Well done Peter for standing up to the PMO's bullying tactics
Totally agree with 4dogs summation the current PMO's position has become extremely untenable and solely in the interest of returning respectability & trust to the AVMED office he should resign forthwith.
Couldn't agree more
I'd say the PMO has been on a crusade to make pilot's lives more difficult ever since he got here.
The Boys Are Back in Town: Regulatory Meltdown (2009)
In the medical area, CASA is now seeking to “get tough” on the issue of pilot colour vision tests, which have been studied to death in the past, particularly by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). We’re told this may include annual colour vision tests (currently required only on initial issue) and that this is so far from international practice and research that it can only be described another uniquely Australian regulatory aberration. Principal Medical Officer Dr Pooshan Navathe is reported to have told a medical conference in Vanuatu recently that CASA intends to be “a regulator with a capital R.” Does this make you see red? (Or green?)
Also came across post #14 from Frank Arouet from two years ago.
http://www.pprune.org/pacific-genera...ml#post7163103
Liddell was a gentleman, transplanted by Dr No who was the "Antiquack" of "quackery" and then the standard was re-set. He once told me he "was" God, and whilever I understood that, we would get on fine.
Sarcs:
{pssst Dr Drane?? Where have I heard that name before... }
AvMed seems to be a bit of a boys club by the looks of things:
CAA News - July / August 2004 - Medical Matters (page 6)
Principal Medical Officer Dougal Watson joined CAA after more than a decade in the Royal Australian Air Force. Dougal holds a current PPL with approximately 600 hours, has 30 hours glider time, 22 free-fall parachute jumps, 40 hours ultralight and 15 hours dual helicopter time to his credit. He is also a novice grade hang-glider and alpine parapente pilot. Dougal says “I am happy to try and fly anything I can get near ... with mixed amounts of success”.
Senior Medical Officer Pooshan Navathe joined the unit after 22 years in the Indian Air Force. Pooshan holds a current Indian Glider Pilot Licence and has considerable military flying experience. He has 50 hours fighter jet time, around 1200 hours in helicopters and 750 hours military transport flying. Pooshan also holds a PhD in high altitude physiology.
Michael Drane, Medical Officer, is the newest doctor to join the CMU. Michael grew up around aeroplanes. His father is an aeronautical engineer and was involved with the Buccaneer and Concorde. Michael was taught to fly by the Royal Air Force and has approximately 50 hours, but says that “becoming a doctor in the UK largely thwarted any flying ambition!”
Dougal is very proud of his unit’s dynamic make up, “I must be the luckiest manager in the CAA... I am surrounded by one of the most competent and energetic teams I could imagine”.
Let's take a look at some of the work this energetic team got up to whilst they were previously working together in NZ:
Colour deficient pilots: Is there light at the end of this tunnel?
The NZ CAA Medical Unit and the various Principal Medical Officers employed over the past 25 years have placed restrictions on NZ colour deficient pilots. This is for both Class 1 and Class 2 medicals. A range of testing methods has been used and classifications used to describe to what extent limitations have been placed on the certificates.
The basis for these restrictions, in most cases, has been found to be simply the opinion of the PMO at the time. This has evolved over many years and typically these restrictions are:
♦ No night flying
♦ No IFR
♦ Not valid for ATO air transport operations with passengers
♦ Not valid for special air operations
Over the years, CAA has also provided ‘dispensations’ to many pilots ranging from minor constraints to the use of their pilot licence to fully unrestricted certificates, even with the licence holder having a colour deficiency that CAA today would severely limit the pilot in exercising the privileges of their licence.
Fortunately during our research we discovered the work that Australian Dr Arthur Pape had done with regards to Colour Deficiency amongst pilots and its relevance to aeromedical significance.
Dr Pape, a licensed and experienced pilot with multi-engine IFR qualifications (and with a CVD) was initially denied anything but a day VFR medical certificate. Dr Pape challenged CASA over this ruling and after many years took his case to the Australian Administrative Court of Appeals. Dr Pape presented significant scientific evidence supported by practical flight test data. In this case he demonstrated that colour deficiency has no ‘aeromedical significance’. The court found in his favour.
