Fact or Folklore-Arethings Really Changing for the Bffier?

We think they are though what is also required is for industry, and individual people, to lobby for what they believe is right through their relevant Associations. The CAA will change its rulings IF an association can show conclusively that a particular ruling is wrong or has no grounds for technical substantiation. We believe that a new wave of lateral thinkers are beginning to gain power within the CAA, overtaking many of the familiar career bureaucrats, the professional obstructionists who for more than a decade refused blatantly to even consider anyone’s technical opinion or rights other than their own.

Within the CAA these remaining concrete minded bureaucrats are politely known as ‘The Flat Hat Brigade ‘- you can help eliminate them, and their legacy of often ill-conceived and technically unsubstantiated edicts of the past, through lobbying hard via your relevant Association. Whether it is the GAA, AOPA, HAA or ABAA – the Association that most closely reflects your interests and concerns is your vehicle for ensuring positive change.

The lateral thinkers within the CAA, particularly its upper management and Board require your help in instituting the changes that are required to bring the relationship of trust and professionalism between user and administrator back to where it was in the fifties and early sixties when the then Department of Civil Aviation was something that people looked up to with respect.

There is a mountain of change occurring now within the CAA and you can contribute to it by submissions, via your Association preferably, to the reviews listed below.

• Airworthiness – Following the in-depth article in our January editior, (refer p. 36 Jan 89 AA) on the problems bedevilling first of type certification in this country, the CAA has moved quickly to implement a thorough analysis with Mr Ron Yates and Capt Mike Terrell in command. This report will in particular examine the need to separately certify aircraft for Australian operation. Final submissions were to be received by August 31. Years ago a report by independent industry people of this nature would have been unheard of. Industry has now had the chance to show conclusively why a US FAA certificated 767 or 737 is just as safe (or otherwise) as one which has passed our own intensive scrutiny in addition to why a SFAR41 Beech 1900 or Metro Ill are no less safe than, for instance, their slightly lighter, earlier built brothers.

• Pilot Licensing – Permanent licences will soon be available to all pilots with around 70% not requiring a costly and time consuming medical examination.

• Colour Vision – The CAA has accepted the full advice from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on this once thorny issue.

• Operational Documentation – Messrs Barry Lodge and AOPA’s Tony Wilkinson are reporting on the simplification and rationalisation of operational documentation. A full report is expected in the course of this issue.

• ComplE)te Review of Regulations – The Regulatory Task Force Review presented its first report to the Minister earlier this year (refer Reece, p. 4 May 89 AA) and will report again during the course of this issue. This Review alone will eventually cut out many of the most irrelevant and irritating regulations that are mostly leftovers from another era.

• Licence Suspensions- Much work has been done in this area with the Attorney General’s Department to ensure that a pilot does not have his or her licence suspended unjustly or unlawfully. A plain English policy is being developed and hopefully will be in place before the end of this year.

• Classification of Operations – Also due for announcement at presstime, this will, it is believed, see the present confusion of individual operator requirements broken down to just three distinct categories: Air Transport, Aerial Work and Private, with the private pilot now being able to accept a gratuity legally from a passenger.

• Devolvement to Industry- A thorough review is in place to see where the CAA can either discontinue or devolve to industry certain functions now being carried out by the CAA. Each individual regulatory service is being examined to see if it is required or justified in the first place. The Review is being conducted by the CAA’s former Regional Director for Queensland, Mr Owen Lawry.

• Helicopter Landing sites are major problem for Australian operators since the first helos took wing, at last these are being brought into the twentieth century with heavy input from both the AFAP and HAA.

Other behind the scenes moves involve a major internal reorganisation, including for the first time ever, a specific section devoted to examining the myriad of standards that affect us all. A recent example of the real time effectiveness of this unit, headed by Ron Cooper and directly reporting to Alan Heggen, was the approval to increase the cross-wind limitation from an ultra conservative 15kts to a more internationally acceptable 25kts. Most transport jets can cope with this with ease and this alone now allows airports such as KSA a far wider opportunity to process traffic than was formerly possible using the archaic limitations of the DC-3 era.

So, as you can see, there are a lot of positive things happening within the CAA (these are just a few) that will ultimately be good news to both the private pilot and operator alike. However, change won’t come without pressure in many cases and in every case a change to current regulations and requirements will have to be professionally substantiated in technical terms.

This now is where you come in. If you want a particular change to occur, or you are being adversely affected by what your perceive to be an unfair and perhaps outdated regulation or requirement, then lobby your Association. Your applicable Association is waiting to hear from you in a professional manner, if you don’t take this opportunity to seek what you require via the strength of your Association, then you have nobody to blame for your problems but yourself.

• General Aviation Association, Bldg 606, Airport Avenue, Bankstown Airport 2200, Tel: (02) 709 2385, Fax: (02) 707 2044

• Australian Owners and Pilots’ Association, PO Box 1065, Fyshwick 2609, Tel: (062) 80 4221, Fax: (062) 80 7341

• Australian Business Aircraft Association, Bldg 190, Essendon Airport 3041, Tel: (03) 379 1477, Fax: (03) 379 4457

• Helicopter Association of Australia, PO Box 757, Artarmon 2064, Tel: (02) 906 2464.