scope:

FOREWORD

Historical background

Standards and Recommended Practices for the Operation of Aircraft were first adopted by the Council, pursuant to the provisions of Article 37 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago 1944), on 10 December 1948 for International Air Transport and on 2 December 1968 for International General Aviation. The documents containing these Standards and Recommenced Practices are now designated as Annex 6, Parts I and II, respectively, to the Convention. In general, Parts I and II address aeroplane operations; neither part is specifically applicable to helicopter operations.

Therefore, Part III was introduced as a means of including provisions for helicopter operations. Initially, provisions related to flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders for helicopters were developed by the Air Navigation Commission following Recommendation 10/1 of the Accident Prevention and Investigation Meeting AIG (1979) and adopted by the Council on 14 March 1986. They became effective on 27 July 1986 and applicable on 20 November 1986. Subsequently, proposals for comprehensive Standards and Recommended Practices covering other aspects of helicopter operations were developed with the assistance of the Helicopter Operations Panel; these provisions, incorporated in Amendment 1, were adopted by the Council on 21 March 1990. The amendment became effective on 30 July 1990 and applicable on 15 November 1990.

Table A shows the origin of subsequent amendments together with a list of the principal subjects involved and the dates on which the Annex and the amendments were adopted by the Council, when they became effective and when they became applicable.

Applicability

The Standards and Recommended Practices included in Annex 6 - Operation of Aircraft, Parts I and II cover the operation of all aeroplanes in international civil aviation, except where specifically excluded. Similarly, the Standards and Recommended Practices in Annex 6, Part III cover the operation of all helicopters in international civil aviation, general aviation as well as commercial air transport operations.

Action by Contracting States

Notification of differences. The attention of Contracting States is drawn to the obligation imposed by Article 38 of the Convention by which Contracting States are required to notify the Organization of any differences between their national regulations and practices and the International Standards contained in this Annex and any amendments thereto. Contracting States are invited to extend such notification to any differences from the Recommended Practices contained in this Annex, and any amendments thereto, when the notification of such differences is important for the safety of air navigation. Further, Contracting States are invited to keep the Organization currently informed of any differences which may subsequently occur or of the withdrawal of any differences previously notified. A specific request for notification of differences will be sent to Contracting States immediately after the adoption of each Amendment to this Annex.

Attention of States is also drawn to the provision of Annex 15 related to the publication of differences between their national regulations and practices and the related ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices through the Aeronautical Information Service, in addition to the obligation of States under Article 38 of the Convention.

Promulgation of information. The establishment and withdrawal of, and changes to, facilities, services and procedures affecting aircraft operations provided in accordance with the Standards and Recommended Practices specified in this Annex should be notified and take effect in accordance with the provisions of Annex 15.

Status of Annex components

An Annex is made up of the following component parts, not all of which, however, are necessarily found in every Annex; they have the status indicated.

1.- Material comprising the Annex proper

a) Standards and Recommended Practices adopted by the Council under the provisions of the Convention. They are defined as follows:

Standard: Any specification for physical characteristics, configuration, matériel, performance, personnel or procedure, the uniform application of which is recognized as necessary for the safety or regularity of international air navigation and to which Contracting States will conform in accordance with the Convention; in the event of impossibility of compliance, notification to the Council is compulsory under Article 38 of the convention.

Recommended Practice: Any specification for physical characteristics, configuration, matériel, performance, personnel or procedure, the uniform application of which is recognized as desirable in the interest of safety, regularity or efficiency of international air navigation, and to which Contracting States will endeavour to conform in accordance with the Convention.

b) Appendices comprising material grouped separately for convenience but forming part of the Standards and Recommended Practices adopted by the Council.

c) Definitions of terms used in the Standards and Recommended Practices which are not self-explanatory in that they do not have accepted dictionary meanings. A definition does not have an independent status but is an essential part of each Standard and Recommended Practice in which the term is used, since a change in the meaning of the term would affect the specification.

d) Tables and Figures which add to or illustrate a Standard or Recommended Practice and which are referred to therein, form part of the associated Standard or Recommended Practice and have the same status.

It is to be noted that some Standards in this Annex may incorporate, by reference, other specifications having the status of Recommended Practices. In such case, the text of the Recommended Practice becomes part of the Standard.

2.- Material approved by the Council for publication in association with the Standards and Recommended Practices

a) Forewords comprising historical and explanatory material based on the action of the Council and including an explanation of the obligations of States with regard to the application of the Standards and Recommended Practices ensuing from the Convention and the Resolution of Adoption;

b) Introductions comprising explanatory material introduced at the beginning of parts, chapters or sections of the Annex to assist in the understanding of the application of the text;

c) Notes included in the text, where appropriate, to give factual information or references bearing on the Standards or Recommended Practices in question but not constituting part of the Standards or Recommended Practices;

d) Attachments comprising material supplementary to the Standards and Recommended Practices or included as a guide to their application.

Selection of language

This Annex has been adopted in six languages - English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. Each Contracting State is requested to select one of those texts for the purpose of national implementation and for other effects provided for in the Convention, either through direct use or through translation into its own national language, and to notify the Organization accordingly.

Editorial practices

The following practice has been adhered to in order to indicate at a glance the status of each statement: Standards have been printed in light face roman; Recommended Practices have been printed in light face italics, the status being indicated by the prefix Recommendation; Notes have been printed in light face italics, the status being indicated by the prefix Note.

The following editorial practice has been followed in the writing of specifications: for Standards the operative verb "shall" is used, and for Recommended Practices the operative verb "should" is used.

The units of measurement used in this document are in accordance with the International System of Units (SI) as specified in Annex 5 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Where Annex 5 permits the use of non-SI alternative units, these are shown in parentheses following the basic units. Where two sets of units are quoted, it must not be assumed that the pairs of values are equal and interchangeable. It may, however, be inferred that an equivalent level of safety is achieved when either set of units is used exclusively.

Any reference to a portion of this document, which is identified by a number and/or title, includes all subdivisions of that portion.

Throughout this Annex, the use of the male gender should be understood to include male and female persons.

In order to maintain a comprehensive edition of this Annex, the latest amendments have been consolidated in a new edition of the Annex. In so doing, provisions with particular applicability dates have been adjusted editorially, as appropriate.