A Dear John letter from our fearless leader...
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF AVIATION SAFETY
Trim Ref: GI13/1091
11 October 2013
Dear Australian pilot
New pilot licensing regulations – Part 61 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations
By now I hope you are aware that on 4 December 2013 the new pilot licensing regulations – Part 61 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations – take effect. These new rules are an important element of the continuing modernisation of Australia’s aviation safety regulations and will improve and streamline the licensing of pilots, while lifting aviation safety standards. Change can be perceived as threatening, particularly if unsubstantiated rumours purporting to be fact are taken on face value. I have decided to write to you in order to dispel any concerns that may have developed within the aviation community about the impact of these new regulations on Australian pilots.
Unfortunately, there have been claims the new Part 61 rules may prevent people from continuing to hold a pilot licence. This is most definitely not the case. Most pilots will not notice any change as a result of the introduction of Part 61 licences. For other pilots there will be some changes, a number of which simplify requirements and others which introduce new or alternative requirements. For the majority of Australian pilots, the introduction of Part 61 simply means you will at some stage over the next four years be issued with a new licence with a different format and slightly different terminology.
Your current flying rights will continue under your Part 61 licence and you will to be able to operate the same aircraft in the same way after your new licence is issued. There are some changes to flight review requirements, although proficiency checks are broadly in line with current requirements. Your current licence continues to be a valid licence for the next four years or until you get your new Part 61 licence.
When flight reviews are required it will not always be necessary to undertake separate exercises for each rating and endorsement being checked. For example, if you are a private pilot flying a single engine aeroplane and have a night visual flight rules rating you will need a flight review for the single engine aeroplane class rating and the night visual flight rules rating. However, you can undertake one exercise to satisfy both flight reviews – you do not need two separate flight reviews. The new regulations provide flexibility in the way proficiency checks are conducted and the person conducting the check is able to assess the licence holder against a range of competencies. As an example, a commercial pilot licence holder flying multi-engine aeroplanes under the instrument flight rules can cover all the proficiency checks and flight reviews in a single annual exercise with the air operator they work for. Also, a flight instructor needs to pass a proficiency check for the rating and not for each training endorsement they hold. For the majority of licence holders there are no additional proficiency check requirements beyond the current regulations.
CASA is not charging any additional fee for the initial issue of a Part 61 licence to existing licence holders. You will simply be issued a new licence when you change or update your licence qualifications with CASA.
When you undertake a proficiency check or flight review, obtain a new rating or endorsement, add a new aircraft category or upgrade to a different licence, CASA will automatically send you a Part 61 licence to replace your old licence. This will happen after CASA receives notification from your flight instructor or examiner. You do not have to take any action.
Of course Part 61 does introduce a range of changes to improve safety. For new air transport pilot licence holders there is a requirement for multi-crew training and flight testing and there are increased requirements for co-pilots. There are also new requirements for low level flying and flying using night vision imaging systems. Each of these changes has been driven by the need to improve safety in specific areas where a demonstrated benefit to Australian aviation safety performance can be achieved. Part 61 aligns Australia’s pilot licensing standards with those of the International Civil Aviation Organization, making our pilots more competitive across the world and making it easier to attract foreign pilots to train in Australia. The introduction of Part 61 has also provided an opportunity to implement a number of beneficial changes to the Australian pilot licensing including:
• The new rules reduce red tape and devolve more licensing functions to the aviation industry.
• Many types of aircraft will be covered by a more flexible class rating system that reduces paperwork and costs. Pilots will not need to be issued separate type ratings for these aircraft.
• There is a new recreational pilot licence which has less onerous requirements, including the option of a different medical standard. Subject to the application of specific risk mitigations, this has the effect of permitting people meeting these new medical standards to continue flying whereas in the past this would not be the case.
• Benefiting everyone is the fact that the pilot licensing regulations are now in one location instead of spread across a number of regulations and Civil Aviation Orders.
The Manual of Standards, though large, draws together in one document all the necessary licencing standards information, allowing individuals to conveniently access only the material needed for a particular subject. It is not necessary to read the whole document, just the applicable section.
CASA consulted widely over a long period of time with people across the aviation industry to find the optimum way to modernise and improve the pilot licensing rules. When preparing the final rule CASA took into consideration the responses received from these consultative processes. The publication of Part 61 prompted a number of additional comments that were not brought forward through the standard consultation process. These inputs have been taken into account with the result that consequential amendments are being made to incorporate the most recent feedback.
To assist with a smooth transition to these new rules, CASA has already held a number of seminars across the country. To give pilots a further opportunity to understand the new rules, CASA is holding additional information sessions on 21 October 2013 in six capital cities. I urge everyone who would like to know more about Part 61 to attend these sessions. Bookings for the information sessions can be made on the CASA web site: www.casa.gov.au
The transition to the Part 61 environment has been planned to minimise the impact on pilots. Please do not be concerned about the change to the new pilot licensing rules. If you do have any questions or issues that need clarifying please contact CASA. Email: [email protected] To find out more about Part 61 go to: http://www.casa.gov.au/licensingregs
Yours sincerely
John F McCormick
Director of Aviation Safety
Well I feel better now he has cleared that all up!
Leady seems you have received a lifetime IOS membership plus a one time offer of free membership of the Tautological Society....
"particularly if unsubstantiated rumours purporting to be fact are taken on face value"
Hmm...where have I heard a similar line like that recently??
ps Just keep banging on that tin Leady it would seem you're getting under the fearless leader's skin!
