Community service flights

An organisation for charitable or community service purpose coordinates, arranges or facilitates a community service flight (CSF). A CSF also:

• transports people to receive non-emergency medical treatment or services
• is where no medical treatment is provided on board, but passengers can receive medication and treatment for an unexpected medical emergency
• is free of charge to the patient(s) and the person(s) providing them support.

How CSFs differ from private flights

Many private pilots donate their time to volunteer for CSFs. These flights can be quite different to other private flights.

Pilots volunteering for CSFs conduct them without being under the safety umbrella of an Air Operators Certificate (AOC). This means they do not have the same safety protections under the AOC they may normally operate under.

Pilots often conduct CSFs away from the geographical areas, weather conditions and aerodromes they are familiar with.

Charities and organisations often book these flights well in advance and for a specific appointment. This means pilots may feel pressure to complete the flight, whether real or perceived.

This pressure might come from:

• carrying someone you don’t know. It's sometimes more difficult to disappoint a stranger than an acquaintance or friend
• awareness of the patient’s circumstances. The more you learn about the passenger’s situation, the more you may feel the need to ensure they reach their destination on time
• personal obligations. If you have appointments or obligations after the flight, you may feel pressure not to reschedule or delay
• proximity to the destination. The closer you are to the destination, the more likely you will want to complete the flight.

Safety material for pilots

We produce free materials to help pilots build or maintain the skills they need for safe flying. Materials include:

• human factors for pilots. This kit looks at the pilot’s social and personal skills, such as situational awareness, decision making and human information processing.It includes 10 booklets with video content containing interviews with industry experts and practitioners
• flight planning kit. This kit aims to help VFR pilots with good flight planning habits. It includes a handbook outlining 8 stages of a flight, flight planning notepad, personal minimums card and time in your tanks card
• radio procedures in non-controlled airspace. This booklet covers what pilots need to do in Class G airspace, including radio frequencies, phraseology and when to broadcast.

We also encourage pilots to attend our free AvSafety seminars. These have a particular emphasis on pilot skills and decision making.

Rules for conducting community service flights

There are rules for pilots conducting community service flights (CSFs). They are in the CASA 09/19 — Civil Aviation (Community Service Flights — Conditions on Flight Crew Licences) Instrument 2019.

An organisation can apply to us to approve policies and procedures for conducting CSFs. Pilots can then comply with an organisation’s approved requirements instead of these rules.

The remaining CSF rules do not apply if a pilot is complying with these approved requirements.

Experience and recency

To conduct a CSF, you must hold a:

• private pilot licence
• commercial pilot licence or
• air transport pilot licence.

You must also hold either:

• a class 1 or class 2 medical certificate
• an exemption for a class 1 or class 2 medical certificate.

Flight hour minimums

If your CSF is in a multi-engine aeroplane, you must have at least 25 hours of flight time as pilot-in-command of any multi-engine aeroplane.

Commercial pilot licence holders who are not also air transport pilot licence holders need 150 hours as pilot in command (PIC) of an aeroplane or helicopter.

If you only hold a private pilot licence you must have at least:

• 400 hours of flight time
• 250 hours of flight time as pilot-in-command in an aeroplane or a helicopter.

Recent landings

You must have completed 1 landing in the same aircraft class (or type, if the aircraft requires a pilot type rating) during the previous 30 days. This could be on the day of the flight. For example, during a positioning flight or by making 1 circuit before loading CSF passengers.

Aircraft class ratings cover types of single-pilot aircraft that have similar performance and operational characteristics.

For example, you can conduct a landing within 30 days in a Cessna 182Q. You can then conduct a CSF in a Cessna 182Q, 182RG or a Piper PA28 or PA28R..

This is providing the pilot also has the necessary design feature endorsements and is competent to operate the aircraft.

Aircraft type ratings

Aircraft type ratings cover certificated aircraft for multi-crew operations and some single-pilot certified aircraft for flight crew licensing purposes. Type-rated aircraft are not included in a class rating.

You can read the list of type rated aircraft at Prescription of aircraft and ratings — CASR Part 61 (Edition 9) Instrument 2023.

Flight rules – hours on type, no NVFR

If your CSF is under the visual flight rules (VFR):

• you must have at least 10 hours of flight time in an aircraft of the same type
• you cannot fly a CSF under the visual flight rules (VFR) at night.
• these rules apply even if you hold a class rating for the aircraft.

If your CSF is under the instrument flight rules (IFR):

• you must have at least 20 hours of flight time in an aircraft of the same type
• these rules apply even if you hold a class rating for the aircraft.

Types of aircraft

There is no limit to the size of an aircraft you may use for a CSF. You must be qualified for the category, class, and type (where applicable) of aircraft.

Aircraft excluded from CSF are:

• amateur-built and accepted under an Amateur Built Aircraft Acceptance
• in the limited category. Learn more on our Limited category aircraft operations page
• not registered under CASR Part 47 - Registration of aircraft and related matters.

This means you can only conduct CSF flights in VH-registered aircraft that have:

• a standard certificate of airworthiness or a special certificate of airworthiness (but not in the limited category)
• type certificated in the following categories:
  • normal
  • utility
  • acrobatic
  • commuter
  • transport
  • primary or intermediate.

Restricted category aircraft are not permitted. Learn more about restricted category aircraft and special purpose operations in regulation 21.025 of CASR.

Aircraft maintenance

All aircraft are subject to the same aircraft maintenance requirements as private flying.

Number of passengers

During a CSF, you can only carry someone who is:

• a crew member
• a patient or a support person
• a person who is not a crew member but who has:
  • duties that are demonstrably and directly related to the safe conduct of the flight or future CSFs
  • the ability and experience to perform those duties.

A CSF cannot include more than 5 passengers, including the patient.

CSFs can carry more than 1 patient. More than 1 support person can accompany a patient.

For anyone who is not a crew member, it is up to the PIC to determine if that person has:

• duties to carry out
• the ability and experience to carry out these duties.

Duties must be directly related to the safe conduct of the flight or future CSFs.

Flight notification – SARTIME or full flight details

The pilot must submit a flight notification to Airservices Australia and identify the flight as a CSF. This can be either full flight details or SARTIME.

• Full flight details: you can record recorded as 'RMK/CSF' in item 18 of the domestic flight notification form.
• SARTIME: you can record this as 'CSF' in the Remarks section of the NAIPS SARTIME form.

Flight notifications need to be in a written form for a CSF. For example, through an online or electronic form.

You must also record information that the flight is a CSF in your personal logbook.