Air Crew Regulations
During the EURAC meeting in October 2007, FRA stressed that coalition commanders had difficulties in planning, tasking and executing tactical airlift missions on operations due to different rules for crew employment. During the subsequent debate, it was highlighted that those discrepancies between national rules can even hamper operations. The EAG was identified as an organization which could conduct a study into the subject and provide recommendations for possible solutions.
A formal letter to the EAG from the EURAC secretary dated 26 Feb 2008 confirmed EURAC’s request to conduct a study on the topic. The Director EAG tasked the EAG staff to start work in order to:
- provide a comparison between the air transport rules (per transport aircraft or type equivalent) of employment existing in various EURAC member nations,
- focus on crew employment rules as a first step,
- propose feasible ways of harmonizing air forces’ regulations.
The conclusion of the study (Annex A, Annex B, Annex C) was presented during the EURAC meeting held in Budapest in August 2008. The EAG recommended developing common air crew employment regulations for multinational operations for fixed-wing tactical air transport that would be forwarded to nations for approval. The recommendation was accepted and the EAG was asked to:
- provide a set of draft regulations for air crew employment in multinational operations for fixed-wing tactical air transport,
- propose definitions and time limits to be applied during operations,
- not to stretch the limits but to harmonize in order to gain operational flexibility while taking account of sound risk management and flight safety issues,
- forward a draft to EURAC for individual national staffing and approval.
Draft regulations were presented and endorsed during EURAC in ROME in September 09. Also a draft Technical Arrangment (TA) as one possible way to implement the regulations was presented.
Although EURAC took ownership of the Project, the EAG was tasked, at the EAG Working Group Meeting on 9 November 2010, to continue to assist the EATC in the area of Air Crew Regulations.
