FLC OF AN MDT ACFT ON AN OCEANIC FERRY FLT WERE FOUND TO NOT HAVE REQUIRED NAV EQUIP FOR THE FLT BY AN FAA INSPECTOR DOING A RAMP INSPECTION AT DEST.

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COMPANY X IS AN ACFT FERRY COMPANY THAT HAS DELIVERED OVER 3000 ACFT WORLDWIDE IN THE PAST 17 YRS. WE WERE CONTRACTED TO DELIVER 2 MDT ACFT FROM THE UNITED STATES MAINLAND TO HONOLULU. THE ACFT WERE FITTED WITH FERRY TANKS AND FLOWN UNDER A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. A TEMPORARY HF WAS FITTED AND A GPS. IN ADDITION 2 OTHER GPS UNITS WERE CARRIED. THERE WAS A LORAN C ON BOARD THE MDT BUT NOT FITTED AS THE HONOLULU LORAN CHAIN WAS WITHDRAWN FROM SVC 12 MONTHS AGO. ON ARR IN HONOLULU IN THE SECOND ACFT; THE ACFT AND CREW WERE SUBJECT TO AN FAA RAMP CHK. THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE FLT WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE FARS BECAUSE OF THE NAV EQUIP USED. IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT THE RELEVANT FAR; 511; STATED 'APPROPRIATE ELECTRONIC NAV EQUIP' AND NOWHERE IS THERE A DEFINITIVE LIST OF SUCH EQUIP. THE FLT WAS ON TRACK AND LANDED WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF THE FLT PLANNED TIME. IT WAS FURTHER MENTIONED TO THE INSPECTOR; AS IT HAS BEEN TO THE WESTERN REGION AND WASHINGTON; THAT OTHER LONG RANGE NAV EQUIP IS NOT SUITABLE TO OUR DELIVERY TASK. THE ALLOWABLE DRIFT OF AN INS WOULD PUT THE ACFT OUTSIDE THE LIMITS ALLOWED; I.E.; 15 HRS; 32 NM. VLF/OMEGA SUFFERS FROM 'P' STATIC; STRONGLY EXPERIENCED AT THE LEVELS WE FLY. WITH NO HDG REF INPUT; THE VLF/OMEGA WOULD ALSO FAR EXCEED THE ALLOWABLE NAV LIMITS DUE TO DR OP. DOPPLER IS UNSUITABLE. IN ADDITION; MANY OF THE ACFT WE DELIVER ARE SINGLE ENG'ED; BUT WORSE; HAVE ONLY 1 ELECTRICAL SUPPLY WHICH CAN FAIL (WE HAVE HAD ABOUT 60 OVER THE YRS). THEREFORE; ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED NAVAIDS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE FAILURE OF THE SINGLE PWR SOURCES. THE GPS CAN OPERATE ON ITS OWN BATTERY PACK. IN CONCLUSION; AFTER 10000 HRS CUMULATIVE OPERATING EXPERIENCE (WITHOUT 1 FAILURE OR OFF TRACK ERROR) WITH THE GPS AND CONSIDERING OTHER FACTORS; SOME OF WHICH ARE MENTIONED ABOVE; WE CONTEND THAT THE GPS AS USED ARE 'APPROPRIATE ELECTRONIC NAV EQUIP.' THAT AFTERNOON THE SAME HONOLULU OFFICE ISSUED A FERRY PERMIT FOR AN ACFT RETURNING TO THE MAINLAND. THIS WAS BASED ON THE FACT THAT A LORAN WAS FITTED FOR NAV EVEN THOUGH THE HONOLULU STATIONS WERE WITHDRAWN FROM SVC. WE ARE PRESENTLY CORRESPONDING WITH AFS-2 AND OTHER OFFICES IN WASHINGTON.