Advisory Circular (AC) No. 623-002

From: Transport Canada

Amendment to the ICAS Ace Manual - Expiration Date of Statement of Aerobatic Competency (SAC) Cards

Issuing Office: General Aviation
Activity Area: Qualifying AC No.: 623-002
File No.: A5812-6U Issue No.: 01
RDIMS No.: 2207808 v2 Effective Date: 2007-01-25

Table of Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This Advisory Circular (AC) is provided for information and guidance purposes.  It may describe an example of an acceptable means, but not the only means of demonstrating compliance with regulations and standards. This AC on its own does not change, create, amend or permit deviations from regulatory requirements nor does it establish minimum standards.

This Advisory Circular (AC) describes an amendment to the International Council of Air Shows, Aerobatic Competency Evaluation Program, ACE MANUAL 6th Revision that has been accepted by Transport Canada and approved by the FAA.

1.1 Purpose

The purpose of this Advisory Circular is to serve as an interim notice to Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) employees, air show performers and air show applicants of the accepted/approved amendment to the expiration dates of Statements of Aerobatic Competency (SAC) issued by the FAA or Transport Canada upon recommendation from ICAS.

1.2 Applicability

This document is applicable to Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) employees whose duties include the review of application for and the issue of a Special Flight Operations Certificate – Air Show, to individuals and organizations when applying for a Special Flight Operations Certificate – Air Show or when they are operating under the conditions of a Special Flight Operations Certificate – Air Show issued pursuant to paragraph 603.02 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations.

1.3 Description of Changes

Not Applicable.

2.0 REFERENCES AND REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Reference Documents

It is intended that the following reference materials be used in conjunction with this document:

  1. Part VI Subpart 3 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CAR) - Special Flight Operations;

  2. Standard 623 - Special Flight Operations, Division I, Special Aviation Events, Chapter One, Air Shows;

  3. International Council of Air Shows Ace Manual, 6th Revision, effective January 1, 2002. (http://www.icashq.org/ace-program/RevSixIntro.htm).

2.2 Cancelled Documents

Not applicable.

2.3 Definitions and Abbreviations

Not applicable.

3.0 BACKGROUND

  1. Prior to the requirement for an annual ground and a flight evaluation for the re-issue of a Statement of Aerobatic Competency (SAC) all SAC's had an expiration date of December 31st of the current air show year and if a performer attended a briefing at the annual convention, he or she was issued a new SAC with an expiration date of the following December 31st.

  2. Upon implementation of the annual ground and flight evaluation, the expiration date of a SAC became the last day of the twelfth month following the date of the evaluation. As an example, if an evaluation was completed on June 4th, the SAC issued based upon the evaluation would expire June 30th of the following year.

  3. In 2002, to provide the flexibility required to accommodate poor weather, aircraft maintenance and the difficulty in coordinating mutually convenient dates for applicants and ACEs to conduct the evaluation, the Ace Manual was amended to allow the evaluation to be conducted as much as 180 days prior to the expiration date on the applicant's current card while still maintaining the “historic” expiration date.

  4. In 2006, based upon the need for more flexibility for performers but recognizing the benefits of the requirement for an annual ground and flight evaluation ICAS presented a proposal to the FAA and Transport Canada that would allow all SAC's to expire on December 31st of the year following the year in which an evaluation was carried out.

  5. The current wording of Section 12: Statement of Aerobatic Competency Application Evaluation and Processing Procedures, Paragraph C., 1. of the Ace Manual, 6th Revision, effective January 1, 2002 as quoted below is:

    Quote

    Section 12: Statement of Aerobatic Competency Application Evaluation and Processing Procedure

    C. Completion and Processing of Application

    1. To provide renewing applicants with the flexibility required to accommodate poor weather, aircraft maintenance and difficulty in coordinating mutually convenient dates for applicants and ACEs to conduct the evaluation, the evaluation may be conducted as much as 180 days prior to the expiration date on the applicant's current card while still maintaining the “historic” expiration date.

    a. For example, an applicant with an expiration date of December 31, 2003 may conduct his/her evaluation as early as July 1, 2003. Whether the evaluation was conducted on July 1, 2003 or December 30, 2003, his or her next expiration date would be December 31, 2004.

    b. The expiration date of the Aerobatic Competency Card is the last day of the month twelve months after the flight evaluation or the last day of the month twelve months after the previous expiration date, whichever is later.

