Originally Posted by
thorn bird
Would it be so difficult for CAsA, if the rules are so important for "Safety", to set up an online examination as an alternative to the oral part of a renewal.
The industry is collapsing in Australia under the burden of over-regulation driving up costs to unsustainable levels, more and more Australian pilots will consider the option of training overseas. The costs in America are almost half that of Australia, the only thing propping it up here are HEC's and foreign students many of whom are here for the Visa rather than the qualification.
As the industry contracts, more Australians will also have to look abroad for employment and as this thread illustrates the difficulties of retaining the currency of their Australian qualifications will compound.
If the test of knowledge of the rules must be in oral form, could this not be conducted by Video link with an ATO?
I've gone through this process in the past where I maintained currency on my CASA ATPL after doing an IPC in USA and then returned to Melbourne for a 20 minute oral quiz by an ATO/Exaimner to fulfill the ground component of the CASA IPC. I did ask the ATO whether we could do this by Skype and I believe he did contact CASA but didn't hear back (probably placed in the 'too hard' basket by CASA). In this day and age where even job interviews are done by Skype, surely this would also be a doable solution for CASA?