Sunfish-fees paid
Sunfish< i received your email asking about any fees paid to CASA. I hope you don't mind me posting up here, as if you are asking the question, there is a fair chance that others may be thinking the same thing as well.
I had been operating in the multi base multi entity, single Authorization with CASAs full knowledge and formal approval for approximately 6 years. The upcoming regulations being Part 141 and 142, was a CASA mandated Transition process, rather than a Regultory task, therefore the entire Transition process was assessed by CASA on a no fee basis. On my rough estimates sitting in the car here, i estimate that my Management Team and I would have put in excess of 2000 hours into the process, and i estimate that CASA probably formally diarized/logged well in excess of 500 hours. The investment in personnel, management, Head Office facility, IT systems, Learning management etc ran into several hundred thousand dollars. The answer to your question is that no fees were paid to CASA for the overhaul of the entire Organization to be compliant to the new Regulatory Structure. CASA also inteviewed and assesses all Key personnel at no charge. This was the same situation for all of Australias 350 flight training organisations.
Fees were paid however for Regulatory Tasks, and these included the addition of bases. As the Darwin base, TVSA, and my own school were operating under the old system (with Darwin not operating), no charge were paid for these bases.
I did pay fees for the addition of
Learn to Fly (first base)
AVIA
Latrobe Valley Aero Club
Ballarat Aero Club
White Star Aviation.
Fees were also paid for the addition of courses and simulators at bases.
My recollection is that each base was assessed as approximately a 5 hour Regulatory task, and the associated fee was paid. My estimate probably a $1000 process in fees.