Originally Posted by
Capn Rex Havoc
UPLINKER and MACH
Clarkey HAS had experience instructing ab Initio. He was an instructor at Pearce. He has taught spins, aerobatics, formation flying. He has authorised first solo flights, in the PC9. He was a qualified flying instructor, having successfully completed the RAAF QFI course at Central Flying School at East Sale.
But wasn’t the actual ab initio training for RAAF pilots in that era conducted in the CT4 at Tamworth? Wasn’t the fact those students already had quite extensive flying experience a reason why the training he provided could not be considered suitable for the direct issue of a Grade 1 FIR?
This was CASA’s reasoning:
(k) It is understandable that an instructor who is assessing whether a student pilot is ready for their first solo should have a minimum number of hours of experience in instructing students at that level of flying skill. A grade 1 instructor is then required to have even more experience with students at that level, because only a grade 1 instructor can be the head of operations of a Part 141 flying school (see CASR 141.125(1)(a)(i)).
(l) The Applicant may well be a very capable instructor, and with the requisite time working as a grade 3 instructor with student pilots he will almost certainly qualify as a grade 2 and grade 1 instructor. However, he does not presently have the required experience with student pilots at that level.