COMDTINST 3700.1
directly to the Coast Guard or they may be providing the service to a third party such as a
shipping agent who pays for the transportation of the Coast Guard personnel. Examples of
these operations include pollution response and investigation, port state control activities,
verification of public and private navigation aids, Outer Continental Shelf inspections, and
public affairs activities. Some non-aircrew personnel make such flights routinely while
others fly very infrequently. With a few exceptions, these flyers have been provided little or
no training beyond what is covered in a flight safety briefing immediately before takeoff by
the aircraft's crew, and they may not be adequately familiar with available safety and
survival equipment. In the case of civilian aircraft, the aircraft and crew may have met only
the minimum Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for maintenance;
inspections; flight crew qualifications, experience, and training; and operation. There has
been no Coast Guard-wide standard addressing safety and survival training and equipment
for non-aircrew flyers, or criteria to be met by civilian aviation service providers.
5. DISCUSSION. Designated Coast Guard aviation personnel comply with strict standards
that specify their training, equipment, currency of experience and the maintenance,
inspection and operation of Coast Guard aircraft. Non-aircrew personnel who fly may face
similar hazards, but the frequency and nature of the missions normally flown by non-aircrew
flyers usually result in overall risks lower than designated aircrew but sometimes higher than
the flying publics. Consequently, non-aircrew flyers do not necessarily require training and
equipment identical to that provided to designated aircrew, but more thorough indoctrination
than that required by the FAA for the public is appropriate in many cases. Likewise, higher
standards than the minimum FAA requirements for the aircraft and their operation and
maintenance may be necessary to protect Coast Guard personnel from minimally maintained
aircraft and inexperienced flight crews. This instruction specifies appropriate levels of
survival training and equipment for non-aircrew flyers and standards for the maintenance and
operation of non-Coast Guard aircraft.
6. POLICY.
a. Coast Guard regular, reserve, auxiliary, and civilian non-aircrew personnel are engaged
in a wide variety of missions involving flight. Some may be more essential than others,
and some may have suitable alternatives to the use of aircraft. Flight, especially those in
other than scheduled air carriers, carries inherent levels of risk. It shall be Coast Guard
policy to limit such flights by non-aircrew personnel to that necessary to accomplish
assigned missions. Commanding officers and officers in charge are most intimately
familiar with their mission requirements and will determine which non-aircrew personnel
will be assigned to duties involving flight in aircraft covered by this Instruction.
b. This Instruction shall not restrict subordinate commanders from issuing local policies
requiring equal or greater training and/or equipment. It shall not preclude compliance
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