SPA.HHO.100 Helicopter hoist operations (HHO)
Regulation (EU) No 965/2012
(a) Helicopters shall only be operated for the purpose of CAT hoist operations if the operator has been approved by the competent authority.
(b) To obtain such approval by the competent authority, the operator shall:
(1) operate in CAT and hold a CAT AOC in accordance with Annex III (Part-ORO);
(2) demonstrate to the competent authority compliance with the requirements contained in this Subpart.
SPA.HHO.110 Equipment requirements for HHO
Regulation (EU) 2019/1384
(a) The installation of all helicopter hoist equipment other than a simple PCDS, including any radio equipment to comply with point SPA.HHO.115, and any subsequent modifications, shall have an airworthiness approval appropriate to the intended function. Ancillary equipment shall be designed and tested to the appropriate standard as required by the competent authority.
(b) Maintenance instructions for HHO equipment and systems shall be established by the operator in liaison with the manufacturer and included in the operator's helicopter maintenance programme as provided for by Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014.
AIRWORTHINESS APPROVAL FOR HUMAN EXTERNAL CARGO
(a) Hoist installations that have been certificated according to any of the following standards should be considered to satisfy the airworthiness criteria for human external cargo (HEC) operations:
(1) CS 27.865 or CS 29.865;
(2) JAR 27 Amendment 2 (27.865) or JAR 29 Amendment 2 (29.865) or later;
(3) FAR 27 Amendment 36 (27.865) or later - including compliance with CS 27.865(c)(6); or
(4) FAR 29 Amendment 43 (29.865) or later.
(b) Hoist installations that have been certified prior to the issuance of the airworthiness criteria for HEC as defined in (a) may be considered as eligible for HHO provided that following a risk assessment either:
(1) the service history of the hoist installation is found satisfactory to the competent authority; or
(2) for hoist installations with an unsatisfactory service history, additional substantiation to allow acceptance by the competent authority should be provided by the hoist installation certificate holder (type certificate (TC) or supplemental type certificate (STC)) on the basis of the following requirements:
(i) The hoist installation should withstand a force equal to a limit static load factor of 3.5, or some lower load factor, not less than 2.5, demonstrated to be the maximum load factor expected during hoist operations, multiplied by the maximum authorised external load.
(ii) The reliability of the primary and back-up quick release systems at helicopter level should be established and failure mode and effect analysis at equipment level should be available. The assessment of the design of the primary and back-up quick release systems should consider any failure that could be induced by a failure mode of any other electrical or mechanical rotorcraft system.
(iii) The operations or flight manual contains one-engine-inoperative (OEI) hover performance data and procedures for the weights, altitudes, and temperatures throughout the flight envelope for which hoist operations are accepted.
(iv) Information concerning the inspection intervals and retirement life of the hoist cable should be provided in the instructions for continued airworthiness.
(v) Any airworthiness issue reported from incidents or accidents and not addressed by (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) should be addressed.
Regulation (EU) No 965/2012
Two-way radio communication shall be established with the organisation for which the HHO is being provided and, where possible, a means of communicating with ground personnel at the HHO site for:
(a) day and night offshore operations;
(b) night onshore operations, except for HHO at a helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operating site.
SPA.HHO.125 Performance requirements for HHO
Regulation (EU) No 965/2012
Except for HHO at a HEMS operating site, HHO shall be capable of sustaining a critical engine failure with the remaining engine(s) at the appropriate power setting without hazard to the suspended person(s)/cargo, third parties or property.
SPA.HHO.130 Crew requirements for HHO
Regulation (EU) No 965/2012
(a) Selection. The operator shall establish criteria for the selection of flight crew members for the HHO task, taking previous experience into account.
(b) Experience. The minimum experience level for the commander conducting HHO flights shall not be less than:
(1) Offshore:
(i) 1000 hours as pilot-in-command/commander of helicopters, or 1000 hours as co-pilot in HHO of which 200 hours is as pilot-in-command under supervision; and
(ii) 50 hoist cycles conducted offshore, of which 20 cycles shall be at night if night operations are being conducted, where a hoist cycle means one down-and-up cycle of the hoist hook.
(2) Onshore:
(i) 500 hours as pilot-in-command/commander of helicopters, or 500 hours as co-pilot in HHO of which 100 hours is as pilot-in-command under supervision;
(ii) 200 hours operating experience in helicopters gained in an operational environment similar to the intended operation; and
(iii) 50 hoist cycles, of which 20 cycles shall be at night if night operations are being conducted.
