AHIA - Weekly news updates

[robsrich]

AHIA Events - week ending 31 Jul ’15.

A very busy week for the AHIA team!.

!! Business Alert – Queensland Government Tender. Fri 31 Aug ’15. Shared Helicopter Marine Pilot Transfer (HMPT) Services. The Gladstone Ports Corporation Limited (GPC) and North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQPB) invite you to submit your Tender in accordance with the website Tender documentation. Closing date Fri 4 Sep; 15. More info, Sean Elphinstone via email on [email protected] or call (07) 4976 1330.

AHIA major activities were:

Mon 27 Jul ’15. AHIA General Meeting via Skype. Agenda items included:

Rotortech 2016. From 27 to 29 May ’16 at Novatel Twin Waters Resort, Sunshine Coast. Booths now number 39 up from 25 last year. Exhibitors will have access to nearby large carpark to display their helicopters. Free parking for visitors on grass areas near resort HQ. (Same as last year). An extra day for the trade show folks. Final quotes being gathered to establish exhibitor and delegate fees. Sponsors, exhibitors, delegates and speakers most welcome.

Aviation Careers Expo 2015. Sat 22 Aug ’18. Aviation Australia’s historically well attended annual careers day. AHIA will have a display at the event to promote our flight training school members. BNE airport 1000 to 1600. AHIA member schools can send in their brochures for display on our stand. Free.

Aviation and Defence Forum presented by BNE Enterprise. Updates on aviation and defence projects from key industry participants. Speakers include ATM Operational Authority (Thales), NAVAID Rationalisation Project and others from Air Services Australia. AHIA will be attending. 18 Aug '15

Aviation Advisory Committee (TLSIC). Developers of the national Aviation Training Packages required by almost 100 RTOs. Schools seeking overseas students must be registered as an RTO and be compliant with this package for issue of visas, etc. Current AHIA Aviation Advisory Committee member will be replaced by another director at our next general meeting. (Due to developments with Part 61 and Rotortech).

Tue 28 Jul ’15. Telecom with Novatel Resort staff. We are investigating the recent use of a fabric structure which is at least three times larger than the venue used last year. This could allow the parking of half a dozen helicopters indoors or an additional 50 standard booths. TBA.

Wed 29 Jul ’15. Informal industry meeting chaired by CASA at Sunshine Coast Airport. Second in the series of meetings between Queensland operators. Along with many other organisations, the AHIA participated as an observer. Attendees were pleased with the outcomes; one of which was positive news a revised Part 61 MoS may be released around September. As to be expected, the school operators focussed Part 141 and Part 142 schools; in particular, the integrated theory and instrument flight training at the end of the CPL(H).

Fri 31 Jul ’15. CASA Meeting Canberra. CASR Part 137 and Part 138 in relation to firefighting. Host CASA senior management from flight standards. Attendees included AHIA, AAAA, United Aero (new AHIA Member), CASA licensing, legal parliamentary policy writers. Part 61 terminology will change to 'firebombing from firefighting' and the MOS will change to reflect that activity. It was confirmed that the firefighting endorsement exemption would be extended by twelve months. CASA authorisation reads:

Sat 1 Aug ’15. CASA. Transition of firefighting authorisations. The provisions of the aerial application rating and firefighting endorsement exemption (CASA EX114/14) will be extended by a further 12 months to provide certainty for operators preparing for the 2015/16 bushfire season.
On 24 July 2015 CASA provided advice to the aviation industry regarding the process for transitioning firefighting authorisations from the old system into aerial application rating and firefighting endorsements under CASR Part 61.

Thank you to those pilots who submitted applications following that advice.

Following feedback from the aviation community on the process and timing, CASA will be extending the current exemption (CASA EX114/14) and reviewing the transition process. The exemption will be renewed before its current expiry date.

The planned extension acknowledges the difficulties industry may experience in achieving sufficient numbers of endorsements by the original deadline.

