This is the greatest conjob going. Glider pilots operating on the basis of a certificate issued by the GFA and permitted to operate in controlled airspace and they are only required to self certify their medical. No GA PPL/CPL, Flight review or medical required. These glider operations can be seen on a daily basis in Class D at Camden. An RAAus pilot is required to jump through many more hoops (irrespective of whether they may have held a GA licence) while the tower is open. The minute the tower closes the RAAus restrictions are removed. Private Balloon operations are treated in the same manner as glider ops.
incidently, the GFA airspace endorsement isn’t class specific. You could be trained at Camden, jump in your motor glider and blast off into any controlled airspace in Australia. I don’t see too many incidents reported, so it obviously works. I cannot understand why RAAus pilots are being subjected to these overly restrictive conditions.
I am fed up dealing with CASA and want to fly my simple RAAus registered warbird but am expected to maintain a CASA medical and GA flight review to operate from places like Bankstown, Camden, Albury etc.