AMC2 SPA.HEMS.130(f)(1) Crew requirements

HEMS TECHNICAL CREW MEMBER TRAINING AND CHECKING SYLLABUS

INITIAL AND RECURRENT TRAINING COVERING PRIMARY TASKS

(a)     The HEMS technical crew member initial and recurrent training and checking syllabus required by SPA.HEMS.130(f)(1) and covering primary tasks as defined in point (b) of AMC1 SPA.HEMS.130(e), and tasks required by the operator’s refuelling procedure in compliance with SPA.HEMS.155, and meeting the objectives of points (e)(3) and (f)(2) of SPA.HEMS.130 should include the following items:

(1)     Applicable laws and regulations;

(2)     Helicopter general knowledge:

(i)      stowage, cabin safety and use of on-board medical equipment;

(ii)     general knowledge of helicopter operations;

(3)     Meteorology;

(4)     Operational procedures:

(i)      company procedures;

(ii)     duties in the HEMS role;

(ii)     response to HEMS dispatch;

(iii)     HEMS operating site selection and use;

(iv)     patients;

(v)      portable electronic devices and electronic flight bags, as applicable;

(5)     Crew coordination including checklists;

(6)     Human performance and limitations, CRM;

(7)     Flight safety:

(i)      general flight safety in helicopter operations;

(ii)     obstacle and traffic clearance;

(iii)     handling of abnormal and emergency situations including checklists;

(iv)     dangerous goods (DGs), as relevant for HEMS operation;

(8)     Security.

NAVIGATION TRAINING

(b)     If the HEMS technical crew member is tasked to provide assistance in navigation, as defined in AMC1 SPA.HEMS.130(e), points (c)(1) and (c)(2), the initial and recurrent training and checking syllabus should also include the following items:

(1)     applicable parts of SERA, as relevant to the navigation tasks of the HEMS crew member;

(2)     basic navigation training;

(3)     navigation aid principles and use;

(4)     airspace, restricted areas, and noise-abatement procedures;

(5)     crew coordination.

COMMUNICATION TRAINING

(c)      If the HEMS technical crew member is tasked to provide assistance in radio communications as defined in AMC1 SPA.HEMS.130(e), points (c)(2) and (c)(3), the initial and recurrent training and checking syllabus should also include the following items:

(1)     operation of relevant radio equipment;

(2)     crew coordination.

MONITORING TRAINING

(d)     If the HEMS technical crew member is tasked to provide assistance in monitoring the flight path and instruments as defined in AMC1 SPA.HEMS.130(e), point (c)(5), the initial and recurrent training and checking syllabus should also include the following items:

(1)     general knowledge of helicopter operations;

(2)     monitoring function;

(3)     crew coordination;

(4)     handling of abnormal and emergency situations, as applicable.

GROUND CREW TRAINING

(e)     If the HEMS technical crew member is tasked to provide assistance to the helicopter on the ground as defined in AMC1 SPA.HEMS.130(e), point (d), the initial and recurrent training and checking syllabus should also include the following items as applicable to their tasks:

(1)     safety and security at the HEMS operating site;

(2)     the dangers to self and others of rotor running helicopters, including loading of patients;

(3)     preparing the helicopter and specialist medical equipment for subsequent HEMS departure;

(4)     conducting refuelling, and conducting refuelling with rotors turning;

(5)     marshalling signals;

(6)     safety on the aerodrome/operating site, including fire prevention and ramp safety areas;

(7)     towing of helicopter/trolley.

ADDITIONAL TRAINING (as appropriate)

(f)      The initial and recurrent training and checking syllabus should also include the following items as relevant to the operations:

(1)     HEMS HEC cargo sling operations, as defined in AMC1 SPA.HEMS.105(b);

(2)     hoist operations, as defined in SPA.HHO;

(3)     NVIS, as defined in SPA.NVIS;

(4)     IFR/PBN.

CONVERSION COURSE GROUND TRAINING AND CHECKING WHEN CHANGING HELICOPTER TYPES OR CHANGING OPERATORS

(g)     The conversion course ground training and checking when changing helicopter types should include the elements of (a) to (f) above that are relevant to the new helicopter type.

(h)     The conversion course ground training and checking when changing operators should include the elements of (a) to (f) above that are relevant in the context of changing operators.

INITIAL AIRCRAFT/FSTD TRAINING

(i)      The technical crew member training syllabus should include helicopter/FSTD training focusing on crew cooperation with the pilot.

(1)     The initial training should include at least 4 hours instruction dedicated to crew cooperation unless:

(i)      the HEMS crew member has undergone this training under another operator; or

(ii)     the HEMS crew member has performed at least 50 missions in HEMS or equivalent role as a technical crew member.

(2)     The training described in (1) above should be organised with a crew composition of one pilot and one technical crew member.

