Airbus Helicopters, collaborating with a working group comprising operators Avincis, Bristow and CHC, has published a new flight crew operations manual (FCOM) for the EC225 heavy-twin helicopter. The FCOM is a mission manual full of practical guidance for the best use of automation and crew coordination as a supplement to the standard certification material found in the aircraft flight manual (AFM).
The publication merges procedures that were originally optional into more practical standard procedures, such as the Category A takeoff procedure for an offshore mission. Instructions for arming the emergency flotation gear are now integrated into the FCOM and not provided as a supplement in the rear of the AFM. Crew work sharing during takeoff also is more clearly explained in the FCOM, which also includes a table highlighting autopilot mode combinations that are not recommended for use aboard the EC225.
There is now a FCOM for each model, type of mission and configuration.
