Area, route and aerodrome competence
160.—(1)  An AOC holder must not designate a person as the pilot‑in‑command for any flight of a relevant aircraft unless the person has, in the 12 months immediately preceding the commencement of the flight, demonstrated to the satisfaction of the AOC holder, that the person has adequate knowledge of —
(a)the route to be taken for the flight;
(b)the aerodromes of take-off and landing; and
(c)the alternate aerodromes.
(2)  The knowledge required under paragraph (1) includes knowledge of —
(a)the terrain and minimum safe altitudes;
(b)the seasonal meteorological conditions that may apply;
(c)the meteorological, communication and air traffic facilities, services and procedures along the route to be taken for the flight;
(d)the search and rescue procedures; and
(e)the navigational facilities and procedures, including any long-range navigational procedures, associated with the route to be taken for the flight.
(3)  To determine if a person’s knowledge of the matters mentioned in paragraphs (1) and (2) are sufficient to render the person competent to perform the duties of a pilot-in-command, an AOC holder must take into account the person’s flying experience in conjunction with —
(a)the experience of the other persons who are to be assigned as flight crew members for the flight;
(b)the influence of terrain and obstructions on departure and approach procedures at the aerodromes of take-off and intended landing, and at the alternate aerodromes;
(c)the similarity of the instrument approach procedures and let down aid to those procedures and aids with which that person is familiar;
(d)the dimensions of runways which may be used in the course of the flight in relation to the performance limits of the aircraft type or variant to be used for the flight;
(e)the reliability of meteorological forecasts and the probability of difficult meteorological conditions in the areas to be traversed;
(f)the adequacy of available information in respect of the aerodrome of intended landing and any alternate aerodromes;
(g)the nature of the air traffic control procedures and the familiarity of the person with such procedures;
(h)the influence of terrain on route conditions and the extent of assistance which may be obtained en-route from navigational aids and air-to-ground communication facilities; and
(i)the extent to which the person may become familiar with unusual aerodrome procedures and features of the route by means of ground instruction and training devices.
(4)  An AOC holder may treat a person as having met the requirements in paragraph (1) if the person, in the 12 months immediately preceding the commencement of the flight for which the AOC holder is intending to assign the person as pilot‑in‑command (called in this paragraph the present flight) —
(a)has previously qualified under paragraph (1) to act as a pilot‑in‑command on a flight between the same places, and on the same route, as the present flight; and
(b)has acted as a pilot, check pilot or observer in the flight crew department of a flight between the same places, and on the same route, as the present flight.
(5)  An AOC holder must establish a process, for the qualification and re‑qualification of a pilot for the purpose of this regulation, that is approved by the Director‑General of Civil Aviation.
(6)  The process established in accordance with paragraph (5) must include —
(a)the recording of the date and particulars of any decision taken by an AOC holder pursuant to paragraph (1); and
(b)the evidence on which any such decision was based.