(3)     The training may be combined with the line flying under supervision.

LINE FLYING UNDER SUPERVISION

(j)      Line flying under supervision

(1)     Line flying under supervision should take place during the operator’s conversion course.

(2)     Line flights under supervision provide the opportunity for a HEMS technical crew member to practise the procedures and techniques he or she should be familiar with, regarding ground and flight operations, including any elements that are specific to a particular helicopter type. Upon completion of the line flying under supervision, the HEMS technical crew member should be able to safely conduct the flight operational duties assigned to him or her according to the procedures laid down in the operator’s operations manual.

(4)     For the conversion course that takes place when joining the operator, line flying under supervision should include a minimum of five sectors. These sectors should include a minimum of one low-height en-route transit and a minimum of three HEMS operating sites that the technical crew member is not familiar with.

RECURRENT AIRCRAFT/FSTD TRAINING

(k)     Recurrent helicopter/FSTD training

(1)     The recurrent training should focus on crew cooperation and include a minimum of 2 hours of flight.

(2)     The training described in (1) above should take place in the same conditions as the initial training in (i) above.

(3)     The validity period of the aircraft/FSTD training should be 12 calendar months.

LINE CHECKS

(l)      Line checks

(1)     The line check should be performed during a HEMS mission. If practically necessary, because of the difficulty to anticipate an actual HEMS activity or a cabin layout or helicopter performance making it difficult to carry an extra person, a helicopter flight representative of a HEMS mission may be carried out for the purpose of the line check.

(2)     The operator’s conversion course should include a line check. The line check should take place after the completion of the line flying under supervision.

(3)     Any task-specific items may be checked by a suitably qualified HEMS technical crew member nominated by the operator and trained in CRM concepts and the assessment of non-technical skills.

OPERATOR PROFICIENCY CHECKS

(m)    Operator proficiency checks

(1)     The HEMS technical crew member should complete an operator proficiency check to demonstrate his or her competence in carrying out normal, abnormal and emergency procedures, covering the relevant aspects associated with the flight operational tasks described in the operations manual and not already covered in the line check.

(2)     The conversion course should include an operator proficiency check.

(3)     The operator proficiency check should be valid for a given helicopter type. In order to consider an operator proficiency check to be valid for several helicopter types, the operator should demonstrate that the types are sufficiently similar from the technical crew member’s perspective.

PROVISION OF TRAINING AND CHECKING

(n)     Use of FSTDs

(1)     The line check and line flying under supervision should be performed in the helicopter.

(2)     Notwithstanding (1), the operator may perform the line check in two parts, in a suitable FSTD and on ground, if all of the following conditions are met:

(i)      The FSTD part of the line check takes place in a line-oriented evaluation;

(ii)     The ground part of the line check takes place at the HEMS operating base and includes all normal operating procedures not checked in the FSTD;

(iii)     Both parts of the line check are conducted within 3 months of each other;

(iv)     For the purpose of AMC1 SPA.HEMS.130, the line check is considered to be performed on the day when the last part of the line check is completed;

(v)      For the purpose of (ii), the operator should arrange to replicate realistic conditions as much as practicable, so that normal operating procedures that take place on ground at the HEMS operating site are also checked.

(3)     Operator proficiency checks and aircraft/FSTD training should be performed in an suitable FSTD or, if it is not reasonably practicable to gain access to such devices, in an aircraft of the same type.

(o)     Emergency and safety equipment training should be performed in a representative training device or in an aircraft of the same type.

(p)     The type of equipment used for training and checking should be representative of the instrumentation, equipment and layout of the aircraft type operated by the crew member.

(q)     Training and checking in the aircraft/FSTD should take place as part of the normal crew complement.

(r)      The person conducting the training and checking should be a suitably qualified commander nominated by the operator. In the case of the training described in (i)(1) and (k)(1) above, the person conducting the training should have a minimum experience of 350 hours in either multi‑pilot operations or single-pilot operations with a HEMS technical crew member or a combination of these. The person conducting a CRM assessment should be trained in CRM concepts and the assessment of CRM skills.

(s)      Notwithstanding (r), the person conducting the training and checking of tasks conducted in the cabin where crew cooperation is not essential may be a suitably qualified technical crew member nominated by the operator.

CRM ASSESSMENT OF THE HEMS TECHNICAL CREW MEMBER

(t)      A CRM assessment should take place during the line check or should take place annually in a line-oriented flight scenario (LOFT or line-oriented section of the OPC) of an FSTD session in a suitable FSTD. The CRM assessment in the helicopter should take place as described for pilots in AMC1 ORO.FC.230 point (b)(3)(vi) or (b)(3)(vii).

[applicable from 25 May 2024 — ED Decision 2023/007/R]