I went last night. About 200 there.Again the Avionics guys had problems and CASA couldn't give answers. Basically Mech guys are getting rights into avionics but avionics are getting nothing the other way and are loosing oxygen.
Prior to the meeting a friend said to me, after this comes in you wouldn't want to be avionics.At the time I thought that he was exagerating, but he wasn't.
Also, they have created a way for Aeronautical Engineers to hold C licences, but again no way for Electronic Degree guys to hold a C license. I suspect that a career path to foreman for a LAME in an airline is now dead. HR types have always had a problem of LAMEs not having a degree, so now that they can replace them, they will.
CASA appear to have stopped private study licenses and you will have to go to an approved training organisation. The industrial implications of this are obvious if you are in airlines. When asked what protection LAMEs had over career paths when asked to sign out suspect aircraft, we got a lecture on the obligations of a LAME.When recent events were mentioned from the floor, CASA didn't comment.
Where GA and Limited Cat goes from here is still in question.We were told that MAs will be rolled into licenses, but in Limited Category we can't get the time up to get a license.
At the beginning we were told that no one will be worse off, but over the night a number found that they would indeed by worse off and loose a number of priviledges that they currently hold.
In summary a well run meeting by CASA but for us Avionics types, the message is well beyond disappointing.Basically CASA has "shafted" us.We now have very limited promotional prospects and even more limited work areas.
Wunwing