AMC2 CAT.IDE.A.345 Communication and navigation equipment for operations under IFR or under VFR over routes not navigated by reference to visual landmarks    

CAA ORS9 Decision No. 1

ACCEPTABLE NUMBER AND TYPE OF COMMUNICATION AND NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT

(a) An acceptable number and type of communication and navigation equipment is:

(1) one VHF omnidirectional radio range (VOR) receiving system, one automatic direction finder (ADF) system, one distance measuring equipment (DME), except that an ADF system need not be installed provided that the use of ADF is not required in any phase of the planned flight;

(2) one instrument landing system (ILS) or microwave landing system (MLS) where ILS or MLS is required for approach navigation purposes;

(3) one marker beacon receiving system where a marker beacon is required for approach navigation purposes;

(4) area navigation equipment when area navigation is required for the route being flown (e.g. equipment required by Part-SPA);

(5) an additional DME system on any route, or part thereof, where navigation is based only on DME signals;

(6) an additional VOR receiving system on any route, or part thereof, where navigation is based only on VOR signals; and

(7) an additional ADF system on any route, or part thereof, where navigation is based only on non-directional beacon (NDB) signals.

(b) Aeroplanes may be operated without the navigation equipment specified in (6) and (7) provided they are equipped with alternative equipment. The reliability and the accuracy of alternative equipment should allow safe navigation for the intended route.

(c) The operator conducting extended range operations with two-engined aeroplanes (ETOPS) should ensure that the aeroplanes have a communication means capable of communicating with an appropriate ground station at normal and planned contingency altitudes. For ETOPS routes where voice communication facilities are available, voice communications should be provided. For all ETOPS operations beyond 180 minutes, reliable communication technology, either voice-based or data link, should be installed. Where voice communication facilities are not available and where voice communication is not possible or is of poor quality, communications using alternative systems should be ensured.

(d) To perform IFR operations without an ADF system installed, the operator should consider the following guidelines on equipment carriage, operational procedures and training criteria.

(1) ADF equipment may only be removed from or not installed in an aeroplane intended to be used for IFR operations when it is not essential for navigation, and provided that alternative equipment giving equivalent or enhanced navigation capability is carried. This may be accomplished by the carriage of an additional VOR receiver or a GNSS receiver approved for IFR operations.

(2) For IFR operations without ADF, the operator should ensure that:

(i) route segments that rely solely on ADF for navigation are not flown;

(ii) ADF/NDB procedures are not flown;

(iii) the minimum equipment list (MEL) has been amended to take account of the non- carriage of ADF;

(iv) the operations manual does not refer to any procedures based on NDB signals for the aeroplanes concerned; and

(v) flight planning and dispatch procedures are consistent with the above mentioned criteria.

(3) The removal of ADF should be taken into account by the operator in the initial and recurrent training of flight crew.

(e) VHF communication equipment, ILS localiser and VOR receivers installed on aeroplanes to be operated in IFR should comply with the following FM immunity performance standards:

(1) ICAO Annex 10, Volume I - Radio Navigation Aids, and Volume III, Part II - Voice Communications Systems; and

(2) acceptable equipment standards contained in EUROCAE Minimum Operational Performance Specifications, documents ED-22B for VOR receivers, ED-23B for VHF communication receivers and ED-46B for LOC receivers and the corresponding Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) documents DO-186, DO-195 and DO-196.