Implementation of Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM)
between FL 290 and Fl 410 within European Airspace GENERAL APPROVAL FOR RVSM OPERATIONS Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum in the Only RVSM approved aircraft (see State air- EUR RVSM Airspace will permit the application craft below) will be permitted to operate within of a 1000 ft vertical separation minimum be- the EUR RVSM Airspace. tween suitably equipped aircraft in the level The approval is issued to aircraft operators by band FL290-FL410 (inclusive) on 24/01/02. the responsible authority once an operator has The purpose of RVSM is to increase airspace achieved the following: capacity and provide airspace users with more • each aircraft type has received airworthi- flight levels and thus optimized flight profiles. ness approval demonstrating compliance with the RVSM Minimum Aircraft System Performance Specification (MASPS); • the State's approval of both the operations manual and the maintenance procedures specific to RVSM operations.
NON-RVSM APPROVED STATE AIRCRAFT
State aircraft are exempted from having to meet the RVSM MASPS. As a consequence, State aircraft can be accommodated in the EUR RVSM airspace provided that ATC main- tains a minimum vertical separation of 2000 ft between such aircraft and all other IFR aircraft. FIRs/UIRs where RVSM will be applicable in the EUR RVSM Air- space In Field 18 of the ICAO FPL, State aircraft shall Amsterdam, Ankara, Athens, Barcelona, Belgrad, Berlin, Bodo, then request special handling by filling “ Bratislava, Bremen, Brindisi, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Canaries STS/NONRVSM”. (AFI Region), Casablanca, Chisinau, Dusseldorf, France, Frankfurt, Hannover, Istanbul, Kaliningrad, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Ljubljana, London, Lvov, Madrid, Malmo, Malta, Milan, Munich, Nicosia, Odessa, HEIGHT MONITORING PRINCIPLES Oslo, Prague, Rhein, Riga, Rome, Rovaniemi, Sarajevo, Scottish, Shannon, Simferopol, Skopje, Sofia, Stavanger, Stockholm, Sundsvall, A comprehensive means of monitoring the Switzerland, Tallinn, Tampere, Tirana, Trondheim, Tunis, Varna, height-keeping performance of aircraft in the Vilnius, Warsaw, Vienna, Zagreb. EUR RVSM Airspace has been developed utilizing two types of monitoring equipment: • Height Monitoring Units (HMUs) with a coverage of 45 NM - fixed ground based height-monitoring facilities at Linz (N48 12 E014 18), Nattenheim (N49 57 E006 28) & Geneva (N46 22 E005 56) which monitor passing aircraft normally without action from aircraft operators; • GPS Monitoring Units (GMUs) - portable monitoring units carried on board aircraft to supplement HMUs & monitor aircraft which are not normally flying over HMUs.
Implementation of Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) between FL290 and
FL410 within European airspace (continued)
HEIGHT MONITORING PRINCIPLES ACAS
(continued) TCAS Version 6.04A is designed for a non- RVSM environment. ACAS II (TCAS Version RVSM compliant aircraft are required to partici- 7.0) has improved compatibility with RVSM. pate in the monitoring program. In some cases, The Mandatory Carriage and Operation of aircraft may request a re-routing so that they ACAS II for aircraft above 15000 kgs and more may be height monitored. than 30 passengers started on 1 January 2000 with a transition period ending in March 2001. RVSM PROCEDURES IN TRANSITION AREAS FLIGHT PLANNING A number of FIR/UIRs in the EUR RVSM The flight crew shall pay particular attention to Airspace have been designated to handle the conditions that may affect operation in RVSM transition of aircraft from an RVSM to a non- airspace: RVSM environment and vice-versa. Within this • verifying that the aircraft is RVSM approved, “EUR RVSM Transition Airspace”, special ie compliant with the MEL; procedures will allow ATC to transition both • analysing the reported and forecast weather RVSM and non-RVSM Civil and State aircraft. that may affect RVSM requirements (turbu- Flight crews may expect to change from Con- lence, icing …); ventional Flight Levels to RVSM Flight Levels • reviewing the manufacturer's and the opera- and vice-versa. ATC will continue to provide a tor's restrictions concerning RVSM opera- 2,000 feet VSM between a non-RVSM ap- tions; proved aircraft and any other aircraft. • ICAO- AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT