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Regulatory Article 1360
RA 1360 - RTS Authorization
Rationale
The authority to operate and regulate military aircraft is vested in SofS. He delegates
his authority for these matters to the appropriate Service COS for regulation of aircraft
and aircraft systems for which they are responsible. Such regulation includes
formulation of overall policy on aircraft operations including safety, airworthiness,
training, operational safety and flying limitations. The PTL will certify that the initial set
of RTS recommendations (RTSR) provides an acceptably safe operating envelope
before presentation to the appropriate Operating Centre Director for approval and
issue of the recommendation to the RTSA for authorization.
Subsequent RTSRs are certified iaw the delegation to the PTL and issued to the
RTSA for authorization.
Contents
1360(1): RTSR Certification
1360(2): Initial RTSR Approval
1360(3): RTS Authorization
Regulation
1360(1)
1360(2)
1360(3)
RTSR Certification
1360(1) The RTSR and subsequent changes shall be certified by the
individual with the necessary delegated authority.
Initial RTSR Approval
1360(2) The initial RTSR shall be approved by the Operating Centre
Director with the necessary delegated authority.
RTS Authorization
1360(3) The RTS and subsequent changes shall be authorized by
the RTSA with the necessary delegated authority.
Acceptable
Means of
Compliance
1360(1)
1360(2)
1360(3)
1.
The initial issue of the RTSR and its associated Safety Case (SC) should be
approved by the Operating Centre Director with the appropriate delegated authority in
the DE&S following certification by the PTL.
2.
Subsequent amendment and re-issues of the RTSR should be certified iaw the
delegation to the PTL. The PTL may delegate his authority to approve amendments to
or re-issues of RTS recommendations. Such a delegation should be to a competent
individual of B1/Capt(RN)/Col/Gp Capt or above. In exceptional circumstances this
can be delegated to a competent individual of B2/Cdr/Lt Col/Wg Cdr level.
3.
The initial issue and subsequent changes to the RTS should be authorized by
the RTSA with delegated authority from the appropriate Chief of Staff (COS). Any
RTSA delegated authority should be of B1/Capt(RN)/Col/Gp Capt or above.
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Regulatory Article 1360
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Guidance
Material
1360(1)
1360(2)
1360(3)
General
4.
This RA must be read in conjunction with:
a.
RA1019 – PTL Roles and Responsibilities.
b.
RA1018 – RTSA Roles and Responsibilities.
c.
RA1003 – Delegations.
d.
RA1300 – Release To Service.
e.
RA1370 – RTS Upkeep.
Release to Service Authorities
5.
The following posts act as the RTSA for their Service's aircraft, and will receive
appropriate letters delegating authority for airworthiness and release to service:
a.
RN aircraft: ACNS DRTSA on behalf of CNS.
b.
Army aircraft: ACGS DRTSA on behalf of CGS.
c.
RAF aircraft: ACAS on behalf of CAS.
d.
Joint Force aircraft: As agreed by the relevant COS.
Responsibilities and Procedures
6.
The PTL will have agreed an Integrated Test, Evaluation and Acceptance Plan
(ITEAP) with the HOC, based on meeting the requirements of the User Requirements
Document (URD).
7.
Towards the end of the demonstration phase the PTL will agree with the
sponsoring HOC whether the demonstrated operational and safety capability of the
aircraft has reached a point that is acceptable for Service use. The PTL will then offer
the agreed initial aircraft capability to the HOC in conjunction with the supporting
Release to Service Recommendations (RTSR) and associated SC, approved for issue
by the Operating Centre Director with appropriate delegated authority in the DE&S.
8.
Once satisfied, the HOC will offer the aircraft for Service use to the prospective
RTSA. This offer will be made in the form of a letter, referring to the RTSR and the
Project Specification, and identifying any areas of the specification that have not been
met.
9.
The RTSA (also see Annex A) will then:
a.
Identify an officer who will act as the delegated RTSA for the project. The
officer will be appointed the delegated RTSA for the project and empowered by
a personal letter of airworthiness delegation.
b.
Obtain confirmation that all the operating and support elements
necessary to preserve the airworthiness of the aircraft during operation are in
place.
c.
Formally release the aircraft for Service use; this may be based on the
model letter at Annex A.
10.
RTS process maps are at Annex B.
Staffing Procedures for Release to Service Recommendations
11. Origin of Changes to the RTS. The RTSA will have to consider proposals for
change to the RTS resulting from the 3 traditional sources: Designer changes; Service
Modification design changes; and RTSA sponsored changes to operating limitations.
