Air Operators and Aircraft Certification: or why there are 2 distinct levels of safety in aviation

What is an “airline transport category certified aircraft” then?

First, in safety terms all aircraft are not created equal.

Second, contrary to popular opinion, the number of engines and pilots is NOT a measure of relative safety. I.E. it is possible for an aircraft to have two engines and two pilots and be less safe than another two engine two pilot aircraft or even with only one of each.

The regulatory authorities around the world have agreed that for reasons of safety and economy there should be two levels of safety and certification for aircraft.

Safe or Safest. The choice is yours.

Safe.

The basic or “safe” level is for what are commonly termed “General Aviation” category aircraft which are certified to what is known as Federal Aviation Regulation Part 23. These are the airworthiness standards for normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter category airplanes. The regulatory upper weight limit for these types is set at 12,500 lbs or 5,700kgs maximum takeoff weight

The underlying regulatory premise for this “safe” category is that the pilots and their passengers are “fully informed” of the higher safety risks involved than is available in the “safest”. This higher level of risk and assumed consent is offset by a lower cost and level of pilot training, aircraft, design, manufacture and operation. Typically these are your Piper, Cessna and Beechcraft piston twins and Piper Cheyenne, Cessna Conquest and Beechcraft King Air turboprops.

In simple terms these types are not required to have the redundant systems, structural design and installed power of the “safest” types nor do they or are they required to have the ability to operate normally with an engine failed other than in level flight at 5,000 ft. An engine failure during takeoff and any other phase of flight is a serious event and potentially life threatening. The manufacturers generally warn the pilot, that continuing a take off into the air with an engine failed, is the least desirable of the other options.

Regardless of the relative skill and level of training of the pilot, he/she cannot make an aircraft perform what it is not designed nor required by law to do.

Safest.

The “safest” level is for what are commonly termed “Transport” or airline category aircraft which are certified to what is known as Federal Aviation Regulation Part 25. These are the airworthiness standards for transport (airline) category airplanes used for the transport of fare paying passengers. The regulatory lower weight limit for these types is set at 12,500 lbs or 5,700kgs maximum takeoff weight. Our fanjet Challenger and fanjet Citation are certified in this category.

The underlying regulatory premise for this “safest” category is that the passengers are “not informed” of the safety risks involved in any category of flight. In this instance the Government via the Regulator, in the Australian case the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, assumes the burden of risk assessment on behalf of the public or fare paying passenger. Naturally this is set at a much higher level and requires more stringent certification and regulation.

In simple terms these types are required to have two engines, two pilots trained and checked biannually on type, redundant systems, the highest practical level of structural design and sufficient installed power to enable the aircraft to operate normally with an engine failed in all phases of flight. The aircraft is designed such that an engine failure during takeoff and any other phase of flight is neither a serious event nor potentially life threatening. The aircraft design and the pilots training ensures that the probability of any single event or combination of events compromising the safe conduct of the flight to a safe landing on a suitable runway is as low as is reasonably possible.

Flight crew training (2 pilots in the cockpit) at this level is rigorous and uses the same full motion flight simulators as the airlines to assure that an engine failure or any other non normal event in any phase of flight is dealt with as routinely, calmly and professionally as possible. The pilots can safely train in the simulator for events and combinations of events not possible in the real aircraft and that in all probability they will never see in their entire flying lives, but if they do they are ready for it.

This is only possible in the “safest” or “airline transport category certified aircraft” and that is the only level Revesco chooses to offer.