Overview
Standardized European Rules of the Air came into force in the Channel Islands on August 17th, 2017. Please refer to the Air Journal (on this website) for more information.
There is a presentation available below (in Adobe PDF format) from Ports of Jersey explaining the new rules and how they will be managed in Channel Islands airspace.
Download
SERA overview [1Mb]
Latest advice on Cost Sharing
Our primary legislation for the islands was written for Guernsey in 2012 and for Jersey in 2014 and I appreciate that it is a struggle for aircrew to decipher. Amendments have been subsequently been made to this legislation in both the UK and the EU.
Any aircraft operating in our airspace has to comply with the islands legislation which are not dissimilar. I will endeavour to simplify the law and make it understandable for all parties. I appreciate that some of it does not make sense in today's environment but there are so many important aviation issues which need looking at in the future and this is just one of them. So here goes:
Cost sharing is perfectly acceptable so long as no one is making a profit. Profit doesn't have to be financial but could anything which is considered to be of "Economic Gain". There are our approved AOC holders who have been through an internationally recognised certification process with strict oversight. These AOC holders are losing business to unapproved "Grey Charters".
Cost sharing can be for the sharing of costs to fly an aircraft for pleasure, no problem. Additionally, there are aircraft which are owned by a group of shareholders. Maximum 20 shareholders and once again must share the costs proportionately with all those on board.
Advertising is not allowed in the islands to seek costs sharing but must be from posted from within the flying club. Participants must be members and at least 18 years. (This is from legacy days whereby everyone was a member and all notices were posted on a cork board in reception) With social media now becoming so accessible, the islands have been left behind but there are many offers on some applications, some of whom are seeking to make a profit.
So, until legislation is amended, which is not immanent, these are the acceptable practices:
• Cost sharing is acceptable so long as it is not for profit. Direct costs definitions are very ambiguous but will be shortly be amended. Direct costs as per the CAA means "means the costs directly incurred in relation to a flight (e.g. fuel, airfield charges, rental fee for an aircraft). There can be no element of profit". However, our legislation at the moment is more liberal on the definition of direct costs means "in respect of a flight, the costs actually and necessarily incurred in connection with that flight without a view to profit but excluding any remuneration payable to the pilot for his services as such".
• Maximum of 4 persons including the pilot
• Advertising for cost sharing only allowed within the flying club and not on social media
For your information: The following link is from the CAA website but is not applicable to our airspace:
https://www.caa.co.uk/General-aviation/Aircraft-ownership-and-maintenance/Cost-sharing-flights/
Always happy to discuss further any time and please feel free to come up to the office in the terminal building to air your views and I am more than willing to do what I can to the benefit of the islands.
With kind regards
Dominic Lazarus
Director of Civil Aviation