Hi Bob, a question please about one of the questions in part 4 of your air law material, research questions 4, question 13 re the allowable number of consecutive early starts with no reduction. The explanation states: the maximum number of consecutive early starts permitted in any week (168 hours) is three. The ref given is app 4, para 11.3.

Para 11.3 makes no mention of 168 hours, or any maximum period. Where does the three early starts/week without reduction come from?

Thank you

G'day Anna

Here is a response from our Air Law expert Bob Hamilton

Question 13 on page 125 in the present version of the CPL Air Law text. The relevant paragraph for those interested is paragraph 11 of Appendix 4. Note that paragraph 11 provides for working up to 5 consecutive early starts in the right conditions. But you can only infringe 3 consecutive WOCLs. See para 6-Dictionary in the General section of the Instrument for the meanings of ‘’early start’’ and ‘’WOCL’’.

Here’s how you can work 5 days of early starts without infringing 3 consecutive WOCLs:

Day 1  FDP report time 0600, Maximum FDP 10 hours, No WOCL infringed.

Day 2  FDP report time 0600, Maximum FDP 10 hours, No WOCL infringed.

Day 3  FDP report time 0600, Maximum FDP 10 hours, No WOCL infringed.

Day 4  FDP report time 0600, Maximum FDP 8 hours, No WOCL infringed.

Day 5  FDP report time 0600, Maximum FDP 6 hours, No WOCL infringed.

 

All provided no permitted extensions or cumulative flight, duty or off duty times are affected


Cheers

Hi Stuart question 13 asks for the next day in which you can work between two and six this Would make it an early start and a WOCL. The question states Tuesday was a WOCL Wednesday was an early start and a WOCL and Thursday was an early start and a WOCL therefore only two early starts in that period.Why couldn’t you work Friday?Or if not it states you must have an intervening off duty period that includes a local night so would not that have been for Thursday afternoon off and Thursday night?cheers mark

You cannot be assigned more than 3 consecutive early starts. But you may be assigned a 4th
and 5th consecutive early start if the maximum permissible FDP on day 4 is reduced by 2
hours and the maximum permissible FDP on day 5 is reduced by 4 hours. An early start is a
FDP that starts between 0500 and 0659.

But, in any event, you cannot infringe more than 3 consecutive WOCL’s unless you have at least an
intervening off duty period that includes a local night. A WOCL is a window of circadian low and is the
period between 0200 and 0559.

Thanks for your quick response

Okay the pennies just dropped. Even though there’s only been two early starts there have been 3WOCL which has ALREADY infringed. The CAO and CAR Often reminds me of how Stan Laurel explained things to Oliver hardy lol