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A priority right now
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Training Still at the Heart of Aviation
It doesn’t matter which part of aviation you are interested in, training remains a core activity deserving clear policy, cost-effective regulation and inspiring trainers producing a competent graduate.
Training should be about outcomes – safe pilots and engineers and enough of them so that our industry can sustain itself and grow.
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A great training system doesn’t happen through neglect or luck.
It depends on cooperation, a level playing field, knowledgeable participants, ‘customers’ who use the end product having a voice and a responsive regulator focussed on continuous improvement.
The lack of a consistent government debt-support scheme for aviation pilots – such as a CPL from a CASA-approved school that is not an RTO, or post-CPL ratings such as aerial application – is not available. This is a key national stumbling block.
The previous lack of cooperation between the Commonwealth Department of Education and CASA to boost aviation training rather than cripple it still works against the national interest. The result is skills shortages and industry having to look to short-term visa programs to try and remedy the shortage, while lobbying government for longer term fixes.
The CASR Part 61 suite of regulations remains an impediment to a good training system, let alone a great one. Low throughput, specialised training such as aerial application or firebombing is particularly affected by being burdened with a complex approach that is neither practical nor cost-effective. The removal of the ATO/examiner indemnity will only compound shortages.
‘Part 61 remains an impediment to a good training system.’
A taskforce to deal with these often straight forward issues cannot wait for the rest of regulatory reform to be completed. It is a priority right now.
There is work underway on all of these fronts and AAAA is hopeful of more improvements coming through a responsive CASA and a more interested Department.
For those who already have their licence to learn, ongoing professional development is as important to safety and longevity as it is to salary.
CASA recently approved AAAA’s Chief Pilots course, pending some further detailed work which is now underway. This is a great win-win story – for candidates, the industry, safety and CASA. CASA is to be congratulated on focusing on outcomes and the best way to achieve them.
Building on wins like this, a practical cooperative vision to deliver a world-class aviation training system would be a great initiative for a new Minister.
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