ETOPS

ETOPS (Extended -range Twin -engine Operational Performance Standards ) are regulations of the ICAO, which allow commercial aircraft with only two engines such as Boeing 757, 767, 777 or 787 or Airbus A300, A310, A320, A330 or A350, routes to fly, in which event of an engine failure at the worst point of the route nearest airport is more than 60 minutes away by air. This also applies to pure freighters.

The actually correct, but little common name is EROPS ( Extended Range Operations ), as these provisions also apply to three - and multi-engine airplanes, if you can not confirm the flight that an alternate airport can be reached. Since this rarely is the case with most of these aircraft, the actually misnomer ETOPS has prevailed.

History

1953 recognized the FAA that certain limits exist for airplanes with two and three -piston engine engines in reliability. They therefore introduced a legislation providing that a machine in case of loss of a drive unit must be able within a certain period of time (60 min. ) To control a suitable machine for this airport to land safely over there.

In a twin- engine remain after the failure of one engine still 50 percent of the maximum power. It would be uneconomical to equip the machine with a double strong aggregates in order to fully compensate for the loss of an engine. Since only an engine output of around 80 percent is required in the cruise, is the power loss after the remaining engine was brought up to full power, about one-third.

Without the full power of the most economical altitude and speed can not be maintained. The pilot must choose a lower speed and operate at lower altitudes. Where the higher density of the friction drag of the aircraft increases, by the asymmetric thrust the aircraft is flying with a sliding angle with increased resistance, and the resistance of the fin is increased. In addition, the fuel consumption of the remaining power plant increases, since it is used outside the optimum operating range.

In the late 1950s, as well as in civil aviation increasingly jet engines were applied and their continuous reliability was considered proven, regulating the allowable maximum distance to the nearest suitable airport for three-engine aircraft was canceled. Thus, this could now fly longer distances over an uninhabited area (sea, desert, jungle ) and cross the Atlantic for the first time on the most appropriate route nonstop. Thus, the three-engine Boeing 727 received FAA approval to fly transatlantic routes. This paved the way for the development of wide-body aircraft such as the Lockheed L -1011 TriStar or McDonnell Douglas DC-10 was free. Counterpart on the Soviet side was the Tupolev Tu- 154.

The 60 - minute rule for airplanes with two engines was initially maintained. This changed in 1974, when the A300 was authorized to extend the 60-minute flight time rules from the nearest airport in 90 minutes. The current version, the A300- 600R, has been approved for 180 minutes ETOPS. Boeing brought out in return the two emitters 757 and 767.

FAA and ICAO recognized that twin-engine jets were now become similarly reliable like airplanes with three or four engines. This meant that in 1985 the ETOPS regulations were written. TWA was the first airline by the FAA approval for 90-minute ETOPS flight operations of a Boeing 767 from St. Louis to Frankfurt am Main. This was later extended to 120 minutes.

However, the development progressed quickly in 1988 ETOPS was extended to 180 minutes. Thus 85 percent of the earth with ETOPS flights were achievable. With the extension of the ETOPS regulations and the end of the large three-pointed jets went hand in hand, since aircraft such as the Airbus A330, the Tupolev Tu -214 or the Boeing 777 are lower fuel consumption and operating on these long journeys. Similarly, the Boeing 747 had soft on many routes their expensive competitors.

The approval also includes measures for the welfare of passengers as increased oxygen reserves for the use of masks or medical devices such as defibrillators, and appropriately trained pilots, technical staff and certain technical modifications to the aircraft (cooling from the starter, the ignition system, etc.). ETOPS approval must acquire an airline. For example, two engine failures are 100,000 in engine operating hours for ETOPS -180. Has an airline more failures, it is downgraded to ETOPS -120 etc.

Meanwhile even fly retrofitted short-range aircraft such as the A319LR with additional tanks across the Atlantic and from the Middle East to Europe.

The actual maximum distance to an alternate airport is calculated as 767 by 400 nautical miles are based on per 60 " ETOPS minutes " for example, a Boeing 180, for example, in ETOPS 180 min × 400 NM / NM 60 min = 1200. In borderline cases, the Federal Aviation Authority 405 NM accepted. The actual flight time at a Dodge to the corresponding ETOPS alternate airport may be, therefore, depending on the wind much longer than the original approval of the underlying minutes.

Types of ETOPS rules

Survey

Currently there are several ETOPS time rules:

• 75 minutes: is awarded to airlines
• 90 minutes: is awarded to both types of aircraft as well as to airlines.
• 120 minutes: is awarded to both types of aircraft as well as to airlines. New aircraft models are typically already admitted to the admission to the 120 -minute rule
• 138 minutes: Special scheme for North Atlantic flights (see below)
• 180 minutes: Awarded to aircraft types and airlines. The approval of new aircraft types after the 180 -minute rule does not take place even in principle with the commissioning.
• 207 minutes: Coupled On certain routes and conditions arrangements for the Boeing 777
• 240 minutes: Since November 2009, available option for all new Airbus A330.
• 330 minutes: the Boeing 777-200 ER, LR, -300ER.

