Perfect Example Of CASA Outrageaous Behaviour?

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VIPA condemns CASA's actions!

Well done VIPA

VIPA Letter to John McCormick

18 June 2014

Mr John McCormick
Director of Aviation Safety
Civil Aviation Safety Authority – CASA
GPO Box 2005
Canberra – ACT 2601

By email: [email protected]

cc: [email protected]
cc: [email protected]

Dear Mr McCormick

Re: Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD)

I refer to your letter dated 5 June 2014 to AOC holders from Peter Fereday Executive Manager, Industry Permissions.


Your letter makes a number of dubious assertions including but not limited to:

• CVD Pilots adversely affect aviation safety;
• AOC holder’s should consider whether its safe to allow CVD pilots to continue to exercise flight crew privileges; and
• “recent medical research” involving the assessment of CVD.

We regard your letter as a misuse of proper process that will affect between 8-10% of pilots immediately and also the operations of commercial aviation in Australia.

VIPA is incredulous that at no stage has CASA sought industry engagement or stakeholder input into this decision.

Our membership views your directive of 5 June 2014 with dismay and we seek redress by way of public retraction.

As a consequence of your actions, we will be engaging with the wider community with regard to this CASA decision.

Lastly, and pertinently, with an Aviation Review calling for greater aviation engagement with the Regulator, we are certain that unilateral decisions such as these will have the opposite effect with the Virgin Australia and Tiger pilot groups.

If you have any queries or require any further information, please contact Simon O’Hara from VIPA on [phone] or [email protected]

Regards

Captain John Lyons
President

Media Release: New Policy Discriminates Against CVD Pilots

NEW POLICY DISCRIMATES AGAINST CVD PILOTS

New rules relating to colour vision deficiency (CVD) discriminates against hundreds of highly experienced pilots working in Australia’s major airlines, whilst failing to deliver any better safety outcomes, according to the Virgin Independent Pilots Association (VIPA).

After a review of the Civil Authority Safety Regulation Part 67 by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Class 1 pilots with CVD will have to inform their employers about their CVD and also “may” be forced to undergo a colour assessment and diagnostic test (CAD) in the future.

VIPA Executive Director, Simon O’Hara, said the move will jeopardise the careers of hundreds of commercial pilots with CVD across the country.

“Whilst VIPA always recognises that aviation safety remains paramount, we condemn CASA’s new procedures relating to CVD pilots,” Mr O’Hara said today.

“The fact is, there are hundreds of commercial pilots with CVD who have passed check and line training requirements and subsequently have thousands of hours flying without incident, who will be impacted by these restrictive practices.

“Their everyday performance is no different to their other pilot colleagues, yet they are being ruthlessly targeted.

“Our members are questioning if there is any real safety case for these procedures at all, CASA has introduced these without evidence of any incident or accident in which impaired colour vision could be attributed a causal factor.”

Mr O’Hara said VIPA supports an appeal lodged in the AAT by a CVD pilot against a refusal by CASA to permit him to become a Captain. CASA had used this pilot’s case to launch what amounts to a “de facto” appeal against the earlier AAT decisions which have allowed many hundreds of CVD pilots to fly with no restrictions at all levels of Australian aviation.

Mr O’Hara said VIPA continued to make representations to members of the Federal Parliament, on behalf of the hundreds of pilots with CVD.