(1) |
An aircraft shall not enter an RVSM airspace unless— |
(a) |
such aircraft has a valid RVSM specific approval issued by the Director as prescribed in the Document SA-CATS 91: |
(b) |
its minimum RVSM equipment as specified in an approved MEL is serviceable; |
(c) |
its flight crew has successfully completed RVSM training as prescribed in Document SA-CATS 91; and |
(d) |
such aircraft is operated as provided in an ATSU clearance to climb or descend throu gh RVSM airs pace to or from levels above RVSM flight level band. |
(2) |
The requirements for the issue of an RVSM specific approval, including minimum equipment, maintenance, and crew training requirements, are specified in Document SA-CATS 91. |
(3) |
The Director shall issue an RVSM specific approval only if the Director is satisfied that— |
(a) |
vertical navigation performance capability of an aircraft satisfies the requirements specified in Document SA-CATS 91: |
(b) |
an aircraft owner or operator has instituted appropriate procedures in respect of continued airworthiness,maintenance, and repair practices and programmes: |
(c) |
an aircraft owner or operator has instituted appropriate flight crew procedures for operation in RVSM airspace: |
(d) |
an aircraft is provided with equipment which is capable of— |
(i) |
indicating, to a flight crew, a flight level being flown; |
(ii) |
automatically maintaining a selected flight level; |
(iii) |
providing an alert to flight crew when a deviation occurs from a selected flight level; |
(iv) |
calibration of an alert system threshold which shall not exceed an approximate height of 300 ft; |
(v) |
automatically reporting pressure-altitude; and |
(e) |
in the event of the failure of one item of equipment at any sta ge of a flight, the remaining equipment will enable an aircraft to navigate in accordance with RVSM. |
(4) |
In considering an application for an RVSM specific approval, the Director may conduct an investigation deemed necessa ry to ascertain compliance with the requirements for RVSM operations prescribed in Document SA-CATS 91. |
(5) |
If the Director is not so satisfied with compliance referred to in subregulation (4 ) the Director shall notify an applicant for a concerned RVSM specific approval of the reasons for such dissatisfaction, and grant such applicant an opportunity to rectify any shortcoming within a determined period, after which period the Director may grant or refuse an application concerned. |
(6) |
If the Director is satisfied that an applicant has complied with the relevant requirements, the Director shall issue an RVSM specific approval in the format as prescribed in Document SA-CATS 91. |
(7) |
The Director shall maintain a register of all RVSM specific approvals issued in terms of this regulation. |
(8) |
A register of RVSM specific approvals shall contain the following particulars, which shall be recorded in the register within 30 days from the date of issue of an RVSM specific approval: |
(a) |
make, model, and registration marks of an aircraft; |
(b) |
full names of owner of an aircraft or names of an air service licence holder and an air service licence number, where applicable: |
(c) |
postal address of an RVSM specific approval holder; and |
(d) |
date on which an RVSM specific approval was issued. |
(9) |
A register of RVSM specific approval shall be kept in a safe place at the office of the Director or at a location approved by the Director. |
(10) |
A copy of a register of RVSM specific approval shall be furnished to a person who requests such copy upon payment of the appropriate fee as prescribed in Part 187. |
(11) |
A duplicate of RVSM specific approval may be issued upon application thereof by a holder of such RVSM specific approval or by an AMO a pproved under Part 145 and responsible for the servicing and maintenance of a concerned aircraft. |
(12) |
An appl ication for a duplicate RVSM specific approval shall— |
(a) |
be made in the appropriate form as prescribed in Document SA-CATS 91; and |
(i) |
data package referred to in Document SA-CATS 91; and |
(ii) |
the appropriate fee as prescribed in Part 187. |
(13) |
A holder of an RVSM specific approval shall— |
(a) |
report any occurrence involving poor height-keeping in an RVSM environment as specified in Document SA-CATS 91 within 24 hours; and |
(b) |
make an effective, timely response to each height-keeping error. |
(14) |
An aircraft owner or operator authorised to operate in RVSM airspace shall ensure that as a minimum each aircraft type grouping of its fleet shall have their height-keeping performance monitored as defined in Document SA-CATS 91 at least once every two years or within intervals of 1 000 flight hours per aircraft, whichever period is longer. |
(15) |
An aircraft owner or operator found to be operating in an RVSM airspace, within or outside the Republic, without a valid specific approval shall be subjected to enforcement action. |
[Regulation 91.04.31 substituted by regulation 8(b) of Notice No. R. 3169, GG 48228, dated 17 March 2023 (Twenty-Fifth Amendment of the Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023)]