138 -minute rule

The " odd" number 138 is to be understood than 120 minutes plus 15 percent. The reason for this scheme is a special feature of the twin-engine aircraft flown much North Atlantic route. Act For flights from Europe to North America as the most important alternative landing sites, the airports of Kangerlussuaq ( Greenland), Gander ( Newfoundland), Lajes Field ( Azores ) and Keflavik ( Iceland ). The 120 -minute ETOPS radius around these airports covers a very large part of the North Atlantic and leaves only a very small triangle. To this important route not to have to fly on after quite complex to be acquired 180 -minute rule, some airlines are approved over the North Atlantic flights to the 138 -minute rule. This especially plays a role even if one of the alternate airports is closed due to bad weather.

207 -minute rule

Here is one of the 138 -minute rule analog expansion of the 180 -minute rule by 15 percent. The Boeing 777- 200ER ( Extended Range - extended range ) 2001 received the approval for 207 -minute ETOPS. Thus, even very long trans-Pacific flights with two spotlights are possible. Meanwhile, the new 777 versions of Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 777- 200LR have received approval for 207 -minute ETOPS. However, 207 -minute ETOPS only applies to the North Pacific route in the event of closure of the Aleutian airports ( weather or volcanic activity).

240 minutes ( beyond 180 minutes)

In November 2009, the European aviation authority EASA has all types of the Airbus A330 issued the 240 -minute ETOPS approval. EASA Approval justified this with the high reliability of this type. Customers can order this extension as an option for new A330. The manufacturer Airbus has calculated that airlines can new direct routes through, for example, the South Atlantic, Pacific or Indian Ocean fly through this expansion, thereby saving fuel on these routes up to ten percent.

330 minutes

The FAA in May 2011, the engine type Rolls- Royce Trent 1000 engine, one of the engine options for the Boeing 787, the certification can be granted to be able to travel up to 330 minutes with only one engine to the next alternate airport. An ETOPS certification for the alternative, the General Electric GEnx, is still pending. In December 2011, the General Electric received 90 GE engine, which arrives at the Boeing 777 used, also the ETOPS 330 certification by the FAA.

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After his admission to the long-haul aircraft Boeing 787 has received with Trent 1000 engines an ETOPS approval for 330 minutes from the nearest alternate airport. However, the 787 was due to battery problems grounding. If this is lifted to the Boeing 787 but only get a ETOPS certification of 180 minutes.

Airbus is trying to get the ETOPS -420 approval for the Airbus A350.

Due to the reliability of the "Twin Jet " it will be hardly any in the near future four-engine aircraft - with the exception of aircraft types that are not feasible with two engines due to their size or shape, such as the Airbus A380 or Boeing 747 A three-engine design, however, the there usually would be technically feasible ( the corresponding thrust class engines have been developed for the Boeing 777- 200LR ), is no longer used, as the third engine in the rear is always difficult to reach.

Despite the long ETOPS time of 207 minutes at the Boeing 777, there are still routes where twin-jet aircraft may not be used. Pacific routes such as Los Angeles, Tokyo or Anchorage Sydney but can already be flown with the Boeing 777, as there is on these routes islands with airports that can be reached in the prescribed time. Apart from the above mentioned, particularly large machines probably all new types of long-haul aircraft will be bidirectional soon. Thus, the last routes for twin-engine aircraft must be released in the near future, as it is currently used for smaller airlines in the South Sea islands ( for example, the Airbus A340, which is now no longer produced by the impending release by the twin-engine Airbus A350 ) must be regarded as unreasonable that they must have over-sized aircraft such as the Boeing 747 for their purposes. Similarly, by major airlines on the mainland that have such patterns can not be expected to use this on weak frequented routes, as their capacity would not be filled in this case. The range of the twin-engined is already making sufficient.

Should not drop the ETOPS limitation, the Ilyushin Il -96 this niche market would still have to serve for decades as a single pattern on.

Others

ETOPS is ( run engines or passengers swim ) also jokingly with engines turn or passengers swim and Economy takes over passengers ' security ( economic efficiency is more important than the safety of passengers ), and ( run engines or passengers swim ) EROPS with engines running or passengers swimming translated. These sayings have emerged in the mid- 1980s, when Pan Am with an Airbus A310 flew across the Atlantic and a large German airline announced that it would never expect such a risk to their passengers. Today, almost all airlines flying to ETOPS rules.

ETOPS times for relevant aircraft types

State of the list: April 19, 2013