Medevac — Fatigue Rules
Secondary reference. Medical evacuation flights run on Division IV of Subpart 700 (sections 700.100–700.135), not the 703/704/705 fatigue rules — there are no 700.28 start-time tables and no acclimatization mechanic. This page paraphrases every section in the Division; the authoritative text is on Justice Laws.
Who this Division covers — 700.100
The Division applies to an air operator that conducts a medical evacuation flight and to the flight crew members who fly it (700.100(1)). It does not apply to operations under Subpart 702 — aerial work (700.100(2)).
Positioning an aircraft before or after a medevac flight counts as a medevac flight (700.100(3)). A flight dispatched primarily to carry cargo is not a medevac flight even if it happens to carry human blood products, organs or medical supplies (AC 700-047).
“Medical evacuation flight” is defined in CARs 101.01.
Monitoring system and records — 700.101
The air operator must have a system that monitors each flight crew member’s flight time, flight duty periods and rest periods, and must set out how it works in the company operations manual (700.101(1)). If a crew member — or anyone else — realises an assignment would blow past the 700.103 flight-time limit or the 700.104 maximum FDP, they must tell the operator as soon as possible (700.101(2)).
Where the operator also uses these crew members on non-medevac flying, all duty has to be accounted for, not just the medevac hours (AC 700-047).
Fitness for duty — 700.102
- Before an FDP starts, if the crew member tells the operator they are fatigued to the point of not being fit for duty, the operator must not let them begin (700.102(1)).
- If fatigue reaches that point during an FDP, the crew member must tell every other crew member and the operator as soon as they become aware of it (700.102(2)).
- In a single-pilot aircraft, the pilot advises the operator immediately or, if airborne, as soon as possible after landing (700.102(3)).
- Anyone who becomes aware that an assignment would exceed the maximum flight time or maximum FDP must advise the operator as soon as possible (700.102(4)).
- If a rest period or time free from duty was not provided, the crew member or anyone else who knows must advise the operator as soon as possible (700.102(5)).
Flight time — 700.103
An operator must not assign, and a crew member must not accept, flight time that would push the member’s total flight time over any of these limits (700.103(1)):
| Limit | Window | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| 40 hours | any 7 consecutive days | 704 / 705 flights in an aircraft other than a helicopter |
| 60 hours | any 7 consecutive days | 703 flights, or any helicopter |
| 120 hours | any 30 consecutive days | all — 100 hours if the member is on call |
| 300 hours | any 90 consecutive days | all |
| 1,200 hours | any 365 consecutive days | all |
| 8 hours | any 24 consecutive hours | single-pilot operations only |
Total flight time here includes flight time from other flying, and the whole duration of a flight flown with an augmented crew (700.103(2)).
Flight duty period — 700.104
A flat maximum of 14 hours (700.104). There are no start-time tables — the 14-hour ceiling applies regardless of when the FDP begins.
Sections 700.105–700.115 are reserved (they do not exist).
Rest period — 700.116
At the end of an FDP the operator must provide a rest period of 10 hours plus the travel time to and from the place the rest is taken (700.116(1)). The operator must give advance notice of the rest period and its length (700.116(2)).
Rest period — positioning — 700.117
If the operator requires travel for positioning after an FDP, it must add a rest period of at least half of the travel time that exceeds the member’s maximum FDP (700.117).
Split flight duty — 700.118
If an FDP contains a rest period, the operator may extend it past the 700.104 14-hour maximum by half the length of that rest period, up to 3 hours, if (700.118(1)):
- the operator gives notice of the extension before the FDP begins;
- the rest period is at least 4 consecutive hours in suitable accommodation; and
- the operator does not interrupt it.
The rest period after that FDP is then extended by at least the amount of the extension (700.118(2)).
Time free from duty — 700.119
The operator must provide one of the following (700.119(1)):
- ≥ 36 consecutive hours within each 7-day period;
- ≥ 3 consecutive days within each 17-day period; or
- ≥ 4 consecutive days within each 19-day period.
Advance notice of the time free from duty and its length is required (700.119(2)).
Consecutive flight duty periods — 700.120
After three consecutive FDP assignments that each exceed 12 consecutive hours, the operator must give ≥ 24 consecutive hours free from flight duty — unless the member already had a 24-consecutive-hour rest between each of those FDPs (700.120).
Delayed reporting time — 700.121
If the operator tells the crew member — before they leave the rest facility — of a delay of more than 3 hours to the reporting time, the FDP is treated as starting 3 hours after the original reporting time (700.121).
Sections 700.122–700.130 are reserved (they do not exist).
Augmented crew and rest facilities — 700.131
If the operator adds one flight crew member and provides a rest facility, the maximum FDP becomes (700.131(1)):
| Maximum FDP | Rest facility |
|---|---|
| 15 hours | a flight deck observer seat |
| 17 hours | class 2 |
| 20 hours | class 1 |
This applies only to an FDP with three flights or fewer (700.131(2)). All time spent in the rest facility counts as FDP (700.131(3)). If the FDP was extended this way, the following rest period equals the duration of the duty period just completed (700.131(4)).
Long-range flights — 700.132
An FDP with a flight — or series of flights — that ends more than four one-hour time zones from the point of departure (unless flown entirely within Northern Domestic Airspace) is limited to three flights and must be followed by a rest period at least equal to the FDP (700.132(1)).
If that flight is transoceanic, only one flight may be flown after it, not counting one unscheduled technical stop (700.132(2)).
Unforeseen operational circumstances — 700.133
As a result of an unforeseen operational circumstance, and after consulting all crew members on their level of fatigue, the pilot-in-command may extend a crew member’s flight time and FDP beyond the 700.103 and 700.104 maximums (700.133(1)).
The extension may be up to 3 hours if the PIC notifies the operator of its length and reason; where an FDP is extended, the following rest period is increased by at least the length of the extension (700.133(2)). The operator keeps a record of every such notification for 24 months (700.133(3)).
(This is a single flat 3-hour allowance — unlike the tiered 700.63 extensions in the 703/704/705 rules.)
Flight crew member on reserve — 700.134
The operator must give each crew member on reserve a rest period of at least 10 consecutive hours in any 24 consecutive hours if it (700.134(1)):
- gives 24 hours’ notice of the rest period’s start and length;
- gives at least 10 hours’ notice and assigns no duty during those 10 hours; or
- assigns no FDP and does not interrupt the rest between 22:00 and 06:00 local time.
Once that rest is given, the start of the next rest period cannot move by more than 3 hours from the previous start time, or by more than 8 hours total in any 7 consecutive days (700.134(2)).
If the operator cannot provide that rest and the member is called for duty — or the reporting time falls between 22:00 and 06:00 local — then the maximum FDP is 10 hours and the following rest period is increased by at least half the length of the preceding FDP (700.134(3)).
Controlled rest on the flight deck — 700.135
A flight crew member may take controlled rest on the flight deck only if (700.135(1)):
- it is 45 minutes or less, taken in the cruise portion, and finished at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start of descent;
- no other crew member is resting at the same time; and
- at least two flight crew members stay on the flight deck.
Before resting, the member hands over their duties, reviews the status of the flight and the wake-up criteria, and tells the other crew members the start and end times (700.135(2)). They take on no duties until 15 minutes after the rest ends (700.135(3)), and get an operational briefing when they return to duty (700.135(4)).
Sections 700.136–700.199 are reserved (they do not exist).