Appropriately qualified pilots can continue conducting firefighting operations under an AOC that authorises those operations, subject to the conditions of the current exemption. Further advice will be provided when the extension has been formally registered.

We apologise for any uncertainty caused by the previous advice. CASA is committed to addressing issues identified via the flight crew licensing regulations post implementation review and we will continue to make adjustments where issues are identified.

If you have any questions about the transition of firefighting authorisations or would like to seek clarification regarding your specific circumstances, please contact your local CASA regional office. More information on the flight crew licensing regulations post implementation review is available on the CASA website.
End

Rob Rich
AHIA Events Organiser

[robsrich]

Forgot one last week.

Thursday 23 July 2015, AHIA as a member of TAAAF (The Australian Aviation Associations Forum) met in Canberra with the new CASA Chairman Jeff Boyd and CASA DAS Mark Skidmore to discuss regulatory reform progress.

A very important meeting face to face.

AHIA Events

[robsrich]

The Queensland Government is seeking Proposals for Air Charter Services.

Released: Fri 28 Aug ’15. General goods and services. Number: PTD002215a.
Closing: 3pm Friday 18th September 2015.

AHIA can email original tender offer to a member upon request.

The purpose of this Invitation is to seek Offers from Suppliers who possess the capabilities, capacity and experience to provide the Services as described in this ITO to Customers throughout the State of Queensland. At the conclusion of this Invitation Process it is anticipated that a whole-of-Government Standing Offer Arrangement (SOA) for Services, including Air Charter Services, will be established. It is anticipated that there will be only one (1) Supplier to provide the brokering of Air Charter Services, to Customers under this Arrangement.

It is important that the Supplier understands the broader aspects of the Customer’s business. It is expected that the Supplier will not only reduce costs and ensure staff and Travellers safety at all times, but will provide fair value for money for Customers.

This Invitation to Offer is to manage the provision of Air Charter Services to Customer/s using fixed and rotary wing Aircraft.

The Principal is targeting Suppliers that can demonstrate independence from charter aircraft ownership and management. The Principal reserves the right to exclude offers from Suppliers that cannot demonstrate independence from charter aircraft ownership, aircraft leasing arrangements, or charter aircraft management arrangements on behalf of the owner.

The Supplier will be required to provide Services, which will include brokering Air Charter Services as required by the Queensland Government and its applicable entities. The Air Charter Services will include, but are not limited to: Passenger Transfer, Aerial Survey and Imagery, Aerial Sling Work, Aerial Spraying, Magistrate Hearings, Aerial Incendiary, Fire Management, Aerial Feral Animal Control, Aerial Baiting, Aerial Work, Fly In/Fly Out, Disaster Response Operations, Doctor's Clinics Patient Transfer Organ Retrieval, Prisoner Transfer, Disease Response and Freight Transport.

The Supplier must be well informed on market conditions and understand and accurately interpret legislation and policies. It is also important that the Supplier has well developed client management and communication processes.

The Services will include the provision of proactive account management services to assist the Principal in managing this SOA effectively, and to help provide strategic direction to meet Customer’s objectives.

Closing Date: 3pm Friday 18th September 2015

Additional information: Regions listed Cairns & Far North Queensland, Mount Isa & North West Region, The Central West, South West & Darling Downs, Townsville Mackay Whitsunday Region, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Wide Bay Burnett and South East Queensland.

All questions are to be submitted via QTender or emailed to [email protected] (no other correspondence or communication will be addressed)

Kindest regards,

Rob Rich,
AHIA Company Secretary
PO Box 462
CARINA QLD 4152
Australia
T: 0415 641 774
E: [email protected]

[robsrich]

AHIA Events - week ending 19 Sep ’15.

A very busy week - a new Prime Minister and hopefully more attention to aviation matters, especially helicopter issues.

