Productivity driven vote of confidence

Requiring an investment of over $1 million each for new aircraft, this represents a significant vote of confidence, one being reflected in new support equipment as well. While the industry is still suffering from the very lean years of drought over the last decade, it is very encouraging seeing resources being added to the industry almost immediately after a return to better seasons.

However, another way of looking at the influx of larger aircraft is to consider the pressure the sector was under last year due to a lack of pilots. In an effort to address the pilot shortage, operators may be looking at larger aircraft that allow greater productivity.

Certainly, a number of companies were under such pressure that they pursued the 457 visa option to bring in pilots, as they were simply unable to source Australian pilots to fly their aircraft.

The experience of the last 12 months is that aerial application of crop protection products is here to stay and is highly valued by the agricultural sector – intensely so when seasonal conditions dictate the use of aircraft. It is clear that no operator wants to miss out on work after years of drought because they are unable to find appropriately qualified and experienced pilots.

An added difficulty is that it takes approximately two to three years to produce an aerial application pilot who is not under supervision as required by CASA, and who has the necessary experience to be considered both productive and safe.

At a recent parliamentary function – the new Annual

Aviation Outlook

event for 2011 – industry representatives clearly indicated how traditional training for pilots had been allowed to fall through the Commonwealth funding gap.

Australia is blessed with probably the best natural aviating environment in the world.

It has world leading companies providing aviation training. But what it does not have – and has not had in recent decades – are government policy settings that foster and promote the domestic aviation training sector.

HECS/VET Fee Help is not available to those pilot candidates pursuing their training through traditional flying training schools or ATOs – which are simply not able to meet the skewed requirements Productivity driven vote of confidence for government recognition.

And in terms of essential additional operational training such as that required to secure an agricultural rating on top of a CPL, that is also outside any government funding or assistance programs.

Perhaps a simple ‘deeming’, that if you are undertaking aviation training with a CASA approved organisation, you can access HECS/VET Fee Help would remove the current damaging complexity that works against producing pilots.

AAAA has indicated its willingness to work with government to develop an industry training plan that would supercharge the Australian export training sector, as well as significantly improve the ability of the industry to compete with other vocations for the attention of school leavers.

The pilot shortage will continue until government ensures a level playing field is available for aviation training.

Of equal concern are the ongoing shortages of LAMEs and support staff for aerial applicators, especially experienced loader-mixers.

While at least some workforce pressure can be attributed to the mining boom, it is likely that industry itself must bear a significant proportion of the responsibility for addressing this issue into the future, with more innovative workplace strategies that allow emerging generations to work in a manner that is better suited to them, thereby making aviation more attractive as an employer.

AAAA has commenced cooperation with the Regional Aviation Association to develop a program for presenting aviation to potential pilots, engineers and other employees as a viable and rewarding career, but it would certainly help if government recognised its own CASA managed training system by providing HECS access.

Aviation Outlook Australia’s aviation peak bodies joined together recently to launch a new annual event for parliamentarians – the Aviation Outlook – at Parliament House in Canberra.

The Australian Aviation Associations Forum – which includes AAAA and many other peak bodies – organised the event that attracted solid interest from across the political spectrum.

Attendees heard from both the Minister and the Shadow Minister speaking in support of improved industry co-operation, as well as industry providing its own outlook on the coming year, and likely hot topics ranging from carbon tax to HECS/VET Fee Help for pilots.

The event is now firmly locked into the annual calendar, and the members of the forum will be working to improve the insights provided and to build even stronger links between parliamentarians and the aviation industry.