au/operations/9555.pdf (CAO 95.55, but 95.10 and 95.32 have the same wording) basically gives a 20Km max distance from land - if your plane is fitted with floatation devices capable of keeping it afloat, and you and your passenger is wearing a life jacket. If you don't have that then its max glide or 20Km, whichever is the lesser.

 

 

[Matt]

Interesting thread...many an RA-Aus aircraft has flown to and from Tasmania via either Flinders Island or King Island using overwater sked calls as per ERSA requirements for Bass Straight crossings. I'm sure Eugene has an opinion on it, I believe he's done it himself a few times.

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Crap.... I was under the impression that Para 77 of AIP applied. I'll call Eugene when the Tax Office finally let me off hold.

 

 

[sain]

Actually having a look at google earth then its entirely possible to fly the aus to tas (or reverse) without ever being more than 20Km from land (for a given definition of land - some of the islands probably arn't big enough to land on). So its at least technically possible to do it. I believe you can also apply for an exemption, though I have no idea what the process would be.

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

I spoke to Eugene...its complicated but for us, for now, we operate under the 20 km rule in CAO 95.55 Cl 5.1 © (i).

 

Bass strait crossings are legal (thank god, I've done 20 odd).

 

So....there is nothing stopping you. Get a life jacket, a wx report, set up over water skeds with air services and come on down.

 

I appologise for the eariler mix up, I sometimes get confused between what I do under RAAus and what I do with my PPL, It takes a bit of keeping up with.

 

Cheers, Qwerty

 

 

[sain]

Thanks for the word-from-eugene, its nice to have the official clarification.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

I spoke to Eugene...its complicated but for us, for now, we operate under the 20 km rule in CAO 95.55 Cl 5.1 © (i).Bass strait crossings are legal (thank god, I've done 20 odd).

Did he say why they are legal? Because there are some rocks that you would prefer to avoid in favour of a ditching that count as "land"?

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to do it and I would feel perfectly happy to take a well maintained aircraft over much longer crossing, equipped with proper safety gear. Just curious.

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

The regs say somewhere that the land is to be suitable for a landing. Landing on some of the islands would probably not be pretty. But legal just the same.

 

Part of the "complicated" that I was refering to is that Eugene is going to present a case for RAAus regs for over water flight to refer to the GA regs which will make life easier.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

The regs say somewhere that the land is to be suitable for a landing. Landing on some of the islands would probably not be pretty. But legal just the same.

I don't think these are suitable to land on! :) But ditching right next to them and hopfully climbing on to them does sound safer than open water.

I do hope we get the same rules as GA for overwater. It'll make it easier for me to go west from here without a detour.

 

 

[turboplanner]

I recall seeing, in the last couple of years, the island route spelled out, island by island via the Flinders Island route from Gippsland, possibly in a magazine, possibly GA, but for the life of me can't remember. Someone may be lucky with a google search.

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Turbo, here's the Bass Strait route

 

Cape Portland

 

Cape Barren Is

 

Flinders Is

 

Deal Is

 

Hogan Is

 

Cliffy Is

 

Wilsons Prom (or Yarram to say gday to Jim and David and for fuel)