Thierry Dubois is a freelance writer specializing in helicopters, business aviation and aerospace technology. He earned a degree in fluid dynamics from an engineering school in Toulouse, France in the mid-1990s. At an unexpected crossroads, he found his first job in journalism. In 1997, he started working for French aerospace weekly Air &amp; Cosmos in Paris. This lasted until 2000, when he moved south to Lyons. He then became a freelancer, working for various aerospace publications and has been part of the AIN team since late 2000. In addition to writing about business aviation, Thierry shares responsibility for the rotorcraft section. He also is a regular on-site writer for AIN’s daily editions at international airshows such as the Paris, Farnborough, Dubai and Singapore shows, as well as at EBACE in Geneva.
In 2007, he won the Honeywell award for “Best systems or technology submission” at the Aerospace journalist of the year awards. In 2013, he won an Aerospace Media Award for the "Best Safety, Training &amp; Simulation Submission."
In other activities, Thierry moderates international conferences on aviation technology topics. Thierry is married and has three children, who seem to begin enjoying the mountains–as their parents do.

Writer

Thierry Dubois

The EASA is gearing up to enact new rules this year that will affect business aircraft operators, <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-02-01/european-bizav-operators-unprepared-easa-part-ncc">Part-NCC</a> (non-commercial operations with complex aircraft) and <a href="https://www.nbaa.org/ops/intl/eur/eur-tco/IP-14-499_EN.pdf">Part-TCO</a> (third-country operators).

 


Most of the operators that have to comply with Part-NCC are business aircraft operators, including shared-ownership programs. The new regulation takes effect August 25.

 


Part-NCC is a declarative system, rather than a certification basis, Eduard Ciofu, EASA’s manager for air operations regulations, told AIN. The operator will declare its competence to operate under NCC and “will be able to start operating the next day,” Ciofu said.

 


The process is significantly simpler than obtaining an AOC, he noted. Asked about the workload involved in establishing a safety management system (SMS), Ciofu answered it has to be “proportionate.” A doctor flying his King Air to reach patients and a laboratory using an Airbus in “zero g” flights face widely differing risks “but each needs to be managed properly,” he said.

 


Light twin turboprops with an mtow of less than 5.7 metric tons (12,500 pounds) and all turboprop singles are exempt from the new rule.

 


<h2>Third Country Operators</h2>

 


Meanwhile, full applicability of Part-TCO is scheduled for November. This will be the end of a transition period that began in May 2014. “More than 700 operators have applied and we have been doing a safety assessment according to ICAO standards,” Sacha Schott, EASA’s manager for TCO, told AIN.

 


The rule affects all air transport (passenger or cargo) operators that are not certified in any EASA member state. No TCO is needed for overflights of Europe without an intended landing, Schott noted.

 


A TCO authorization is not a certificate. Rather, it is the validation of a foreign AOC for use in the EASA member states. “We are not the operator’s competent authority,” Schott pointed out. “We won’t substitute for any oversight responsibility under ICAO standards,” he added.

 


The expected benefit is an additional layer of safety. “TCO verifies safety standards at the organizational level,” Schott said. For example, the functionality of a SMS “is not something you can see during SAFA (safety assessment of foreign aircraft) ramp inspections.” Thanks to the Part-TCO regulation, Schott said, EU citizens will be informed about who is authorized to operate into Europe. It will thus complement the European Commission’s black list.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

New Operator Rules Coming Soon in Europe

New regs will cover “non-commercial operations with complex aircraft” and third-country operators.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

Kaleyesus Bekele

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Industry group presses for regulatory progress and continuity across the continent 

African Bizav Strives for Greater Market Opportunity

Amy Wilder

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Rule would not apply to insulin-treated diabetes

FAA Proposes Easing Medical Approvals for Diabetic Pilots

Kerry Lynch

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

More In Regulations and Government

African Bizav Strives for Greater Market Opportunity

Industry group presses for regulatory progress and continuity across the continent

FAA Proposes Easing Medical Approvals for Diabetic Pilots

Rule would not apply to insulin-treated diabetes

Congress OKs Stopgap Government Funding Measure

Move averts potential shutdown

Longtime Bizav Attorney Gary Garofalo Flies West

His career spanned more than five and a half decades

New Treasury Rule Limits LLC Information Reporting

The revision relaxes some provisions of the Corporate Transparency Act

Nancy Kassebaum, Architect of GA Product Liability Reform, Dies

Kassebaum pushed through the General Aviation Revitalization Act

Nav Canada Increases ATC Service Charges

Increased fees are to recover pandemic shortfall

FAA InFO Outlines CVR Upgrade Deadlines

Larger new bizav aircraft face 2027 deadline, while small new turbine bizav aircraft have 2029 deadline

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN