AMC to 21.A.143, 21.A.243, 21.A.14(b), 21.A.112B(b) and 21.A.432B(b) Flight Test Operations Manual (FTOM)

ED Decision 2017/024/R

1.       General

a.       Scope: The FTOM covers flight test operations.

The FTOM complexity should be proportionate to the aircraft and the organisation complexity.

b.       Format

The FTOM may:

—    be included in the Design Organisation Approval (DOA)/Production Organisation Approval (POA)/Alternative Procedure to DOA (APDOA) documents, or

—    be a separate manual.

The FTOM may make reference to other documents to cover the contents listed below, e.g. for record-keeping.

c.       Use by contractors or sub-contractors:

When flight tests are performed by contractors or sub-contractors, they should comply with the FTOM of the primary organisations, unless they have established an FTOM in compliance with Part 21, the use of which has been agreed between the two organisations.

2.       The FTOM should contain the following elements:

a.       Exposition (not applicable in the case of APDOA):

         If the FTOM is presented as a separate document, it should include a chart indicating the structure of the organisation and, more specifically, the functional links of the people in charge of flight test activities. It should also mention the coordination between all departments affecting flight test, e.g. Design Office, Production and Maintenance, in particular coordination for the establishment and update of a Flight Test Programme.

b.       Risk and safety management:

         The FTOM should describe the organisation’s policy in relation to risk and safety assessment, mitigation and associated methodologies.

c.       Crew members:

According to the flight test category, the FTOM should describe the organisation’s policy on the composition of the crew (including the need to use a Lead Flight Test Engineer (LFTE)) and the competence and currency of its flight test crew members, including procedures for appointing crew members for each specific flight.

All crew members should be listed in the FTOM.

A flight time limitation policy should be established.

d.       Carriage of persons other than crew members:

According to the flight test category, the FTOM should describe the organisation’s policy in relation to the presence and safety on-board, of people other than crew members (i.e. with no flying duties).

People other than crew members should not be allowed on board for Category 1 flight tests.

e.       Instruments and equipment:

         The FTOM should list, depending on the nature of the flight, the specific safety-related instruments and equipment that should be available on the aircraft or carried by people on board.

         The FTOM should contain provisions to allow flights to take place in case of defective or missing instruments or equipment.

f.       Documents:

The FTOM should list the documents to be produced for flight test, and include (or refer to) the procedures for their issue, update and follow-up to ensure the documents’ configuration control:

(i)      documents associated with a Flight Test Programme:

—    Flight Order for a given flight, which should include:

—    a list of the tests to be performed and associated conditions;

—    safety considerations relevant to the flight;

—    category of the flight (e.g. Category 1);

—    composition of the crew;

—    names of persons other than crew members;

—    aircraft configuration items relevant to the test to be highlighted to the crew;

—    loading of the aircraft;

—    reference to approved flight conditions; and

—    restrictions relevant to the flight to be highlighted to the crew.

—    Flight crew report.

(ii)     documentation and information to be carried on the aircraft during flight test;

(iii)     record-keeping: the FTOM should describe the policy relative to record-keeping.

g.       Permit to fly:

The FTOM should describe the involvement of the flight test organisation or flight test team (as appropriate) in the process for the approval of flight conditions and the issue of permits to fly in accordance with Subpart P.

h.       Currency and training:

         The FTOM should describe how training for flight test is organised.

         Currency of the flight test crew may be ensured either through recent experience or refresher training.

For aircraft for which Appendix XII is applicable, minimum flight experience by year should be:

—    for pilots: 50 hours. In addition:

—    for pilots with a flight test rating, the 50 hours should include 20 flight test hours in any flight test category.

—    for pilots performing a Category 3 flight test, the flight test experience should be expressed in terms of a number of flights leading to the issue of a Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) (e.g. first flights).

—    for pilots performing a Category 4 flight test, the minimum flight test experience should be proportionate to the activity envisaged.

—    for LFTEs: 10 flight test hours in any flight test category.

The FTOM should specify the requirements for a refresher training in order to ensure that crew members are sufficiently current to perform the required flight test activity.

A system should be established to record the currency of the flight test crew’s training.

A valid national document (i.e. licence), issued by an EASA Member State under its national regulations and ensuring compliance with the agreed currency requirements, is an acceptable means of compliance to demonstrate currency for a pilot that holds a flight test rating and for an LFTE.