KINGDOM of CAMBODIA

State Secretariat of Civil Aviation

Advisory Circular
VERTICAL SEPARATION MINIMUM (RVSM)

Number : AC.OPS 16 /10

Effective Date:13. 04. 2010

1 GENERAL. Advisory Circulars (ACs) are issued by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation
(SSCA) and contain information about standards, practices and procedures acceptable to the
Authority. The revision number of the AC is indicated in parenthesis in the suffix of the AC
number.

2 PURPOSE. This Advisory Circular (AC) provides guidance to the operator applying for
operational approval for RVSM operations.

3 APPLICABILITY. This AC applies to all Cambodia AOC holders.

4 CANCELLATION. This is the first AC issued on this subject.

5 EFFECTIVE DATE. This AC is effective from 13 April 2010.

6 REFERENCES. The following materials were referred to for the development of this AC:

(a) ICAO Doc 9574;

(b) FAA AC 91–85; and

(c) EASA/JAA TGL 6 (Rev 1).

7 DEFINITIONS.

7.1 Altimetry system error (ASE) is the difference between the altitude indicated by the
altimeter display, assuming a correct altimeter barometric setting, and the pressure
altitude corresponding to the undisturbed ambient pressure.

7.2 Total vertical error (TVE) is the vertical geometric difference between the actual
pressure altitude flown by an aircraft and its assigned pressure altitude (flight level).

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8 INTRODUCTION.

8.1 In 1982, under the guidance of ICAO Review of General Concept of Separation
Panel (RGCSP), several states initiated comprehensive study to reduce vertical
separation above FL290 from 2000ft (600m) to 1000ft (300m).

8.2 Using the acceptable Target Level of Safety (TLS) of 2.5 x 10-9 fatal accidents per
aircraft flight hour, RGCSP concluded that the 1000ft (300m) vertical separation
(RVSM) above FL290 was feasible with the following provisions:

(a) A comprehensive Minimum Aircraft Systems Performance Specification (MASPS);

(b) New operational procedures; and

(c) A comprehensive means of monitoring for safe operation.

8.3 At the RGCSP/6 meeting, it was decided that the following altimetry system and
height-keeping performance specifications would be the basis for the development of
global RVSM MASPS.
These are applicable to the aggregate of height-keeping errors of individual aircraft
and simultaneously satisfy the following requirements:

(a) The proportion of height-keeping errors beyond 90m (300 ft) in magnitude is less than
2.0 x 10-3;

(b) The proportion of height-keeping errors beyond 150m (500 ft) in magnitude is less
than 3.5 x 10-6;

(c) The proportion of height-keeping errors beyond 200m (650 ft) in magnitude is less
than 1.6 x 10-7; and

(d) The proportion of height-keeping errors between 290m and 320m (950 ft and 1050 ft)
in magnitude is less than 1.7 x 10-9.

9 MINIMUM AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION (MASPS).

9.1 The altimetry system performance for operation in RVSM airspace in respect of
groups of aeroplanes that are nominally of identical design and build with respect to
all details that could influence the accuracy of height-keeping performance capability
shall be such that the total vertical error (TVE) for the group of aeroplanes shall have
a mean no greater than 25m (80 ft) in magnitude and shall have a standard deviation
no greater than 28 – 0.013z2 for 0 ≤ z ≤ 25 when z is the magnitude of the mean TVE
in metres, or 92 – 0.004z2 for 0 ≤ z ≤ 80 where z is in feet.

9.2 In addition, the components of TVE shall have the following characteristics:

(a) The mean altimetry system error (ASE) of the group shall not exceed 25m (80 ft) in
magnitude;

(b) The sum of the absolute value of the mean ASE and of three standard deviations of
ASE shall not exceed 75m (245 ft); and

(c) The differences between cleared flight level and the indicated pressure altitude
actually flown shall be symmetric about a mean of 0m (0 ft), with a standard deviation
no greater than 13.3m (43.7 ft), and in addition, the decrease in the frequency of
differences with increasing difference magnitude shall be at least exponential.

9.3 In respect of aeroplanes for which the characteristics of the airframe and altimetry

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 system fit are unique and so cannot be classified as belonging to a group of aeroplanes
encompassed by paragraphs 9.1 and 9.2, the height-keeping performance capability shall be
such that the components of the TVE of the aeroplane have the following characteristics:

(a) The ASE of the aeroplane shall not exceed 60 m (200 ft) in magnitude under all flight
conditions; and

(b) The difference between the cleared flight level and the indicated pressure altitude
actually flown shall be symmetric about a mean of 0m (0 ft), with a standard deviation
no greater than 13.3m (43.7 ft), and in addition, the decrease in the frequency of
differences with increasing difference magnitude shall be at least exponential.

10 REQUIREMENTS.

10.1 As required by the Sixth Schedule of the AOCR Chapter 2 paragraph 21, to qualify
for RVSM operational approval, an aeroplane shall be provided with equipment
capable of:
(a) Indicating to the flight crew the flight level being flown;

(b) Automatically maintaining a selected flight level;

(c) Providing an alert to the flight crew when a deviation occurs from the selected flight
level. The threshold for the alert shall not exceed ±90m (300 ft); and

(d) Automatically reporting pressure altitude.

10.2 In addition, AOCR Chapter 8 paragraph 8.18.3 requires compliance in the

airworthiness aspects of operational approval requirements which must include the
RVSM MASPS stated in paragraph 9 above.
11 OPERATIONAL APPROVAL.

11.1 An operator applying for RVSM operation approval shall submit document, such as
relevant pages of Airplane Flight Manual, Type Certificate, supplemental Type
Certificate or Type Certificate Data Sheet attesting to meeting the requirements as set
out in paragraph 10 above.

11.2 The operator will submit relevant pages of the operations manual stating its
operating policy/procedures as well as crew training requirements.

11.3 To process the application, the Authority adopts the standard 5-step approach,
namely: pre-application meeting, formal submission of application, evaluation and/or
assessment of documents, flight proving/validation and final approval or rejection of
application.

11.4 Subject to completeness and timeliness of documents submission the processing of

RVSM operational approval would require 30 working days.

12 APPROVAL LIMITATION.

12.1 RVSM operational approval is aircraft and operator specific; any changes to the
identity of the aircraft or operator shall render the RVSM operational approval invalid
and the Authority shall be informed of such changes without delay.

12.2 Subject to compliance with ICAO Document 7030, Regional Supplementary

Procedures, and State AIPs, the RVSM operational approval is valid worldwide.

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13 HEIGHT-KEEPING PERFORMANCE MONITORING.

13 .I Once the operational approval to conduct RVSM operations is granted by the

Authority, the operator will complete a MAAR Form F2 (USC Form 2 for
EUROCONTROL User Support Cell) for the Authority to submit to the RMA
(Regional Monitoring Agency), MAAR for Asia region, for conduct of Aircraft
Height-Keeping Performance Monitoring flight.

13 .2 This Height-Keeping Performance monitoring flight must be conducted within 6

months of the RVSM operational approval.

14 CONTINUING COMPLIANCE OF MASPS.

14.1 The operator shall set in place a programme to ensure that a mtmmum of two
aeroplanes of each aeroplane-type grouping undergo height-keeping performance
monitoring at least once every two years or within intervals of 1000 flight hours per
aeroplane, whichever period is the longer.

14.2 If the operator' s aeroplane-type grouping consists of a single aeroplane, the height-
keeping monitoring of that aeroplane shall be accomplished within the specified
period .

Note: The programme referred to in paragraph 14 will become a requirement from 18 Nov
2010 in accordance to AOCR Appendix R.

15 WITHDRAWAL OF RVSM APPROVAL.

15 .1 The operator should take immediate action to rectify any report of height-keeping
error. Additionally, the Authority should be informed within 72 hours with initial
analysis of causal factors, as well as measures taken to prevent further occurrence of
the following events:

(a) TVE equal to or greater than ±300ft (±90 m);

(b) ASE equal to or greater than ±245ft (±75 m); and

(c) Assigned Altitude Deviation (AAD) or Large Height Deviation (LHD) equal to or greater
than ±300ft (±90 m) .

15.2 Failure to comply with or consistent violation of paragraph 9 may result in

withdrawal the operational approval by the Authority.

16 RE-INSTATEMENT OF RVSM OPERATIONAL APPROVAL.

ollowing rectification work on the altimetry system, the operator will be

pected to demonstrate compliance with the RVSM MASPS which includes height-
k ping performance monitoring of the subject aircraft.

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