"Specialized operation" means any operation other than commercial air transport in which the aircraft is used for specialized activities in areas such as agriculture, construction, photography, surveillance, observation and patrol, aerial advertising or other operations as defined in the PES. GEN.005, AMC1 SPO.GEN.005 and GM1 SPO.GEN.005.
The manner of conducting the declaration of specialized commercial air operations and the inclusion of the air operator in the surveillance program is described in Part SPO / LA, Section 1, of the PIAC-OPS procedures "Civil Aeronautics Procedures and Instructions for Air Operations".
A. AACR information
The air operator intending to conduct specialized commercial operations may request a meeting with AACR representatives in order to obtain the necessary information by submitting to AACR information on the intention to conduct such operations.
The meeting takes place between a team established internally in AACR and the responsible manager of the operator.
At this meeting, the operator shall receive information on the regulations, directives, circulars and procedures that he must know and apply. At the request of the applicant, the AACR shall provide it with a package of information necessary to be implemented for the safe conduct of specialized operations.
B. Declaration of specialized commercial operations
In accordance with Art. ORO.DEC.100 of Regulation (EU) no. 965/2012, the air operator must submit to the AACR a statement regarding the conduct of specialized commercial operations, the model of the Declaration being this.
AACR shall verify that the declaration contains all mandatory information and shall, within 10 days of receipt of the declaration, issue information attesting to the air operator's intention to conduct specialized commercial operations.
Before commencing specialized commercial operations, the operator must ensure that all requirements applicable to the operations he intends to carry out are implemented and complied with (example: Part ORO, Part SPO of Regulation (EU) No 965/2012).
The air operator must appoint responsible persons according to ORO.SPO.100 and implement a management system appropriate to the size of the operator, the nature and complexity of its activities, which can be described in the Operations Manual or in a separate document.
The air operator must also develop an Operations Manual in accordance with AMC 4 to ORO.MLR.100 and the Minimum Equipment List for the aircraft it intends to operate.
The air operator is required to inform AACR of any changes to the declaration and / or means of compliance originally submitted, by completing a new declaration.
C. Authorization of specialized high-risk commercial operations
Air operations:
- which are carried out in an area where the safety of third parties on the ground may be endangered in the event of an emergency, or
falling into the category of operations mentioned below: - which involve flights below the minimum safety height provided in SERA / RACR-RA / GD no. 912/2010,
- with helicopters with suspended load,
- with helicopters with external / external payload carried out over areas where third parties on the ground may be endangered,
- outdoor passenger transport (HEC) when the helicopter cannot perform an inoperative engine to maintain the height outside the ground effect,
- performed in order to allow persons other than the flight crew to experience the acrobatic flight,
- calibration,
- cloud seeding,
are specialized high-risk commercial operations.
Air operators who have declared their activity to the AACR and wish to carry out specialized high-risk commercial operations must apply for an authorization prior to the start of such an operation.
The request for granting the HR Authorization is made by submitting by the applicant, at the AACR registry, a standard application, at least 30 days before the proposed start date of the operation. The standard application is completed in Romanian or English by the responsible manager and is accompanied by:
- standard operating procedures (SOPs) developed in accordance with the relevant requirements of Part SPO for each specialized high-risk business operation it intends to conduct,
- documentation on the assessment of the risks associated with the high-risk specialized commercial operations they intend to carry out,
- description of the operator's management system, including the organizational structure and the list of persons responsible for the mandatory managerial posts.
Within 20 days from the date of registration of the application together with the supporting documentation, the applicant shall be informed of the need to modify it and / or to complete / correct the supporting documentation, if necessary.
If it is necessary to modify the application for issuing the HR Authorization and / or to complete / correct the supporting documentation, the above 30-day period runs from the date of registration of the new documentation.
The HR authorization is valid as long as the air operator complies with the provisions of the applicable legislation. If a limited authorization period is requested, the validity of the HR Authorization will not exceed the requested period.
If the air operator intends to amend the HR Authorization, it shall submit to the AACR the request for change accompanied by the documentation affected by the requested changes at least 30 days before the date on which it is intended to start operations under the new conditions. The request for amendment must also contain the conditions under which the air operator operates during the changeover.
In accordance with ARO.OPS.150 (f), if the air operator makes changes without having submitted a risk assessment and / or standard operating procedures amended accordingly, the AACR shall suspend, limit or revoke the HR Authorization.
D. Authorization of high-risk cross-border specialized trade operations
In the case of specialized high-risk cross-border commercial operations conducted by air carriers for which the competent authority is AACR, the above documentation shall be examined by AACR in collaboration with the competent authority of the State in which the operations are intended to take place.
The HR authorization is issued by the AACR only after both authorities have found compliance with the applicable requirements.
E. Ongoing monitoring
After confirming the declaration regarding the development of specialized commercial operations, AACR continuously evaluates and monitors the air operators through inspections / surveillance audits, in order to carry out the operations in safe conditions according to the provisions of the applicable legislation.
For organizations under AACR oversight, the oversight program shall be developed taking into account the specific nature of the organization, the complexity of its activities, the results of previous certification and / or oversight activities and shall be based on an assessment of the associated risks.
AACR is not limited to the objectives of an audit / inspection mission within the meaning of this procedure, may extend the audit / inspection period, may change the frequency and timing of scheduled audits / inspections according to the information and elements available in the ongoing surveillance process. the safety they perform or depending on the nature and / or extent of the air operator's operations and changes thereto.
If during the supervisory inspections deficiencies with multiple implications are found between the air operator's departments, the inspections may turn into an audit of the entire air operator system.
AACR will apply a planning cycle for the supervision of Romanian air operators that carry out specialized operations at least once every 48 months.
Exceptions are air carriers holding an HR Authorization for which the surveillance planning cycle will be 24 months. This planning cycle can be extended to 48 months under AMC1 ARO.GEN.305 (d1).
If the AACR finds that the safety performance of the air operator has decreased or if regulations / amendments have been issued to the applicable regulations that need to be implemented, audits / inspections may be carried out on the air operators concerned whenever it is considered necessary in which case the audits / inspections will be unplanned.
More details regarding the way of supervising the Romanian air operators that have declared their activity are described here.
F. Findings and corrective actions
AACR has a system for analyzing findings in terms of their safety significance, as follows:
- a Level 1 finding is issued when any significant non-compliance with the applicable requirements, the organisation's procedures and manuals or the conditions of an approval or certificate is found, which reduces the level of safety or seriously endangers the safety of the flight.
- a level 2 finding shall be issued when any non-compliance with applicable requirements, the organisation's procedures and manuals or the conditions of an approval or certificate is detected, which could reduce the level of safety or endanger the safety of the flight.
When a non-compliance is issued, the AACR communicates that finding in writing to the organization and requests corrective action to resolve the identified non-compliance (s). The corrective action plan must be formulated so as to allow the identification of the cause of the non-compliance, its correction and the corrective action as well as the time period necessary for the implementation of the proposed corrective action.
In the case of Level 1 findings, the AACR shall take immediate and appropriate measures to prohibit or restrict activities and, where appropriate, take measures to revoke the certificate or specific approval or to limit or suspend it in whole or in part, in depending on the extent of the level 1 finding, until the organization has successfully taken corrective action.
In the case of Level 2 findings, AACR:
gives the organization a deadline for the implementation of corrective actions corresponding to the nature of the finding, which, in any case, does not exceed three months in any case. At the end of this period and depending on the nature of the finding, AACR may extend the period by three months subject to the existence of a satisfactory, previously accepted corrective action plan; and
assess the corrective actions and implementation plan proposed by the organization and, if the evaluation concludes that they are sufficient to resolve the non-compliance (s), accept them.
If an organization does not submit an acceptable corrective action plan or does not execute the corrective action within the timeframe accepted or extended by the AACR, the finding becomes a Level 1 finding and action is taken on this type of non-compliance.