Why helicopters don’t fly at night in Nigerian airspace, by Demuren



The reason Nigeria could not use an helicopter at night to carry a search and rescue operation has been revealed.

A Beecraft 1900D got missing at Obaliku Village, Cross River State, a few years ago and it took days before the authorities could locate the crash scene.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, said helicopters could not operate in Nigerian airspace at night for now because of the concentration of communication masts that litter the flight pathway and inability of helicopter operators in the country to switch on to the new Performance Based Navigation (PBN).

Demuren spoke yesterday while unveiling a roadmap document to provide high-level guidance for the implementation of PBN in the country.



He, therefore, explained that the request for night operations by major helicopter operations could not see the light of day until such obstacles are taken care of, even as he spoke of plans to engage the major telecommunications companies on how the installation of such masts constitute a major threat to air safety.

He also cited inclement weather as another hurdle that militates against the approval for night operations for helicopters, even as he explained that the implementation of performance based navigation will enhance flight safety and save the costs of aviation fuel for operators.

Demuren said: “The PBN operational approval process is currently being defined. Assessment of this process, once available, will further clarify the standards and qualifications required for future implementation.”

“PBN offers helicopter operators and pilots many potential advantages, such as the ability to develop nonlinear, helicopter-specific flight paths that avoid obstacles, terrain, and fixed-wing traffic routes. Relative to circuitous IFR-based patterns, these helicopter-specific PBN routes can link airports, hospitals, government facilities, and oil rigs to save operators time and fuel while also enabling the vertical approaches and departures for which helicopters are suited.

“Helicopter implementation considerations include the following: Helicopter operators conducting flights below 3,500 feet MSL under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) are not affected by the implementation milestones in the PBN Roadmap.

“Heliport route arrivals and departures based on basic RNP navigation specifications will enhance operational safety and efficiency.

“Helicopter operations are anticipated to become an increasingly important element of Nigeria’s economy and air transportation system.

“To the greatest extent possible, NCAA will segregate air traffic, according to the navigation capability of the aircraft, and grant preferred route access to aircraft with the greatest PBN capability”

Nigeria’s ANSP will adopt new flight-plan procedures that will accommodate a mixture of conventional and PBN operations.

“Although PBN implementation offers some immediate operational and environmental benefits, its full benefits may not be attained until the planned end-state Air Traffic Management exists. In the interim, the experiences of other Air Navigation Service Providers suggest that reduced controller workload, a key anticipated Air Traffic Management benefit, may not be realised immediately during the transitional period.

“The reason is the complexity of mixed operations, particularly in high-traffic environments. This complexity arises from the different separation minima and route spacings that must be observed according to each aircraft’s navigation specification and capabilities.

“Nigeria’s Air Navigation Service Providers will also continue to train air traffic controllers. The NCAA will ensure that these NAMA controllers are certified in PBN navigation systems and how they operate in the context of each navigation specification.

“The Air Navigation Service Providers Air Traffic Control system will include the ability to display the controllers the PBN navigational capability of all air traffic. This is crucial because controllers must be able to easily distinguish on their displays between PBN-capable and non-PBN-capable aircraft.

“The ICAO flight plan will indicate the PBN capability, allowing the Nigerian ATC system to provide a visual indicator of aircraft capability. The authority envisions that the completion of the Aeronautical Information Services Automation, TRACON, and Total VHF Radio Communication projects will introduce changes and improvements to Nigeria’s ATM systems and flight planning.

“NCAA and NAMA will actively coordinate with surrounding nations’ ANSPs to ensure that agreed-upon separation standards and procedures for PBN specifications are established for transition and transfer-of-control points.”



http://www.nigeriancompass.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2173:-why-helicopters-dont-fly-at-night-in-nigerian-airspace-by-demuren&catid=54:nigeria-today