Singapore legislation
Regulation 81
of Air Navigation (135 — Commercial Air Transport by Helicopters and Small Aeroplanes) Regulations 2018
Regulation 81
Performance applicability — helicopters
Subregulation 1
An AOC holder must ensure that any helicopter that corresponds to one of the following descriptions is operated in accordance with the specified Performance Class:
a helicopter with an MAPSC exceeding 19 must be operated in Performance Class 1;
a helicopter operating to or from a heliport in a congested hostile environment must be operated in Performance Class 1;
a helicopter with an MAPSC exceeding 9 but not exceeding 19 may be operated in Performance Class 1 or 2;
a helicopter with an MAPSC not exceeding 9 may be operated in Performance Class 1, 2 or 3.
Subregulation 2
Before operating a helicopter described in paragraph (1)(a) in Performance Class 1, the AOC holder must ensure that the helicopter is certificated in Category A.
Subregulation 3
Where a helicopter described in paragraph (1)(c) or (d) is to be operated in Performance Class 2, the AOC holder must ensure that —
the helicopter is certificated in Category A; and
if the helicopter is to be operated in a flight phase when an engine failure may cause the helicopter to make a forced landing, the surface below the intended flight path is conducive for a safe forced landing.
Subregulation 4
Where a helicopter described in paragraph (1)(d) is to be operated in Performance Class 3, the AOC holder must ensure that —
the helicopter is certificated in Category B;
the helicopter is not operated under the following circumstances:
when the surface is not in sight;
at night;
when the cloud ceiling is less than 180 m (600 ft) or the visibility is less than 1,500 m;
over an open sea area —
North of 45ºN or South of 45ºS;
between 45ºN or 45ºS, when it is a hostile environment; or
between 45ºN or 45ºS for more than 10 minutes on any one flight; and
if the helicopter is to be operated in a flight phase when an engine failure may cause the helicopter to make a forced landing, the surface below the intended flight path is conducive for a safe forced landing.
Subregulation 5
Despite paragraph (4)(b)(iv), an AOC holder may operate a helicopter described in paragraph (1)(d) in Performance Class 3 over an open sea area if its Operations Manual contains procedures addressing such overwater flights.
Subregulation 6
Despite paragraphs (3)(b) and (4)(c), the Director-General of Civil Aviation may (based on the results of a safety risk assessment conducted by an AOC holder) allow a helicopter to be operated in a flight phase when an engine failure may cause the helicopter to make a forced landing, even if the surface below the intended flight path is not conducive for a safe forced landing.
Subregulation 7
The safety risk assessment mentioned in paragraph (6) must include an assessment of at least the following matters:
the type and circumstances of the operation;
the area or terrain over which the operation is to be conducted;
the probability of, and length of exposure to, a critical engine failure and the tolerability of such an event;
the procedures and systems for monitoring and maintaining the reliability of the engine or engines;
the training and operational procedures to mitigate the consequences of a critical engine failure;
the helicopter equipment.