(c) Operational training and experience. Successful completion of training in accordance with the HHO procedures contained in the operations manual and relevant experience in the role and environment under which HHO are conducted.
(d) Recency. All pilots and HHO crew members conducting HHO shall have completed in the last 90 days:
(1) when operating by day: any combination of three day or night hoist cycles, each of which shall include a transition to and from the hover;
(2) when operating by night: three night hoist cycles, each of which shall include a transition to and from the hover.
(e) Crew composition. The minimum crew for day or night operations shall be as stated in the operations manual. The minimum crew will be dependent on the type of helicopter, the weather conditions, the type of task, and, in addition for offshore operations, the HHO site environment, the sea state and the movement of the vessel. In no case shall the minimum crew be less than one pilot and one HHO crew member.
(f) Training and checking
(1) Training and checking shall be conducted in accordance with a detailed syllabus approved by the competent authority and included in the operations manual.
(2) Crew members:
(i) Crew training programmes shall: improve knowledge of the HHO working environment and equipment; improve crew coordination; and include measures to minimise the risks associated with HHO normal and emergency procedures and static discharge.
(ii) The measures referred to in (f)(2)(i) shall be assessed during visual meteorological conditions (VMC) day proficiency checks, or VMC night proficiency checks when night HHO are undertaken by the operator.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
The experience considered should take into account the geographical characteristics (sea, mountain, big cities with heavy traffic, etc.).
CRITERIA FOR TWO PILOT HHO
A crew of two pilots should be used when:
(a) the weather conditions are below VFR minima at the offshore vessel or structure;
(b) there are adverse weather conditions at the HHO site (i.e. turbulence, vessel movement, visibility); and
(c) the type of helicopter requires a second pilot to be carried because of:
(1) cockpit visibility;
(2) handling characteristics; or
(3) lack of automatic flight control systems.
TRAINING AND CHECKING SYLLABUS
(a) The flight crew training syllabus should include the following items:
(1) fitting and use of the hoist;
(2) preparing the helicopter and hoist equipment for HHO;
(3) normal and emergency hoist procedures by day and, when required, by night;
(4) crew coordination concepts specific to HHO;
(5) practice of HHO procedures; and
(6) the dangers of static electricity discharge.
(b) The flight crew checking syllabus should include:
(1) proficiency checks, which should include procedures likely to be used at HHO sites with special emphasis on:
(i) local area meteorology;
(ii) HHO flight planning;
(iii) HHO departures;
(iv) a transition to and from the hover at the HHO site;
(v) normal and simulated emergency HHO procedures; and
(vi) crew coordination.
(c) HHO technical crew members should be trained and checked in the following items:
(1) duties in the HHO role;
(2) fitting and use of the hoist;
(3) operation of hoist equipment;
(4) preparing the helicopter and specialist equipment for HHO;
(5) normal and emergency procedures;
(6) crew coordination concepts specific to HHO;
(7) operation of inter-communication and radio equipment;
(8) knowledge of emergency hoist equipment;
(9) techniques for handling HHO passengers;
(10) effect of the movement of personnel on the centre of gravity and mass during HHO;
(11) effect of the movement of personnel on performance during normal and emergency flight conditions;
(12) techniques for guiding pilots over HHO sites;
(13) awareness of specific dangers relating to the operating environment; and
(14) the dangers of static electricity discharge.
SPA.HHO.135 HHO passenger briefing
Regulation (EU) No 965/2012
Prior to any HHO flight, or series of flights, HHO passengers shall have been briefed and made aware of the dangers of static electricity discharge and other HHO considerations.
SPA.HHO.140 Information and documentation
Regulation (EU) No 965/2012
(a) The operator shall ensure that, as part of its risk analysis and management process, risks associated with the HHO environment are minimised by specifying in the operations manual: selection, composition and training of crews; levels of equipment and dispatch criteria; and operating procedures and minima, such that normal and likely abnormal operations are described and adequately mitigated.
(b) Relevant extracts from the operations manual shall be available to the organisation for which the HHO is being provided.
OPERATIONS MANUAL
The operations manual should include:
(a) performance criteria;
(b) if applicable, the conditions under which offshore HHO transfer may be conducted including the relevant limitations on vessel movement and wind speed;
(c) the weather limitations for HHO;
(d) the criteria for determining the minimum size of the HHO site, appropriate to the task;
(e) the procedures for determining minimum crew; and
(f) the method by which crew members record hoist cycles.