Australian Special Pilots Licence to be abolished

[windy1]

CASA intend to withdraw this licence (piggy back on UK PPL similar to FAA).

see Civil Aviation Safety Authority - CASR Part 61 - Flight crew licensing (http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:PWA::pc=PARTS061)

It is quite common practice to grant a degree of grandfather rights when a class of licence is abolished but there is no such provision here.

If there are UK PPL holders who fly in Oz on a SPECPL and are concerned, there is an opportunity to respond to the Consultation by end Jan. Feel free to pm me to discuss a possible response to that consultation.

[S-Works]

Whats the issue? To get a full PPL you take the air law exam and a flight review and job done. If you are flying in another countries airpspace you should already have studied there air law so taking an exam on it for a qualified pilot is a no brainer.

[Charlie Foxtrot India]

They've been talking about abolishing it for years. It used to be quite useful for people coming on regular flying holidays but since everything got moved to Canberra, applying for an an SPL(and ASIC) from overseas that used to take 24 hours can now take several months, if you can get it at all.

Being able to do air law and flight review is a lot less onerous than doing the PPL test and is the same as you would do if you wanted to fly in another ICAO country...sometimes not even having to do the air law.

Otherwise it's about time we lined up licensing with ICAO, Australia has been doing things differently just for the sake of it for too long. Anachronisms like doing a GFPT in the middle of the course instead of a GFT and NFT at the end, letting studes fly around with pax etc were wierd enough. As for the Night VFR...pity they are not making that more like other countries.

[vetflyer]

just another no brainier

BOSE X just more restrictions & rules yip just a no brainier :mad:

sad

[S-Works]

vetflyer, I think if you actually read the proposal and understand the current process it is actually making things easier not more difficult.

Why are pilots pots always half empty.....

[lynnm]

I think i'll leave it in my licence holder as a memory, i got my special about 8years ago, haven't had the chance to get back out to Aus unfortuntely..

i thought it's possibly not valid anyway after licence changes requiring photos etc .. IIRC

hey ho..

mike

[vetflyer]

Bose

Sorry it had been a very long, frustrating and yet unrewarding day

Not had chance to read proposals but need to as I have one of those SPL

:)

yesterday & today were not any better !