CASA 68/18 — GNSS Navigation Under the V.F.R. (CGG Aviation) Instrument 2018 (Cth)

Instrument number CASA 68/18

I, PETER MICHAEL WHITE, Executive Manager, Regulatory Services & Surveillance, a delegate of CASA, make this instrument under subregulation 174D (1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 and regulation 11.245 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.

[Signed P. White]

Peter White
Executive Manager, Regulatory Services & Surveillance

26 September 2018

CASA 68/18 — GNSS Navigation Under the V.F.R. (CGG Aviation) Instrument 2018

1Name

                 This instrument is CASA 68/18 — GNSS Navigation Under the V.F.R. (CGG Aviation) Instrument 2018.

2          Duration

                 This instrument:

(a)   commences on the day after it is registered; and

(b)   is repealed at the end of 30 September 2021.

3          Definitions

Note   In this instrument certain terms and expressions have the same meaning as they have in regulation 2 of CAR and the CASR Dictionary, including: AGL, AIP, alternate aerodrome, crew member, positive position fix, radio navigation aid, TSO and V.F.R.

                 In this instrument:

CGG Aviation means CGG Aviation (Australia) Pty Ltd, ARN 511067.

GNSS means the Global Navigation Satellite System.

RAIM means Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring.

regulated operation means an operation:

(a)   conducted under the V.F.R.; and

(b)   over the ocean below 2 000 feet AGL; and

(c)   for which navigation is conducted partially or wholly using GNSS navigation equipment.

4          Direction — CGG Aviation

                 For regulation 11.245 of CASR, CGG Aviation must ensure that it does not conduct a regulated operation unless:

(a)   the pilot in command of the aircraft for the operation has been served with a copy of this instrument; and

(b)   an up-to-date copy of the operations manual for the GNSS equipment is carried in the aircraft for the operation; and

(c)   a suitable crew member for the operation has been nominated to accurately maintain the line plot mentioned in paragraph 6 (3) (a); and

(d)   the operation is planned with the maintenance of a special fuel reserve of not less than 50 minutes flight time, in addition to CGG Aviation’s mandated 60 minutes reserve, that is sufficient to enable the aircraft at any time during the operation to:

             (i)  track directly to the coast; and

            (ii)  navigate either to an alternate aerodrome mentioned in paragraph (e) or to CGG Aviation’s operating base; and

(e)   the operation is planned to ensure that, at all times during the operation, there are suitable alternate aerodromes that can be reached while preserving the special fuel reserve mentioned in paragraph (d); and

(f)    CGG Aviation’s chief pilot has been notified that the pilot in command of the aircraft for the operation intends to conduct the operation using GNSS navigation equipment.

Note 1   For paragraph (a) and section 6 below, paragraph 174D (3) (b) of CAR provides that an instruction under regulation 174D of CAR that is not issued in the form of a Civil Aviation Order does not bind a person until it has been served on the person or published in NOTAMS or the AIP.

Note 2   For regulation 11.250 of CASR, the direction ceases to be in force when this instrument is repealed.

5          Direction — CGG Aviation chief pilot

                 For regulation 11.245 of CASR, a person performing the duties of chief pilot for CGG Aviation must not dispatch an aircraft for a regulated operation unless the chief pilot is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the pilot in command of the aircraft is competent to operate the GNSS navigation equipment fitted to the aircraft for the operation.

Note   For regulation 11.250 of CASR, the direction ceases to be in force when this instrument is repealed.

6          Instructions — subregulation 174D (1) of CAR

        (1)     Use of GNSS navigation equipment is specified to:

(a)   navigate the aircraft during a regulated operation; and

(b)   obtain positive position fixes for the aircraft during the operation.

        (2)     Before commencing a regulated operation, the pilot in command must ensure that the aircraft for the operation meets the equipment requirements mentioned in:

(a)   subsection 3 (2) of instrument CASA 27/16, as in force from time to time, or any instrument that is expressed to replace instrument CASA 27/16; and

(b)   Advisory Circular 21-36, as it exists on the day this instrument commences.

Note   Instrument CASA 27/16 is a legislative instrument available at Advisory Circular 21-36 is a non-legislative instrument available at

        (3)     During a regulated operation, the pilot in command must ensure that:

(a)   at 15 minute intervals, a line plot of the aircraft’s position is recorded by reference to the aircraft position indicated by the GNSS navigation equipment and the time at which that position is recorded; and

(b)   the aircraft is at all times able to track directly to the coast and then navigate to either CGG Aviation’s operating base or an alternate aerodrome, within the special fuel reserve mentioned in paragraph 4 (d); and

(c)   if the GNSS navigation equipment malfunctions or issues a RAIM warning, the pilot:

             (i)  causes the aircraft to promptly climb above the published lowest safe altitude; and

            (ii)  uses dead reckoning navigation or a radio navigation aid, or both, to track directly to the coast and then to an alternate aerodrome or CGG Aviation’s operating base.

        (4)     In subparagraph (3) (c) (ii), dead reckoning navigation means the estimating or determining of position by advancing an earlier known position by the application of direction, time and speed data.