AHIA - CASA/Industry working groups
At present CASA, the Australian aviation regulator is working hard on four fronts related to operational matters.
1. Rewriting CASRs. They have been given until 30 June 2016 to resolve the issues crippling the introduction EASA aligned flight crew training, covered in other threads.
2. Restructuring CASA. The CEO of CASA announced in November that it was necessary reduce the number of 'divisions' from seven to three. This would mean reducing the ten senior managers to five saving AUD$10m according to CASA media sources.
3. Production of new legislation. A great deal of advanced legislation is being drafted and being passed to industry fro comment. Understandably, small associations such as the AHIA are now running out of steam as the priority is on the flight crew licensing debacle - the regulations and standards. Why? The ATPL system is really broken; and only a bare handful of ATPL(H) have emerged over the past two years. Australia needs around 60 new ATPL (H) people to cover normal attrition; and the need to prepare for the change to Air Transport rules (carrying of passengers). To be fair, customer demands for ATPL qualified crew (when not needed due weight, etc) is pushing the shortage meter into the red (and bending the needle at the stops).
4. Department of Education restructure. This little known problem will be covered later here; but CASA comes under the National Training System; and they have to comply with the 'Aviation Package" standards which at first glance are very different from what CASA produces - as if one is in French and the latter Latin??
But to local recent news:
Aviation Industry Consultative Council. President Peter Crook, attended a meeting in Sydney on 29 Jan ’16. The AICC meeting was observed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss, who is our ‘Aviation Minister’. Peter is waiting for the minutes to provide a report back to AHIA members. But a quick telecom showed the meeting had been very positive and well attended by some of the most senior aviation managers in the country. It was very reassuring to see the aviation community has moved forward to a point where they collectively understood the problems needing rectification and that a much improved system of communication between the aviation industry and their regulator. Really good news.
Part 61 Solutions Taskforce. Vice President, Ray Cronin. Although there have been no gatherings since the inaugural meeting on 16 Dec ’15, and our telephone conference with schools on 12 Jan ’16, Ray has been extraordinarily busy, I really do not know Ray sleeps at night having to juggle so many Part 61 related issues with various members of CASA and other government aviation users. Well done Ray.
General Aviation Action Group. Board member, Colin Clarke. First meeting at the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, in Canberra, on the 17th December in Canberra. GA Aviation Action Group is setup to drive strategic policy. It is a subcommittee to the AICC (Peter is our representative).
Last week the Department of Education released numerous documents relating to their restructuring of those involved with the production of the various “Aviation Packages”. These are very complex and hard to understand issues; but the AHIA is preparing some plain English explanations as to how all this works. These overarching organizations have great impact on CASA. So we must get it right.
AHIA members will receive more on this soon.
AHIA