Story ID: 
Transport Canada Reissues Shoulder Harness Exemption
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: Pilots can fly without wearing shoulder harnesses above 10,000 feet
Word Count: 217
Transport Canada recently issued regulatory exemption NCR-002-2024Re-R that replaces a previous exemption that continues to allow certain en route operations in which cockpit crew are not required to wear shoulder harnesses. The exemption allows flight crew members to remove their shoulder harnesses while in cruise at altitudes of 10,000 feet or more above msl.
Without this exemption, Canadian civil aviation regulation Part 605.27(3) requires at least one pilot must have his or her shoulder harness on at all times during the flight. The exemption, valid until Jan. 31, 2029, is available to operators flying under private, charter, corporate, and airline CAR Parts 604, 702, 703, 704, and 705.
To use the exemption, operators are required to establish procedures that ensure pilots are wearing a shoulder harness when they are not in cruise flight or anytime an aircraft is operated below 10,000 feet over msl. No letter of authorization is required.
“This is a global exemption, and any qualified operator may make use of it, provided they comply with the conditions and restrictions of the exemption,” according to the Canadian Business Aviation Association.
No similar exemption is needed for operations under U.S. federal aviation regulations. The FARs for private and commercial operators require pilots to wear shoulder harnesses only during takeoffs and landings.