Since this ruling was made, CD pilots within Australia can fly unrestricted (with the exception of an ATPL as Pilot in Command on Air Transport operations). Once a person passes the Control Tower Signal Light Gun test, they are then issued an unrestricted medical certificate.
CVA published advertisements in NZ domestic aviation publications in order to see just how many pilots, and/or those who want to be pilots, have been affected by CAA policy on colour deficiency with their medical certificates. What was received was an overwhelming response from CD pilots. Many live in New Zealand with severe certificate restrictions. Many pilots work offshore with no restrictions as they hold a CASA licence. Most would love to return home to work in New Zealand.
Each pilot had a unique story to tell as to how they had been treated by the NZ CAA and the PMOs’ decision over the years. Many inconsistencies by the CAA have been disclosed through our research. What CVA has discovered is clear examples of discrimination towards pilots with CVD.
There are many CD pilots who are currently flying commercially, unrestricted, based and employed here in New Zealand with either foreign registered airlines or Air New Zealand. These pilots are safely carrying passengers on domestic and international routes. In some cases these pilots have received a dispensation from a previous CAA PMO. Some have simply been allowed to undertake the Control Tower Signal Light Gun Test. (This is currently used by the Canadian CAA, FAA and CASA Australia.)
Now we would like to bring you back to the beginning of this update. We noted that the basis of CAA medical certificate restrictions was the concern of CD pilots being able to fly safely in New Zealand skies.
The question exists, if the entire basis of placing restrictions on CD pilots is safety, then why are some pilots allowed to fly in New Zealand and others are not because they happened to have applied for a medical certificate at a time between the changing of opinion of PMOs, or they fly a foreign-registered aircraft?
This is a blatant case of discrimination!
CVA has also uncovered in our investigation that the current PMO, as early as 2009 and without consultation, changed and added new restrictions on two commercial student pilots’ Class 1 medical certificate. Upon their first annual renewal, both of these student pilots had just completed their CPL Rotary Licence. Each obtained $100,000 student loans. Because of these new added restrictions, both of these pilots have been unable to obtain work here in New Zealand and were forced to travel to Australia. There they secured CASA Class 1 medical certificates in order to utilise their licences.
We have recorded many more cases for future evidence when needed, but want to now move on to the most current activities.
In February of this year, we approached MP Winston Peters with the evidence and research that we had compiled.
After reviewing the situation, Mr Peters had us provide him with three relevant questions that he would present during Q&A in the month of May in Parliament, directed to the Minister of Transport, Gerry Brownlee.
After correspondence between the MOT, Mr Peters and the CVA, we then directed our concerns to the Director of the CAA. A General Directive soon surfaced from the CAA for public submissions regarding the policies towards colour vision.
Are we not surprised that the PMO is now trying to do the same thing to Aussie CVD pilots that he and his mate Dougal Watson did in NZ when they worked together across the Ditch previously? It's little wonder the PMO placed so much emphasis on Watson's recent report as evidence of CASA's "recent medical research" (see Paul Phelan's
article).
Bring back
Doc Liddell I say
The dangerous result of CASA’s draconian regulatory measures is that now many pilots tell CASA as little as possible about any medical problems in order to protect themselves from expensive and repetitive investigations or possible loss of certification. Most pilots are responsible people and they have no desire to be in charge of an aircraft if their risk of incapacity is unacceptable. When their DAME and their specialist believe they meet the risk target for certification without endless further testing demanded by CASA and the advice of their own specialist is ignored by the regulator then the pilot’s lose confidence in the regulator.
In medical certification CASA appears to have lost sight of the fact that all pilots self-certify themselves fit to fly every day they take control of an aircraft. The only day in the year when a doctor has any control over their fitness to fly is the day that they have their medical examination.
Dr Robert Liddell