I have had no dealings with the bloke and have never had to endure any crap from the CASA medical department but I am astounded at the cost and (therefore) the inefficiency of this man's domain. If he was any sort of 'leader' he should have sorted it out and clearly this has not been the case.
Just recently I carried out a Class 1 medical in the UK. This included an ECG, proper hearing test conducted in one of those quiet fridge-like things and a mini blood test. I walked out of the doc's office with the Class 1 certificate in my hand, signed there and then by the AME. It cost me the equivalent of AU$370, including all the tests. A couple of weeks later I paid AU$375 for a CASA Class 2 medical, that consisted of a chat with the doc and the longest series of 'no' answers I have ever given, with no tests apart from a dipstick in my wee but, of course, the obligatory $75 fee to CASA. The doc had to scan the medical form to CASA and then I had to wait 3 weeks (I consider myself lucky) to get an email back from them so I could print off my own certificate. $75 to administer something that does not need to be administered by CASA.
My doc is a CASA approved AME. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever that CASA has to be involved in the issuing of my certificate and, therefore, there is absolutely no reason why they should charge me $75 for the 'privilege' of them doing so. My AME's report can (and should) instantly update CASA's database, so they know I'm in date if they need to check but, apart from that it need involve none of this bureaucratic nonsense. The monolithic department, ruled by 'leaders' such as this outgoing incumbent, needs a damn good kick up the arse and to fall in with the modern world. It does not cost $75 to send me an email
