GENERAL PRECEPT
July 5, 2010 No 10
Addressees: Air Operators applying for the authorisation of Estonian Civil Aviation
Administration to apply additional flight and duty time limitations and rest time requirements.
Under subsection 7(5) of the Aviation Act and section 2.1(b) of OPS 1.1090 of Annex III to
the Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 of 16 December 1991 and in order to ensure flight
safety, the Director General of the Estonian Civil Aviation Administration establishes
ADDITIONAL FLIGHT AND DUTY TIME LIMITATIONS AND REST TIME
REQUIREMENTS
1. General
1.1. An operator shall establish flight and duty time limitations and rest scheme for crew
members in accordance with the requirements of Annex III to the Council Regulation (EEC)
No 3922/91 of 16 December 1991 and taking into account section 2 of the Employment
Contracts Act and the provisions of the present General Precept.
1.2. In case a duty period does not include flight duty, the rest period preceding to the duty
period shall be at least 11 hours.
1.3. An operator shall ensure that crew members can use their daily rest periods, at least part
of which must be within a 24-hour period.
2. Standby (excluding airport standby)
2.1. Information on standby periods shall be included in rosters and/or notified to crew
members in advance.
2.2. An operator shall ensure crew members necessary facilities and conditions for resting and
sleeping during the standby (except home standby).
2.3. In case a standby is preceded or followed by flight duty, it must be followed by rest
period, the duration of which shall by at least the total of flight duty period and ½ of the
duration of standby. The rest period shall not be shorter than the minimum rest period
provided in OPS 1.1110.
2.4. In case a crew member is assigned to standby in connection with a delay of departure and
he/she is notified of it before he/she leaves the place he/she had rest, the planned start of duty
period shall be considered as the start of standby.
3. Time zone differences
3.1. In case difference between the zone times of the start and end of a duty period of crew
members is more than 2 hours, the minimum rest period shall be extended by the difference
between these times.
4. Extention of flight duty period
4.1. Extended flight duty period (split duty)
4.1.1. In case crew members have a scheduled break during flight duty, which exceeds 3
hours and they have facilities and conditions to have rest, the flight duty period may be
extended by maximum of half of the duration of the uninterrupted break.
If the break lasts 7 hours and crew members have conditions and facilities for resting and
sleeping, the flight duty period may be extended to by maximum 2/3 of the duration of the
uninterrupted break.
4.1.2. In case the time for going to the rest place and to the aircraft exceeds 1 hour in total, it
shall not be included in the break.
4.1.3. In case a break exceeds 6 hours or includes at least 3 hours of the local night, crew
members must be provided with an accommodation.
4.1.4. The duration of the flight duty period before and after the break shall not exceed 10
hours.
4.2. In-flight rest
4.2.1. In case pilots in an augmented flight crew are provided with the facilities and
conditions for resting during flight and the duty period does not include more than 3 flights,
the flight duty period of flight crew members may be extended up to 16 hours. In case of
doubled flight crew the flight duty period may be extended up to 18 hours.
4.2.2. In case a flight duty period of cabin crew members does not include more than 3 flights
and every cabin crew member is provided with facilities and possibility to have rest for at
least 1 hour in flight, the flight duty period of cabin crew members may be extended up to 18
hours.
4.2.3. In case a flight duty period includes three flights, the flight duty period may be
extended, provided that the duration of one of the flights does not exceed 2 hours and the rest
period following the duty period is extended by 6 hours.