In this issue of the Part 125 Newsletter, we review recent amendments to Operations Specifications (OpSpecs)/Letter of Authorization (LOA) paragraph A010 issued for 14 CFR part 125 operators and recent changes to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Filed Flight Plan format that took effect this month.
OpSpecs/LOA Paragraph A010, Aviation Weather Information: 14 CFR Part 125
On October 11, 2012, FAA issued N 8900.199, OpSpec/MSpec A010, Aviation Weather Information. FAA conducted a comprehensive review of the currently issued OpSpec/MSpec/LOA A010, formerly titled “Aeronautical Weather Data,” which revealed a wide range of authorizations, some of which have been issued in a manner inconsistent with FAA policy and guidance. Several changes have been made to OpSpec/MSpec A010 template and to the accompanying guidance contained in Order 8900.1. Below are some of the highlights of the changes to OpSpec/MSpec/LOA A010:
· The language has been modified to conform to the individual regulatory requirements of parts 91K, 121, 125, and 135 operations.
· The Qualified Internet Communication Provider (QICP) table has been removed due to lack of a regulatory requirement for such a provider.
· The Enhanced Weather Information Systems (EWINS) table has been removed from the part 125 OpSpec and LOA.
The change to the A010 templates for part 125 is non-mandatory. The certificate/LOA holder’s Principal Operations Inspector (POI) is not required to issue the new OpSpec A010 template (Rev 01b) and LOA A010 (Rev 01a) for part 125 Letter of Deviation Authority (LODA) holders. Entering information regarding sources of aviation weather information is now optional for all part 125 operations because 14 CFR part 125 does not contain any requirements for specific sources of aviation weather information or weather reporting facilities. For this same reason, the QICP and EWINS tables have been removed from the part 125 OpSpec and LOA. The certificate or LODA holder, or the POI may choose to exercise the option of listing sources of aviation weather information in OpSpec/LOA A010 by listing each weather source in the text box provided in the template.
ICAO Filed Flight Plan Format Change
The FAA prefers users to file ICAO flight plans for all flights. An ICAO format flight plan must be used when:
· The flight will enter international airspace (including Oceanic airspace controlled by FAA facilities
· The flight expects routing or separation based on Performance Based Navigation, e.g. RNAV 1
· The flight will enter RVSM airspace
· The flight expects services based on ADS-B
Flights that remain wholly within domestic United States airspace and do not meet any of the above criteria may use a NAS format flight plan, i.e. FAA Form 7233-1 and the procedures outlined in AIM Section 1, Paragraph 5.1.8.
Earlier this month, the Item and Field contents of the ICAO Filed Flight Plan (FPL) and related messages were changed. The prior ICAO flight plan format will no longer be supported. Changes include:
· Additional alphanumeric qualifiers in Item 10 (Equipment and Capabilities) that reflect enhancements to operational capabilities in ground-based and satellite-based navigation and surveillance equipment. The new qualifiers cover equipment for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C), and Controller Pilot Data Link Future Air Navigation System (CPDLC-FANS), as well as, several other qualifier additions and deletions.
· Significant changes to Item 18 (Other Information), including formatting, indicator definitions, specific grammar for special handling, and new Performance Based Navigation (PBN/) qualifiers for Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP).
· Specific format for aerodromes not listed in the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP).
· Delay (DLA), Change (CHG), Cancel (CNL) and Arrival (ARR) message formats.
FAA guidance on ICAO Flight Plan Filing can be found under FAA ICAO Flight Planning Guidance.
If you have any questions about how the changes to the OpSpecs/LOA A010 template or the ICAO Filed Flight Plan format changes affect your operation, please contact our office.