Jump to content

Important - Tc Releases Draft Of New Flight Duty Time Regulations


Freewheel
 Share

Recommended Posts

Bulletin – September 15, 2014

Transport Canada About to Release DRAFT F&DT Regulations

On Monday September 15, we are led to believe that Transport Canada will be releasing the first draft of new Flight & Duty Time Regulations for the Commercial and Business Aviation Communities. It has been almost two years since the Flight & Duty Time Working Group Report was tabled in the CARAC process, over the objections of HAC and eight other allied regional and National Associations.

With the exception of the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) all the national and regional associations in Canada representing the interests of Commercial and Business Aviation joined forces in opposition to the Recommendations contained in the Fatigue Risk Management Working Group Report [read the Working Group Report - http://www.h-a-c.ca/F&DT_WG_Final_Report.pdf.

Nine Associations including the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC), Association québécoise du transport aérien (AQTA), Aviation Alberta (AA), British Columbia Aviation Council (BCAC), Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA), Manitoba Aviation Council (MAC), Northern Air Transport Association (NATA), and the Saskatchewan Aviation Council (SAC), and the Helicopter Association of Canada (HAC), joined forces to reject the Recommendations contained in the report. Read the Dissent – attached.

The content of the draft Regulations has been a closely-held secret, but HAC and its allies will be reviewing the regulations this week, and planning our the next-steps in our advocacy efforts based on their content. Stay tuned for more.

Fred L. Jones BA LLB
President and CEO
Helicopter Association of Canada
“Bringing the Industry Together”

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just finished reading the document and all I can say is HOLY CRAP !!!

 

These new rules are 100% taylor-made for the airline industry and don't take into account anything we do as bush pilots. I think they will have impacts that go well beyond our industry as they will drive up the cost of any work conducted in remote places (exploration, scientific research, firefighting, etc.)

 

If these changes go through as-is, our industry will be changed fundamentally. We'll be limited to 15 day tours (including travel which will be considered as duty time). We'll be limited to 60 hours of duty time per 7 days (that's an average of 8.5 hours per day).

 

In terms of immediate impacts, this means that a/c that are now single-crewed on most jobs (averaging 12 hours work days) will need to be double-crewed to cover the period customers will want to use the a/c, and jobs where a/c run 24/7 with two pilots will now need three. Where will operators find the additional (qualified) pilots ? The additional travel costs alone for moving crews in and out of jobs alone will be enormous. Our ability to earn a decent living in these conditions will be severely impacted.

 

I can just see the looks on the faces of forestry guys when they're told they can only get 8 hours of flying per day out of a guy.

 

There's a call for comments at the end of the document. We have until October 3 to send our comments to carrac@tc.gc.ca . I think we all need to send notices of opposition to this thing ASAP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't agree with everything Transport is trying to change. I don't see the big problem, more time off, more time at home with the family, more jobs for pilots, more rest when on the job.

I don't care about the customers they will have to deal with the new regs. They will because the work

will still be there. Oil and gas exploring, mining, is not going to stop, the forest fires will still

happen. Everythings not going to come to a stand still. ASRD will have to get their act together which is almost impossible for them, for starting times and crew pick-up making sure they have enough pilots with a duty time and flight time available to get the job done. Double crewing will only be for

certain types of work and with shorter tours not all that bad. I'm not worried about my paycheck as

like you have said there will be a shortage of pilots for a time which should keep salaries up.

Company's may have to spend more money on training but these costs should be passed along to the

customers. This will give me a better life, spending less time at work.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Imagine flying only 7 or 8 hours per day, with a maximum of 36 hours in 6 days...and 2 days off in every 14. Presently that is how it is in the US. Now, I do NOT support all of the new Canadian regulations, or even those in the US...however we must all realise (crews, owners AND customers) that the rules will be getting tighter. Petitions like this will probably (hopefully) ease the change....but the change IS coming.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Imagine flying only 7 or 8 hours per day, with a maximum of 36 hours in 6 days...and 2 days off in every 14. Presently that is how it is in the US. Now, I do NOT support all of the new Canadian regulations, or even those in the US...however we must all realise (crews, owners AND customers) that the rules will be getting tighter. Petitions like this will probably (hopefully) ease the change....but the change IS coming.

"IMAGINE" is right. I think your imagining things. While I am not opposed to change either, these changes are extreme. most pilots in CANADA aren't doing 7 or 8 hours of flying In a 14 hour duty day never mind an 8.5 hour duty day. By your reasoning: Should I assume you are currently doing 13 hours of flying in a 14 hour duty day

 

In the summer months in Canada, on a typical day with 14 hours daylight, clients will be forced to have 2 pilots on site with more crew changes. This will add significant cost to their programs, so I doubt they'll be flying the machines twice as much (more likely the opposite). Often, the most costly component of their program is the helicopter (and crew), so I expect they will have less money for each of the programs and subsequently less programs.

 

The US market is entirely different. 10 times the population in a smaller country. Higher population density leads to different types of work. In Canada 90% if our land mass is remote and uninhabited. How many pilots do you know doing news patrols and commercially operated Medivac flights in Canada? These pilots likely go home to their families every night, while most canadian pilots go back to their tent in the bush. Just because they change the regs doesn't mean the work will change and you'll all of a sudden have yourself a 9-5 job with weekends off (with the same pay or better).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...