    End Quote

  6. On January 25, 2007, Transport Canada, in agreement with the FAA National Air Show Coordinator, accepted the following amendment to Section 12: Statement of Aerobatic Competency Application Evaluation and Processing Procedures, Paragraph C., 1. of the Ace Manual, 6th Revision, effective January 1, 2002:

    Quote

    Section 12: Statement of Aerobatic Competency Application Evaluation and Processing Procedures

    C. Completion and Processing of Application

    1. All Statement of Aerobatic Competency (SAC) cards due to expire in 2007, will expire December 31, 2007.

      Renewals accomplished in 2007 will expire December 31, 2008, subsequent renewals accomplished while the card is still valid and newly issued cards will expire on December 31 of the following year (e.g. a renewal done with a valid card in 2008 will expire December 31, 2009).

      If the card has expired it must be reinstated and will expire December 31 in the year it was reinstated.

      For example, if a card was valid until December 31, 2007 and the re-evaluation wasn't accomplished until January of 2008, that card will expire December 31, 2008. The cardholder must accomplish another evaluation in 2008, which will have an expiration date of December 31, 2009.

      If the cardholder waits to get an evaluation in January 2009, that card will expire on December 31, 2009.

    End Quote

4.0 ACTION

  1. All Statement's of Aerobatic Competency (SAC) issued by Transport Canada or the FAA with an expiration date in 2007 will now expire on December 31, 2007.

  2. Replacement SAC's will not be issued by Transport Canada or the FAA to performers to reflect the new expiration date of December 31, 2007.

  3. Transport Canada personnel will accept any SAC submitted in accordance with paragraph 623.02(3)(d) of the Special Flight Operations Standards, Division 1, Special Aviation Events, Chapter One - Air Shows with an expiration date in 2007 as meeting the requirement of paragraph 623.06(1)(b) or paragraph 623.06(1)(c) of the standards for all air shows in 2007. A sample of a Transport Canada SAC can be found in Appendix A and a sample FAA SAC can be found in Appendix B.

  4. SAC's issued by AARRD in 2007 based upon evaluations conducted in the later months of 2006 will be issued with an expiration date of December 31, 2007. The box annotated “Date of Issue” will be changed to “Date of Evaluation” and have the date on which the evaluation took placed entered. A sample can be found in Appendix C.

5.0 CONTACT OFFICE

For more information please contact:
Special Flight Operations (AARRD)

Phone: 613-990-1033

Facsimile: 613-990-6215

E-mail: harperw@tc.gc.ca

Suggestions for amendment to this document are invited and should be submitted via the Transport Canada Civil Aviation Issues Reporting System (CAIRS) at the following Internet address:

https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/civil-aviation/civil-aviation-issues-reporting-system-cairs

or by email at: CAIRS_NCR@tc.gc.ca

Manzur Huq
Director
General Aviation

APPENDIX A - SAMPLE TRANSPORT CANADA STATEMENT OF AEROBATIC COMPETENCY (SAC)

  1. Below is a sample of a Transport Canada Statement of Aerobatic Competency.
    1. Although the Expiration Date indicates July 31, 2007, all SACs with an expiration date in 2007 will be accepted as meeting the requirement of paragraph 623.06(1)(b) or paragraph 623.06(1)(c) of the standards for air shows in 2007.

 

APPENDIX B - SAMPLE FAA STATEMENT OF ACROBATIC COMPETENCY (SAC)

  1. Below is a sample of a FAA Statement of Acrobatic Competency.
    1. Although the Expiration Date indicates July 31, 2007, all SACs with an expiration date in 2007 will be accepted as meeting the requirement of paragraph 623.06(1)(b) or paragraph 623.06(1)(c) of the standards for air shows in 2007.

 

APPENDIX C - SAMPLE TRANSPORT CANADA STATEMENT OF AEROBATIC COMPETENCY WITH NEW EVALUATION DATE AND FORMAT

  1. Below is a sample of a Transport Canada Statement of Aerobatic Competency issued with the new format. Note the Evaluation Date is October 06, 2006 and the Expiration Date is December 31, 2007.

 

 

AC 623-002 - Amendment to the ICAS Ace Manual - Expiration Date of Statement of Aerobatic Competency (SAC) Cards
(PDF, 377 KB)

 

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