FPL: the letter “W” shall be inserted in The minimum equipment list (MEL) fulfilling the Field 10 if RVSM approved; MASPS consists of: (see JAA TGL6) • RPL: the letter “W” shall be inserted in 1. Two independent altitude measurement Item EQPT/ if RVSM approved, re- systems each equipped with: gardless of the requested FL. • cross-coupled static/source system with ice protection if located in areas subject NOTE: to ice accretion; Before 24 JAN 2002, insertion of “W” in item 10 • display of the computed pressure alti- of the flight plan does NOT imply that in Euro- tude to the flight crew; pean airspace an RVSM FL is plannable or that • digital encoding of the displayed altitude; an RVSM FL can be requested by the pilot, • signals referenced to a pilot selected unless this is explicitly promulgated by a State altitude for automatic altitude control and for operation in the airspace of the State. alerting; • Static source error correction. PRE-FLIGHT PROCEDURES 2. One SSR transponder with an altitude re- Flight crews shall verify: porting system in use for altitude keeping. • the condition of the equipment required for 3. An altitude allerting system. RVSM operations and that maintenance 4. An automatic altitude control system. actions have been taken to correct defects; • the condition of static sources; • the altimetry accuracy by setting the QNH or the QFE. The reading should then agree with the altitude of the apron or the zero height indication within a 75 ft (23m) toler- ance.
Implementation of Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) between FL290 and
FL410 within European airspace (continued)
IN-FLIGHT PROCEDURES CIRCUMSTANCE PHRASEOLOGY
• all the required equipment shall be moni- ATC wish to know RVSM CONFIRM RVSM tored to ensure satisfactory operation before status of flight APPROVED and within RVSM airspace; Pilot indication that flight is AFFIRM RVSM • when changing levels, the aircraft should RVSM approved not overshoot or under-shoot the cleared Pilot indication that flight is NEGATIVE RVSM flight level by more than 150 ft (45 m); NON RVSM approved • the automatic altitude control system shall Pilot of State aircraft indi- NEGATIVE RVSM be engaged during level cruise by reference cating that flight is NON STATE AIRCRAFT to one of the two altimeters. If fitted, the RVSM approved altitude capture feature shall be used when- ATC denial of clearance UNABLE CLEARANCE ever possible for the level off; into RVSM Airspace INTO RVSM AIR- • cross checks of the primary altimeters shall SPACE, MAINTAIN [or be made at intervals of approximately one DESCENT TO, or hour. These primary altimeters shall agree CLIMB TO] FL ... within 200 ft ( 60 m). Pilot reporting severe turbu- UNABLE RVSM DUE Failure to meet that condition will require the lence /weather affecting TURBULENCE altimetry system to be reported as defective ability to maintain RVSM and immediately notified to ATC. An initial height-keeping require- check shall be recorded just before entering the ments EUR RVSM Airspace. Pilot reporting equipment UNABLE RVSM DUE degraded below RVSM re- EQUIPMENT quirements CONTINGENCY PROCEDURES ATC requesting pilot to re- REPORT ABLE TO • the pilot shall notify ATC of any contingency port when unable to re- RESUME RVSM (equipment failure, weather hazards such as sume RVSM severe turbulence etc…) which affect the Pilot ready to resume READY TO RESUME ability to maintain the cleared level or the R V S M a fte r e q u i p - RVSM RVSM requirements (e.g. MEL); ment/weather contingency • ATC may take appropriate tactical actions to ensure that safe separation is maintained, EUR RVSM website: www.eur-rvsm.com including reversion to a 2000 ft separation minimum; User Support Cell • when notified by ATC of an assigned alti- SITA: BRUXX7X tude deviation of more than 300 ft (90 m), E-mail: richard.croft@eurocontrol.be the pilot shall take action to return to the Tel:+322 729 4633 Fax:+322 729 4634 cleared level as quickly as possible. If unable to notify ATC, the pilot shall follow established contingency procedures and END obtain ATC clearance asap.
Latest DGCA REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF REDUCED VERTICAL SEPARATION MINIMUM (RVSM). CIVIL AVIATION REQUIREMENTS
SECTION 8 – AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS
SERIES 'S', PART II
ISSUE I, 17th JANUARY, 2013 D8S-S2.pdf