New Prime Minister – new aviation minister?? Canberra certainly has been in turmoil over the past week due to the election of our fifth Prime Minister in as many years. An enormous amount of publicity has been given to the election of new ministers and their roles. Some within the aviation industry would be watching to see if there was a change of the minister responsible for aviation. It would appear Warren Truss, the Deputy Prime Minister, is remaining in this capacity? Now the WA by-election has passed, perhaps problems facing the regulatory reform process could be brought forward once more for re-consideration. Of major concern for Truss is the need to extend the deadline for the rolling out of new rules from the year’s end.

Industry is really becoming a casualty of regulation fatigue.

Unsettling news of rejected Part 142 applications. The aviation industry was disappointed to note two leading Australian helicopter schools had their CASR Part 142 applications rejected by CASA. One industry commentator, stated both schools had probably spent around twelve months on the document preparation; only to be told that the guidance material supplied by CASA was incorrect and therefore their submissions were not acceptable. As a result significant amendments will be required. Hopefully this situation, is just the ‘learning curve’ of the reform processes.

Hunter Region SLSA Rescue Helicopter turns 40! AHIA member is about to celebrate their 40th Anniversary with a function at Wests Mayfield on Fri 6 Nov ’15 starting at 6.30pm. This is for current and former staff, directors, volunteers, flight paramedics, police and retrieval staff. The cost per person is $30 for finger food & a complimentary drink on arrival. If you would like to attend please contact Barry Walton, Community Liaison & Media, M: 0428 846 720 or [email protected]. Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (http://www.rescuehelicopter.com.au)

CASA changes. CASA Executive Manager Standards Division, Peter Boyd, will leave the regulator on 2 Oct ’15. Peter has been with CASA since 1999, filling several roles until taking over Standards Division in 2005. CASA has indicated Senior Manager Operations Strategy, Roger Weeks, will temporarily fill the position as head of Standards Division starting 6 Oct ’15. Since John McCormick's contract as DAS expired last year, Principal Medical Officer Pooshan Navathe; Deputy Director, Terry Farquharson and Executive Manager Permissions, Peter Fereday have all left CASA.

CEO RAAA, Paul Tyrell, resigns. After seven years with the Regional Aviation Association of Australia, CEO Paul Tyrell has decided he needs a ‘sea change’. Paul will be missed by his industry segment as he was well respected and a very capable leader when times were tough. Also, a good friend of the AHIA.

ATPL and MCC still work in progress. AHIA has been researching the impasse with ATPL issues. It seems very few have been issued. The oddity is a helicopter pilot can do a SE VFR ATPL in a single engine turbine helicopter fitted for NGT VFR, as a day test; without an IREX, but the MCC is still required and CASA has only approved a Boeing B737 simulator for the certificate.

Needs two students and costs around AUD $9,000 each. See CASA Form 61 – 1AH now needed for the application. It will explain more. To date, it has been alleged CASA have not received any ATPL(H) applications over the past year or so. AHIA is following this situation closely as the airlines have a similar problem and everyone is looking at international pilots holding a 457 visa as stop gap as the expected delay will probably run to mid-2017, at the end of the Part 61 transition?

New Part 61 MoS due out by end of September. At a Senate Enquiry, on 28 May ’15, it was indicated by CASA standards staff the rewrite of the Part 61 MoS was nearing completion and would be released in September. According to our Ray Cronin, our Part 61 team leader, this situation has not changed and the anxiously awaited MoS in on schedule as previously stated.

Updates on Rotortech 2016. From Fri 27 to 29 May ’16 at Novatel Twin Waters Resort, Sunshine Coast. Booths now number 36 up from 25 last year. Exhibitors will have access to nearby large carpark to display their helicopters. Free parking for visitors on grass areas near resort HQ. (Same as last year). An extra day for the trade show folks. Booths (3m X 2.4m) are $2,700 ($2,600 for AHIA members). Past exhibitors have first option until 30 Sep ’15; when all booths will be offered to around 41 EOI on file.

Free entry to trade show pavilion. Conference delegates need to register - fee applies.