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Civil Aviation Act, 2009 (Act No. 13 of 2009)

Regulations

Civil Aviation Regulations, 2011

Part 127 : Commercial Helicopter Operations: Passengers Cargo and Mail

Subpart 5 : Helicopter Instruments and Equipment

127.05.8 Life jackets and other floating devices

 

(1) The provisions of regulations 91.04.24 to 91.04.27, both inclusive, apply mutatis mutandis to helicopters operated in terms of this Part.

 

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation 91.04.24(1)(c), a Class 2 or Class 3 helicopter, operated in terms of this Part, shall, where a take-off or approach path is so disposed over water that in the event of a mishap there would be a likelihood of a ditching, be equipped with a life jacket or equivalent flotation device, stowed in a position easily accessible from each seat or berth of a person for whose use it is provided.

[Regulation 127.05.8(2) substituted by regulation 33(c) of Notice No. R.1503, GG45491, dated 15 November 2021 (Twenty-First Amendment of the Civil Aviation Regulations, 2021)]

 

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation 91.04.24(2)(b) and (c), a Class 1 or Class 2 helicopter, operated in terms of this Part, shall be equipped with the equipment specified in regulation 91.04.25 whenever such helicopter is operated over water at such a distance that, in the event of a mishap there would be likelihood of a ditching.

[Regulation 127.05.8(3) substituted by regulation 33(c) of Notice No. R.1503, GG45491, dated 15 November 2021 (Twenty-First Amendment of the Civil Aviation Regulations, 2021)]

 

(4) For offshore operations, life jackets shall be worn constantly during flight unless the occupant is wearing an integrated survival suit that includes the function of a life jacket.

 

(5) The contents of the life rafts are specified in Document SA-CATS 127.

 

(6) On a helicopter for which the individual certificate of airworthiness is first issued on or after 1 January 1991, at least 50 % of life rafts as prescribed in Document SA-CATS 91 shall be deployable by remote control.

[Regulation 127.05.8(6) inserted by regulation 17(b) of Notice No. R. 3170, GG48228, dated 17 March 2023 (Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023)]

 

(7) Life rafts which are not deployable by remote control, and which have a mass of more than 40 kg shall be equipped with some means of mechanically assisted deployment.

[Regulation 127.05.8(7) inserted by regulation 17(b) of Notice No. R. 3170, GG48228, dated 17 March 2023 (Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023)]