Significant changes to the 150 hr integrated course
The cut and paste below is from the draft Part 61 on the CASA website. I am hoping that i am looking at a copy that has since changed.
61.135 Completion of integrated training course
(1) An applicant for a private pilot licence or commercial pilot
licence is not taken to have completed an integrated training
course unless the applicant receives all of the training that
constitutes the course within:
(a) for a private pilot licence — 3 months; or
(b) for a commercial pilot licence — 15 months; or
i raised my very strong concerns about this at a recent CFI conference.
This is absolutely ludicrous. This will eliminate all those potential pilots that dont have access to the required funding to complete their training on a fulltime basis. It will become the domain of the well-heeled only. How will the University trainees achieve this.
A CPL Flight test is a CPL Flight test. The standard is the standard regardless of whether you took 15 months or 3 years. I can see absolutely no contribution to flight safety.
It will put a lot of pressure on Flying Schools to meet the three month deadline to keep a candidate under the 150 hour course. A real challenge for students commencing training in Victoria or Tasmania during the Winter Months. I suggest corners may be cut to meet deadlines. Absolutely no contribution to flight safety at all.
I am sure that someone will be able to direct me to a more up to date document that has been altered. Then we can put it down to a ridiculous concept that CASA realised would reduce safety, and make Flight Training the domain of the cashed- up, prior to rewriting.
Nothing against the fortunate few. but one of the strengths of our Industry is that a determined individual can still conduct his training over a period of a few years and become an Airline Pilot regardless of his financial situation. Those days will be gone.I would never have been in a financial situation to enter the industry had these rules been in place.
Admittedly there is a process to apply to CASA for consideration but i suggest resources would be better directed to serious safety issues rather than another department processing yet another CASA form.
Perhaps the view is that if we keep requiring forms, we use more paper, less trees, more open areas for forced landings. More safety. Brilliant!!!