OPERATIONAL CONTROL

Operational Control Exercised by the Flight Operations Manager

The Flight Operations Manager bears the overall responsibility and has the overall directive authority over Company flight operations (for an actual flight, this responsibility and authority devolves on the appointed Commander).

The Flight Operations Manager exercises operational control by:

• Coordinating and supervising the flight operational departments and in appointing their managers;
• Establishing the requirements base with defined document hierarchy;
• Drawing appropriate conclusions from:

- Reports provided by routine operational meetings;
- Relevant occurrence and accident reports;
- Hearings;
- Check flights conducted by supervisory pilots and by addressing the noted deficiencies;
- Evaluating trends identified by the FDAS system;
- Cooperating in the audits of the Quality Assurance Manager and by addressing all non conformances found, particularly with respect to the standards of operations personnel (i.e. their qualification/requalification, competence in the performance of prescribed duties, and their adherence to Company procedures);
- Determining the usability of aerodromes;
- The establishment of the aerodrome operating and planning minima;
- The approval of routes to be served and of areas to be overflown, the establishment of minimum flight altitudes and of en-route operating minima.

Operational Control Exercised by the Flight Dispatch (Operations Control Centre)

Responsibility for the execution of Bassaka Air commercial flight schedule devolves on Flight Dispatch (Operations Control Centre - OCC). All decisions made by the Flight Dispatcher on duty shall be governed by Company regulations and safety standards.

The Flight Dispatch (Operations Control Centre) exercises its operational control by ensuring, for the planned flight:

• That a Commander has been designated, and that a complete crew has been scheduled, and that they meet all relevant competency and recency requirements;
• That, for each crew member of the planned flight, the requirements concerning flight time limitation (FTL), as defined in OM Part A, Chapter 7, have been and are being observed and applied; and
• That the aeroplane has undergone all maintenance that renders the aeroplane able, from a technical and legal point of view, to finish its tour of duty and return to home base before a major check becomes due.

During the pre-flight phase of the flight the responsibility for the flight is shared between the Flight Dispatcher and the Commander. The Flight Dispatcher’s tasks include preparation of most items required in pre-planning a flight. The Flight Dispatcher must take into consideration weight and balance, aircraft performance, MEL items, weather, NOTAMS and any other consideration that may affect the safety of the flight. After the Commander accepts the Operational Flight Plan (OFP), the Flight Dispatcher and the Commander shall share pertinent and related flight information, including any proposed changes to the OFP. Once a flight has commenced, the Commander has final authority and operational control of the flight. For the purpose of operational control systems, a flight is deemed to be "commenced" after brake release for take-off.

The OCC reacts in an appropriate manner to operational irregularities by:

• Crew member changes (activation of standby crew members or by other means);
• Aeroplane changes;
• Changing the aeroplane's planned schedule (early departure, delay, re-routeing, cancellation of flight, diversion of flight en-route);
• Providing maximum assistance to the Commander in case of diversion and subsequent landing on an aerodrome without available contracted handling agent.

The OCC is the primary contact for:

• Events which may cause a deviation from standard operation and/or flight schedule;
• Advice on any discrepancy in relation to the flight execution;
• Any passenger, crew or aeroplane incident which requires assistance or which may cause attention from the news media.

Communications between Operations Control Centre and crew shall be accomplished either via VHF R/T (if applicable), personal contact or via mobile phone (on ground only).

Operational Control Exercised by the Commander

The responsibility for an individual flight devolves on the Commander. The Commander exercises his operational control by:

• Maintaining responsibility for the execution and the safety of the flight;
• Overruling the delay procedure directed by the Flight Dispatch (Operations Control Centre - OCC) and/or handling agent if he considers these directives are in direct conflict with operational and safety standards.

Whenever the destination weather is forecast to be at or below the planning minima, contact must be made with OCC prior to departure to discuss the commercial and operational aspects of a possible diversion. In case the aeroplane technical status and/or pilot qualification do not allow appropriate LVO operation, OCC must be informed as early as possible whenever weather on destination is (or is expected to become) near or below CAT I minima.