Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent (SSAC) is a risk analysis framework that allows operators to offer fare-paying recreational flights in certain aircraft that are unable to meet commercial safety standards.
There are currently five Classes of SSAC activities as outlined below;
- Class 1: Wing-walking
- Class 2: Experience flight in an historic (single engine piston) ex-military aircraft
- Class 3: Experience flight in an historic ex-military helicopter
- Class 4: Experience flight in an ex-military multi-engine piston aeroplane.
- Class 5: Experience flight in an ex-military jet aeroplane
Participant (Passenger) information
Any company, organisation or individual that operates SSAC flights must have permission from the Civil Aviation Authority. These SSAC operators need to hold a Permission to prove they meet all relevant insurance, maintenance, and safety requirements. Such SSAC operators are regularly inspected and audited by the CAA, and the pilots will need to have a commercial licence.
You can ask for the name of the SSAC Operator providing the flight.
The company who sold you the flight may be a different entity. You can ask to see the operators SSAC permission, checking to see if it’s still within date and lists the aircraft you are going to be flying in. If you have any doubts, you can contact the CAA at ga@caa.co.uk
An operator intending to offer SSAC flights must ensure that the risks to both participants, third parties and other airspace users have been considered, and that these risks have been explained to potential participants and written consent from the participant obtained.
Please note that The Permission granted by the CAA is currently called an SSAC Exemption.
Operator information
Further guidance for SSAC operations is contained in CAP1395 Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent (SSAC).
Guidance on the completion of a risk assessment can be found in CAP1396 Framework for the evaluation of aviation activities for payment based on Safety Standards and Consent.
To apply to carry out SSAC Operations, please complete the Form SRG1323 and send to GA@caa.co.uk.
There are three CAPs associated with this activity:
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