8th April 2012 sees the entry into force of EASA OPS, and with that, notably, of Part ORO.GEN.200, which includes a requirement for some additional safety management procedures to be included in Operators' management systems, which the CAA is busily expanding into an industry called Introduction of SMS, largely for job creation in the CAA as well as in CAA International, a company financed by the industry via CAA's charges which delivers over-priced training and consultancy on, among other things, SMS.
Training and consultancy firms set up by and for former CAA staff will also benefit when their future employees, presently working for CAA as, for example, Regional Managers, direct traffic to their - also - grossly over-priced courses.
That event is unlikely to have any direct bearing on changes to Part 66, although substantial changes to that are going to be implemented in 2012. I have not seen any reference, apart from day-dreaming in Aviation House, to a firm intention to introduce an oral examination. Such a move would require agreement by 27 States, once they are all satisfied that the standard of oral examination will be consistent among all 27 States. In short, then, never.
Let's not forget that EASA cannot even attain a common standard for the present examinations and their marking. The variation between States is huge.
However, I could very easily have missed something.
Last edited by Capot; 10th January 2012 at 10:40.