Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012Show full title

[F1 SECTION 4 U.K. Balloons

NCO.IDE.B.100 Instruments and equipment — general U.K.

(a) Instruments and equipment required by this Subpart shall be approved in accordance with the applicable airworthiness requirements if they are: U.K.

(1)

used by the flight crew to determine the flight path;

(2)

used to comply with NCO.IDE.B.145; or

(3)

installed in the balloon.

(b) The following items, when required by this Subpart, do not need an equipment approval: U.K.

(1)

independent portable lights;

(2)

an accurate time piece;

(3)

first-aid kit;

(4)

survival and signalling equipment.

(c) Instruments and equipment not required by this Subpart as well as any other equipment that is not required by other Annexes, but is carried on a flight, shall comply with the following: U.K.

(1)

the information provided by these instruments or equipment shall not be used by the flight crew to comply with Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008; and

(2)

the instruments and equipment shall not affect the airworthiness of the balloon, even in the case of failures or malfunction.

(d) Instruments and equipment shall be readily operable or accessible from the station where the flight crew member that needs to use it is assigned. U.K.

(e) All required emergency equipment shall be easily accessible for immediate use. U.K.

NCO.IDE.B.105 Minimum equipment for flight U.K.

A flight shall not be commenced when any of the balloon instruments, items of equipment or functions required for the intended flight are inoperative or missing, unless:

(a)

the balloon is operated in accordance with the MEL, if established; or

(b)

the balloon is subject to a permit to fly issued in accordance with the applicable airworthiness requirements.

NCO.IDE.B.110 Operating lights U.K.

Balloons operated at night shall be equipped with:

(a)

position lights;

(b)

a means to provide adequate illumination for all instruments and equipment essential to the safe operation of the balloon;

(c)

an independent portable light; and

(d)

for hot air airships the following:

(1)

a landing light; and

(2)

an anti-collision light.

NCO.IDE.B.115 Operations under VFR — flight and navigational instruments and associated equipment U.K.

Balloons operated under VFR by day shall be equipped with the following:

(a)

a means of displaying drift direction; and

(b)

a means of measuring and displaying:

(1)

time in hours, minutes and seconds;

(2)

vertical speed, if required by the AFM; and

(3)

pressure altitude, if required by the AFM, if required by airspace requirements or when altitude needs to be controlled for the use of oxygen.

NCO.IDE.B.120 First-aid kit U.K.

(a) Balloons shall be equipped with a first-aid kit. U.K.

(b) The first-aid kit shall be: U.K.

(1)

readily accessible for use; and

(2)

kept up-to-date.

NCO.IDE.B.121 Supplemental oxygen U.K.

Balloons operated at pressure altitudes above 10 000 ft shall be equipped with an oxygen storage and dispensing apparatus carrying enough breathing oxygen to supply:

(a)

crew members for any period in excess of 30 minutes when the pressure altitude will be between 10 000 ft and 13 000 ft; and

(b)

all crew members and passengers for any period that the pressure altitude will be above 13 000 ft.

NCO.IDE.B.125 Hand fire extinguishers U.K.

(a) Balloons shall be equipped with at least one hand fire extinguisher, if required by the applicable certification specifications. U.K.

(b) The type and quantity of extinguishing agent for the required fire extinguishers shall be suitable for the type of fire likely to occur in the balloon where the extinguisher is intended to be used and to minimise the hazard of toxic gas concentration for the occupants of the balloon. U.K.

NCO.IDE.B.130 Flight over water U.K.

The pilot-in-command of a balloon operated over water shall determine the risks to survival of the occupants of the balloon in the event of a ditching, based on which he/she shall determine the carriage of:

(a)

a life-jacket for each person on board, or equivalent individual floatation device for each person on board younger than 24 months, that shall be worn or stowed in a position that is readily accessible from the station of the person for whose use it is provided;

(b)

when carrying more than 6 persons, an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) capable of transmitting simultaneously on 121,5 MHz and 406 MHz;

(c)

when carrying up to 6 persons, an ELT or a personal locator beacon (PLB), carried by a crew member or a passenger, capable of transmitting simultaneously on 121,5 MHz and 406 MHz; and

(d)

equipment for making the distress signals.

NCO.IDE.B.135 Survival equipment U.K.

Balloons operated over areas in which search and rescue would be especially difficult shall be equipped with such signalling devices and life-saving equipment as appropriate to the area overflown.

NCO.IDE.B.140 Miscellaneous equipment U.K.

(a) Balloons shall be equipped with protective gloves for each crew member. U.K.

(b) Hot-air balloons and mixed balloons shall be equipped with: U.K.

(1)

an alternative source of ignition;

(2)

a means of measuring and indicating fuel quantity;

(3)

a fire blanket or fire resistant cover; and

(4)

a drop line of at least 25 metres (m) in length.

(c) Gas balloons shall be equipped with a knife U.K.

NCO.IDE.B.145 Radio communication equipment U.K.

(a) Where required by the airspace being flown, balloons shall be equipped with radio communication equipment capable of conducting two-way communication with those aeronautical stations or those frequencies to meet airspace requirements. U.K.

(b) Radio communication equipment, if required by (a), shall provide for communication on the aeronautical emergency frequency 121,5 MHz. U.K.

NCO.IDE.B.150 Transponder U.K.

When required by the airspace being flown, balloons shall be equipped with a secondary surveillance radar (SSR) transponder with all the required capabilities.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Inserted by Commission Regulation (EU) No 800/2013 of 14 August 2013 amending Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures related to air operations pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Text with EEA relevance).