Hours

[Toni]

Hi!

I just would like to know if there are some exceptions of hours a Pilot can fly per day ,month ....for exemple in the fire season.

 

Thank''s

 

Toni

[downwash]

There is some relief, Toni, but what is your current understanding of your limits?

[Toni]

Hi Downwash!

I was just wondering if a Pilot flys 8 hours(I think thats what you are alowed to fly per day) fighting fires.Is he alowed to fly more hours if the fire is getting realy bad and there are no other Pilots available to replace him?And if yes how many and how long is that ok, till he has to get a day off or two.....

I hope that's better posted!

Thank's

Toni

[downwash]

Toni

 

Each province applies its own restrictions to the CARs limitations (e.g. Alberta allows 10 hours per day for the first 3 days of a fire, then reverts to 8 a day like most of the rest), so you need to check with the Air Ops type in your district for the provincial limitations.

 

Firefighting is generally done under '703' in which you can fly 60 hrs. in 7 days and 150 in 30 days, after which you require 5 days off. If you don't hit 150 in 30, you can fly to 210 hrs. in 42 days, after which the 5 days off are a must.

 

There's a lot more detail involved than this, and I recommend that, aside from studying the CARS on their web site, you get hold of a computer program called 'FltDuty XLS' designed by an ATR tanker pilot named Eric Bradley. He can be reached at:

 

EB Productions

453 Waterloo Row

Fredericton, NB E3B 1Z6

 

Cheers, DW

[Randy_G]

DW I've used FLTDUTY.XLS and it works great.

 

As an addittion to what DW wrote, you still need to have 13 days off in any 90 day period. I also heard that TC has been going around checking to see if the flight time/duty time/days off records are up to date.

 

Cheers

[deuce bigalow]

FYI... due to the extreme fire conditions in BC and the possibility of double crewed machines being unable to work the max daylight hours TC has provided waivers to some companys on the duty times. I don't have the exact details at my fingertips but can post them later. Question. Didn't the duty restrictions come into play in the first place because of pilots crashing due to fatigue on fires. So we only have the restrictions in place when we don't need them. When the hours get high we get waivers. Now I'm really confused.

[407 Driver]

I received the TC waiver from BCFS. It basically reads....

 

-3 days off in 30 is out, replaced with 6 off in 60 (ie...54 days straight, 6 off). 13 days off in 90 remains.

 

-150 hours in 30 days is out, replaced by 300 hours in 60 days,

 

- 8 hour per day max, 12 hour duty day max.

 

This exemption expires on Sept 30, 03.

[100ft]

I'm with Deuce and was going start a topic on this issue today myself.

 

I spoke to a pilot for a major operator the other night who told me his company's max of 150 hrs/ 30 days has been changed to 180/30 in light of the current fire situation. I must question this line of thinking as well.

 

Put yourself in the shoes of a 900 hour pilot in BC (where Prov contracts call for 1000 hrs pic) who is fresh and ready to bring his proficient longlining skill to the fire. She/he sees their co-workers nearing time expiry as the fires continue to rage so wonders if gov't policy will have to be changed to allow competent sub-1000 hr pilots into the fray. Instead, what happens is his 1300 hr co-worker is now told she/he can push it even further with extended hours as the 900 hr pilot sits in the hanger reading heli forums waiting for the odd non-gov't charter.

 

Please offer any corrections or thoughts on this as I feel as though I am either mis-informed or just confused. If my facts are straight, is safety being put first here?

 

Is government again contributing to the industry's ever widening gap between veteran hightime pilots and the boatload of lowtimers at the other end with few mid-timers in between?

 

100'

[Randy_G]

Valid point 100'. What about the mandatory 25 hour mountain course requirement ?? There are many of us who've done non-forestry work in several of the affected areas, but can't help out because of this requirement. I understand the reasoning behind their decision for the course, but refusing reasonably qualified crews is a little short-sighted in my opinion.

 

Cheers

[Blackmac]

100 foots & Randy G.

 

Goods points both of you, you would think that HAC would look after the problem. OH, I forgot they are owners, not in there best interest.

 

It is the old question of supply and demand, think about it.

 

Someday all you guys will smarten up and form some kind of an assoc. to talk to the regulators on your behalf.

 

This not only a regulation problem by the people that are not doing the actual flying. It is also a safety concern that should be addressed by the insurance companies.

 

It doesn't take the preverbial rocket scientist to figure out that a pilot can only hack so much.

 

I can remember doing 8 hours/day on gravity survey, five days/week and the contractor was wondering why I would'nt fly Sat & Sun. I did this for three months. One of the stupid periods of my life.

 

Oh ya, I was also doing my own maint., 206B on floats.