AMC1 21L.A.127(b) Obligations of the declared production organisation and AMC1 21L.A.177(b) Obligations of the declared design organisation

FLIGHT TEST OPERATIONS MANUAL (FTOM)

(a)     General

(1)     Scope: The FTOM covers flight-test operations.

The FTOM complexity should be proportionate to the organisation complexity’s as well as to the complexity of a particular aircraft.

(2)     Format

The FTOM may:

be included in the declared production organisation’s (DPO) / declared design organisation’s (DDO) documents; or

be a separate manual.

The FTOM may make reference to other documents to cover the contents listed in point (b) below (e.g. for record-keeping).

(3)     Use by subcontractors

When flight tests are performed by subcontractors, they should comply with the FTOM of the declared production or design organisations, unless they have established an FTOM in compliance with Part 21 or Part 21 Light, the use of which has been agreed between the two organisations.

(b)     The FTOM should contain the following elements:

(1)     Exposition

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 staff 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 the coordination for the establishment and update of flight-test programmes.

(2)     Risk and safety management

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

(e.g. see additional guidance on the EASA webpage at https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/domains/general-aviation/documents-guidance-and-examples)

(3)     Crew members

According to the flight-test category, the FTOM should describe the organisation’s policy on the composition of the crew and the competence and currency of its flight-test pilots, including procedures for appointing crew members for each specific flight.

Note: For flight tests performed for demonstration-of-compliance activities required by points 21L.A.25 and 21L.A.44, the flight crew conditions or restrictions are part of the flight conditions approved by EASA. As part of the investigations required under point 21L.B.242, EASA will also check the flight crew qualifications to ensure that the flight testing can be conducted safely.

All crew members should be listed in the FTOM.

A flight time limitation policy should be established.

(4)     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 onboard 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 (for the definition of the flight categories, refer to Appendix XII to Annex I (Part 21) to this Regulation).

(5)     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.

(6)     Documents

The FTOM should list the documents to be produced for flight testing, and include (or refer to) the procedures for their issuance, 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. certification flight, production flight);

—    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 board the aircraft during flight test;

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

(7)     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 issuance of permits to fly in accordance with Part 21 Light Subpart P (and by reference to Part 21 Subpart P).

(8)     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.

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, may be an acceptable means of compliance to demonstrate currency for a pilot that holds a flight-test rating.