12. Guidance on the Formulation of Staffing Procedures. The RTSA and PT
staff need to work together to formulate staffing procedures that ensure that only fully
staffed RTSRs of the appropriate level are presented to the RTSA. They will aim to
make maximum use of existing approval mechanisms and delegate approval authority
to the lowest competent level. The rules to be followed for the clearance and approval
of all changes to the RTS, including Temporary Clearances and Clearances with
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Regulatory Article 1360
Guidance
Material
1360(1)
1360(2)
1360(3)
Limited Evidence, need to be developed and, where appropriate, agreed and recorded
in the IBA. The RTSA and the PTL must ensure that appropriate supplements to the
SC are prepared in support of the change, and that the Aircraft Document Set (ADS)
amendments are available 6 months prior to operation of Service aircraft incorporating
the change. The safety justifications and ADS amendments will support the PTL
prepared RTSR, which informs the RTSA of the safety implications of incorporating
the change into the RTS.
13. Dissemination of Information. The RTSA must ensure that all organizations
that have a long term role and involvement with the RTS and the SC are kept informed
of changes to the design standard and/or usage in service. However, RTSR must be
directed only to the RTSA, through the appropriate staffing chain.
14. Conditions for Acceptance of an RTSR. The output of the joint RTSA/PT
staffing process must ensure that the following conditions are met:
a.
There must be an adequate supplement to the SC that:
(1)
Relates the change proposal to the appropriate as-flown
configurations.
(2)
Clearly identifies the audit trail.
(3)
Shows that the implications are understood across the whole of the
ADS, not just the RTS.
(4)
Assesses the risk to life associated with the change in relation to
the project safety requirements.
b.
The safety arguments must be subject to an appropriate level of
independent evaluation, both on grounds of propriety and to crosscheck the
completeness of the arguments.
c.
In order to accept an RTSR where the conditions in Paras 14 a. and/or b.
above are not fully implemented, the RTSA must justify the decision in a
supplement to the SC; e.g. the proposed change is clearly so simple that further
safety arguments are not required.
d.
The RTSA may accept an RTSR with risk outside the project safety
target, but must include his operational justification for its tolerability in a
supplement to the SC, and show that the risk has been reduced to ALARP.
15.
Consideration of RTSRs. In considering an RTSR, the RTSA will:
a.
Review the adequacy of the safety justification; consider the change in
overall risk to the ‘as flown’ aircraft;
b.
Authorize the implications on operating safety;
c.
Ensure the sufficiency of the ADS.
Note: the acceptance of Service changes within the RTS does not imply a reduction in
the standards of competency required of design, manufacture, test or evaluation that
underlies the preparation and substantiation of the SC. The RTSA will record these
considerations to complete the supplement to the SC for the change so that, once
authorized, the audit trail for the RTS change is complete. The record will be
maintained in Part G of the RTS. RA 1360 Initial Issue AIL1
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Regulatory Article 1360
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ANNEX A
MODEL COVER LETTER FOR THE RELEASE TO SERVICE
{Office of the RTSA}
{aircraft type and mark}
MOD({appropriate department}) RELEASE TO SERVICE
ISSUE 1
This Issue has been authorized by
{post title of the RTSA}
date
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Regulatory Article 1360
{file}
{date}
See Distribution
MOD ({appropriate department}) RELEASE TO SERVICE – {aircraft type and mark}
References:
A.
RA1300 – RTS.
B.
RA1360 – RTS Authorization.
C.
RA1370 – RTS Upkeep.
1. The {aircraft type and mark} is released to Service flying subject to the limitations stated in this MOD({appropriate
department}) Release to Service (RTS) and is promulgated in accordance with Reference A-C.
2. The limitations of the RTS are the definitive limits for the aircraft in Service regulated flying. Where any conflict
arises between this RTS and any other Aircraft documentation, the limitations in the RTS are overriding.
3. Authorized holders of the RTS are to ensure that all RTS documents that define current flight limitations are kept
with this letter of authority under one cover.
4. The authority for approving changes to this RTS is vested in {appropriate post title} as my Delegated Release to
Service Authority for the {aircraft type and mark}.
{Name}
{Rank}
{Post title of the Head of the Service Operations Branch/RTSA}
RA 1360 Initial Issue
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Regulatory Article 1360
ANNEX B
RTSA PROCESS MAPS
Level 0
CONSTRAINTS
NEED
FOR
AUTHORIZED
RTS PROCESS
RTS
RTS
RTSA
RESOURCES
Level 1
RTS PROCESS
RTS
COMPILATION &
SUBMISSION
PROCESS
NEED
ASSESSMENT
PROCESS
DRTSA
Level 2
RTS NEED ASSESSMENT PROCESS
AGREE
RTS COMPILATION & SUBMISSION PROCESS
AGREED
IDENTIFY
NEED
IMPLEMENTATION
THE NEED
RTS
SAFETY CASE
COMPILATION
AND
ASSESSMENT
IMPLEMEN
ACCEPTABLE
RTS
SAFETY
SUBMISSION
CASE
DRTSA
DRTSA
-TATION Level 3 (Activities)
Need for
for RTS RTS
Need
Agreed Need Page 6 of 10
Agreed Need
RTS IMP Plan
RTS IMP Plan
Acceptable SC
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Acceptable SC
AUTHORIZED
RTS
RA 1360 Initial Issue AIL1
JSP 553 TRI‐SERVICE RTSA PROCESS – LEVEL 3 ACTIVITIES FORMAL REQUEST
FOR RTS* VIA SM/DM
PROFORMA OR
SERVICE SPECIFIC
FORM, I.E. SOR
NEED FOR RTS
REVIEW AGREED NEED
TO IDENTIFY IMPACT
ON RTS/ADS,
SUPPORTING
EVIDENCE &
POTENTIAL
SHORTFALLS/
CONFLICTS
AGREED NEED
RTSA DO ASSESSES
VALIDITY OF RTS
CHANGE, IMPACT &
OPTIONS
LIAISE WITH PT TO
CONFIRM SCOPE &
TIMING OF MAR/RTSR
CHANGE AND/OR
DM/SM ACTION
‘SMART’
LIAISE WITH
RELEVANT RTSA
TO ASSESS JOINT
NEED/CLEARANCE
YES CHANGE
APPLICABLE
TO OTHER
RTSAs?
ADVISE PT/SPONSOR
ON SUITABILITY OF
SUPPORTING
EVIDENCE,
HIGHLIGHTING WHERE
FURTHER EVIDENCE
WILL BE REQUIRED
INITIAL/
EXISTING
SUPPORTING
EVIDENCE
NO
RTS NEED VALID & AGREED WITH SPONSOR? RTS IMP PLAN
NO
ALL RTS
NEEDS
IDENTIFIED?
YES
NO
YES
PRODUCE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN
CONSULTATION WITH PT/SPONSOR
ADS DM DO IMP SC SM SMART SOR – AIRCRAFT DOCUMENT SET – DESIGN ORGANISATION MODIFICATION – RTSA/PT DESK OFFICERS – IMPLEMENTATION – SAFETY CASE – SERVICE MODIFICATION – SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISABLE, TIMELY – STATEMENT OF REQUIREMENT AIRCRAFT PROGRAMME?
KEY MILESTONES?
TRIALS?
TIMINGS? (CONCURRENT PROJECTS/
OTHER PT/SPONSOR COMMITMENTS)
ALIGNED WITH JOINT CLEARANCE?
NO
RTSR – RTS RECOMMENDATION RA 1360 Initial Issue
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RTS IMP PLAN
AGREED WITH
PT/SPONSOR?
YES
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RTS IMP PLAN
SC EVIDENCE
STAKEHOLDER/
PT/ SME/ ETC
DO FOLLOWS
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN,
COMPILING SC EVIDENCE TO
SUPPORT RTS NEED.
QUALITY OF EVIDENCE
EVALUATED AND SAFETY,
AIRWORTHINESS &
SUPPORTABILITY ASSESSED
DO PREPARES SC
SUBMISSION FOR RTSA
ACCEPTABLE SC
CERTIFIED RTSR FOR
**
RTSA STAFF REVIEW
YES
NO
NO
ACCEPTABLE?
FULL SC
EVIDENCE
AVAILABLE?
DO/PT MANAGE CHANGES
FOR PTL RE-CERTIFICATION
YES
PROJECT
SAFETY TARGET
MET OR RISK
ALARP?
RECOMMENDED
CLEARANCE TO
DRTSA
YES
NO
ADS
DM
DO
IMP
SC
SM
SMART
SOR
– AIRCRAFT DOCUMENT SET
– DESIGN ORGANIZATION MODIFICATION
– RTSA/PT DESK OFFICERS
– IMPLEMENTATION
– SAFETY CASE
– SERVICE MODIFICATION
– SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE
REALISABLE, TIMELY
– STATEMENT OF REQUIREMENT
ACCEPTABLE?
DO COMPILES PRACTICABLE
RISK REDUCTION MEASURES
& MITIGATES ANY RESIDUAL
RISK TO ALARP NO
YES
NO
MAJOR
AMEND?
YES
DO MAKES NECESSARY
CHANGES TO SC
CLEARANCE TO
RTSA
RTSR – RTS RECOMMENDATION
*
Process applies equally to an initial issue RTS
Agreed Need NO
NO
ACCEPTABLE?
ACCEPTABLE
SC?
YES
YES
AUTH’D BY
DRTSA
AUDIT TRAIL
ARCHIVED
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RA 1360 Initial Issue
AUTH’D BY
RTSA/DRTSA
AUTH’D CLEARANCE
RECORDED & DISTRIBUTED
AUTHORIZED RTS
ANNEX C
RTSA DELEGATION
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