A good delay

CASA has said that there are no major changes to existing practices, but that is not the view of industry. The changes in the new regulations are the biggest changes ever. It was not just a case of combining the existing CASRs and CASOs under a new name, but changes that reflected the technical and safety advances of the last 20 years that the existing regulations could not cope with.

Over the last decade CASA consulted industry, often with a minimum of time to respond, but February 14 2013 saw the new regulations signed off and scheduled to come into effect on December 4.

Even before that date there were moves afoot to modify the new regulations. Meanwhile, the Manual of Standards (MoS) was still in draft form for industry to comment on.

This column commented in the July issue that the proposed CASA seminars to explain the changes had not yet been scheduled. Before Right Hand Seat hit the streets CASA announced a list of venues where seminars would be held, but without any dates. The dates were announced some weeks later.

If the regulations are the skeleton then the Manual of Standards is the flesh and muscle that makes the structure a working being. No MoS means it was not possible to properly understand the regulations and have a workable plan ready for December 4.

In the November issue of this column comment was made that a new form required by the new regulations was not available, but while the column was at the printer new forms appeared in draft form.

There are winners and losers with the new regulations and the implementation delay. Some pilots chasing an ATPL will be able to gain the rating under the existing/old requirements without a flight test.

18 months of education would have been better

The backbone of flight training is the role of the Approved Test Officer (the ATO). He is the person ensuring standards in flight training are adhered to. The new regulations would see ATOs become Flight Examiners, but having to have their own insurance indemnity as they would no longer be under the government legal umbrella. With December 4 coming up, CASA advised the ATOs would stay as delegates until July 1 2014 by which time adequate insurance arrangements should available. Late planning? This columnist attended three local CASA seminars. It became apparent the safety advisers were

This inferred it was the fault of industry to take on board the new requirements.

good at their task but did not have all the answers given the complexity of the new regulations and the incomplete MoS.

Overall, industry acknowledges regulatory change had to happen to bring Australia into the new century and to try and keep abreast of the technical advances that have taken place in the last 20 years.

When CASA announced the new implementation date of September 1 2014 the media release said: “Despite CASA’s education and information campaign on the new licensing regulations, many pilots working in flying training are only starting to understand the new rules. ” This inferred it was the fault of industry to take on board the new requirements.

The aviation industry rightly responded by saying that given the depth and complexity of the new regulations, and that there were many loose ends that even CASA was unable to tie up in the short term, there should have been some 18 months of lead-time, not a rushed six months.

Perhaps it could have been better for CASA to have said ‘Sorry we got it wrong, we need more time to educate industry’ instead of blaming the end-users, the very people most affected, the people who did not write the regs or spell out the time schedule.

Good spot!

Reader and student pilot, Matthew Bellette of Coffs Harbour, NSW has a keen eye for detail. He had read the May issue of Right Hand Seat that dealt with looking after other aviators.

On Saturday August 10 Matthew looked up from his front yard and, above him, he spotted an aircraft with a white vapour trail coming from a wing. He contacted Coffs Harbour control tower to let them know what he had seen. The tower advised they were aware of the situation, but if they had not previously been aware of the situation Matthew ensured that they were. It is understood the aircraft in question was a Cresco 750XL. A fuel cap had not been properly secured. The aviation industry can do with more observant people looking after other pilots. Good work Matthew!