Just a note that NCO is not valid for Annex II, where the old national regulations still apply. Each nation is of course free to use NCO also on Annex II, but I don’t think anyone has done it yet?
The actual regulation (I think, I’m not a Lawyer!) : http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32016R1199&from=MT
NCO.OP.190 is replaced by the following:
‘NCO.OP.190 Use of supplemental oxygen
(a) The pilot-in-command shall ensure that all flight crew members engaged in performing duties essential to
the safe operation of an aircraft in flight use supplemental oxygen continuously whenever he/she
determines that at the altitude of the intended flight the lack of oxygen might result in impairment of the
faculties of crew members, and shall ensure that supplemental oxygen is available to passengers when lack
of oxygen might harmfully affect passengers.
(b) In any other case when the pilot-in-command cannot determine how the lack of oxygen might affect all
occupants on board, he/she shall ensure that:
(1) all crew members engaged in performing duties essential to the safe operation of an aircraft in flight use
supplemental oxygen for any period in excess of 30 minutes when the pressure altitude in the the
passenger compartment will be between 10 000 ft and 13 000 ft; and
(2) all occupants use supplemental oxygen for any period that the pressure altitude in the the passenger
compartment will be above 13 000 ft.’;
europaxs wrote:
However the compulsory use of O2 any time >13.000ft remains.
I believe this not to be true, According to the doc from PPL/IR (https://www.pplir.org/using-the-rating/1072-part-nco). I dug into it a bit and in fact all part-NCO documents are dated way earlier than July 2016, and indeed I did find the relevant regulation on the official EU website.
PPL/IR part below, on O2.
Part-NCO originally required the use of oxygen by flight crew members above FL130, or above FL100 for more than 30 mins, with an equivalent requirement for the oxygen supply to be carried. This is more restrictive than the historic UK national requirement, which only requires oxygen above FL130.
However, the oxygen carriage requirements have been revised (by Regulation 2016/1199 of 22 July 2016, again as a result of Europe Air Sports’ intervention) to align with the ICAO Annex 6 Part II standards, which apply a more safety-objective based rule with only guidance on the levels at which oxygen must be used.
The pilot-in-command is required to ensure that the crew are not impaired by hypoxia, and that passengers are not harmfully affected by it, by using oxygen. The pilot-in-command can make a judgment on this (for example by using a pulse oximeter), but the rule also provides for specific levels (FL130, or FL100 for more than 30 mins) if the pilot cannot or does not want to make that judgment.
Bookworms interpretation on this is different.
The pilot-in-command is required to ensure that the crew are not impaired by hypoxia, and that passengers are not harmfully affected by it, by using oxygen. The pilot-in-command can make a judgment on this (for example by using a pulse oximeter), but the rule also provides for specific levels (FL130, or FL100 for more than 30 mins) if the pilot cannot or does not want to make that judgment.
In Germany it was according to § 11 LuftBO only necessary to breath supplemental O2 >30 minutes >12.000ft, according to NCO one has to use supplemental O2 >30 minutes >10.000ft. However the compulsory use of O2 any time >13.000ft remains.
ArcticChiller wrote:
Maintenance is not affected by NCO as such, the transponder/static system check etc. remains, as far as I know (because NCO is part of the Air Operation Regulation and you are asking about continuing airworthiness).
I agree. However, the connection IMHO lies in documents carried. If the practice was to have some sort of “certificate” proving such check was completed, it won’t be on the list. So they can’t really demand you present it.
A DME is however really desirable because many non GPS approaches use it.
You should take a look at the maintenance forum, there are a couple threads about this topic. Short answer: No you don’t need a DME, except you actually need it for example because an approach requires it. Maintenance is not affected by NCO as such, the transponder/static system check etc. remains, as far as I know (because NCO is part of the Air Operation Regulation and you are asking about continuing airworthiness).
ArcticChiller wrote:
Autopilot/DME/ADF/Dual Altimeters/Slaved Gyro/and much more not required anymore for single pilot IFR and the whole IFR certification got removed.
Our club was considering fitting a DME to another one of our planes in order to make it IFR capable – is this no longer necessary?
What about the annual checks of the IFR necessary equipment, is that being impacted?
