Avionics News May 2019 - 45

PARTICIPATING STATES
This article will focus on SAFA ramp checks for thirdcountry operators.
The SAFA ramp inspections are primarily based on ICAO
international standards, manufacturer standards and any
national standards that apply to all operators flying in that
state. The Programme is not discriminatory - that is, an
aircraft is no more or less likely to be inspected due to its
state of registration or state of departure. However, some
participating states may target aircraft or operators they
suspect of not complying with applicable standards.
Third-country operators operating to and from the 48
participating states (see sidebar), including 15 non-EU
member states, are subject to SAFA inspections and should be
prepared before flying to these participating states.
SAFA inspection checklist and preparation
The SAFA inspection checklist consists of four major parts:
*	 Part A - flight deck.
*	 Part B - cabin/safety equipment.
*	 Part C - general technical condition of aircraft.
*	 Part D - cargo compartment/cargo carried.
Part E, general, covers more broad topics and is basically a
catch-all for items not included in the main categories.
There are 53 inspection items on the SAFA ramp check,
including pilot licensing, procedures and manuals carried in
the cockpit, safety equipment, and so on.
Proactively preparing will make your experience more
successful.
The inspection items are not a surprise - the EASA
publishes the checklist for public information. Most operators
prepare an aircraft-specific binder or electronic document for
SAFA inspections, following the checklist and numbering the
binder in accordance with the checklist items.
For example, Item A10 is the aircraft operator certificate
or equivalent. Your binder or electronic document should
include a copy of the AOC and the location of the official
AOC in the aircraft.
Inspection Item B05 is life jackets/flotation devices. Your
preparation materials may point to the physical location of
life jackets and flotation devices or even contain photos of
their location. This assists the inspector in quickly identifying
the location of the inspection item.
Once you have the binder or electronic document put
together, don't let it collect dust. You're expected to be
familiar with the items in the checklist when the inspector
asks related questions. This is particularly important if you
fly multiple aircraft, even of the same type. If you typically

The 48 participating states
engaged in the EU Ramp
Inspection Programme are:
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Albania
Armenia
Australia
Austria (EU)
Belgium (EU)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria (EU)
Canada
Croatia
Cyprus (EU)
Czech Republic (EU)
Denmark (EU)
Estonia (EU)
Finland (EU)
France (EU)
Georgia
Germany (EU)
Greece (EU)
Hungary (EU)
Iceland
Ireland (EU)
Israel
Italy (EU)
Latvia (EU)
Lithuania (EU)
Luxembourg (EU)
Malta (EU)
Republic of Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Morocco
The Netherlands (EU)
Norway
Poland (EU)
Portugal (EU)
Romania (EU)
Serbia
Singapore
Slovak Republic (EU)
Slovenia (EU)
Spain (EU)
Sweden (EU)
Switzerland
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia;
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom (EU)

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Avionics News May 2019

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