The Nr Fairy
2nd Jul 2003, 16:55
I'm probably going to enter rant mode during this post - if you notice, let me know ! Also, I stand ready to be corrected on technical, legal and administrative issues. I already know that "in aviation you must do all the work" and "it's life, it's not fair", "it's the way it is because the CAA say so" and all the other trite stuff, so keep that to yourselves.
The CAA say you must have a CPL(H) before you can carry passengers. Fair enough - it's in the interests of the operator that passengers a) survive the trip and b) are satisfied enough to come back and spend more money.
Except in the UK it's not quite that simple. You have a type rating. You need to get base and line checked by the operator who runs the particular aircraft you're going to use. If you want to fly for another operator then you need to get base and line checked with them. Same type of flying, same type, just the name on the AOC you're flying under has changed. And the line check is a navigation check to make sure you can fly from A to B without getting lost. And if you have two or more types on your licence then you need to keep current on both base and line checks on all types for all operators for whom you fly.
And if you're going to be allowed to do a Check A on the aircraft, required by law to be done before a P/T flight, you need to be authorised by the maintenance company which maintains the aircraft. All well and good if the maintenance company is the one on the same field as the operator, but what if the aircraft is maintained by someone who's an hour's drive away ? And what if there are two almost identical aircraft, each maintained by a different company ? You need TWO Check A authorisations.
And of course you need to have a fire certificate, and a first aid certificate, and in the early part of your career you need to undergo Single Pilot CRM training - if of course you can find a provider !
My question is this. How is safety increased by having these sorts of hoops ? How come one AOC holder can't do a base and line, and another one just do a brief proficiency check ? Or, how about having a Pilot Proficiency Certificate for each type, which is issued by an operator authorised by the regulator to do that ?
And the Check A ? Why not a similar thing ? A maintenance organisation, approved to conduct Check A Authorisation training, gives you a piece of paper to add to the little forest stapled ( securely :D ) into your log book.
Potential problems :
[list=1]
All aircraft operators don't fly the checks to the same high standards
All maintenance organisations don't provide Check A authorisation training to the same high standards
Pilots will find a way around it, or fly illegally.
Regulators - CAA / EASA (seeing as we're talking UK here) won't like it as they see something which works, albeit in a cumbersome manner, changing.
[/list=1]
Feel free to add your personal list of problems to the above.
However, problems are not without a solution. The primary aim - to provide a less cumbersome (good word, used it before, couldn't find a decent alternative) but just as safe method of ensuring that any pilot who flies Public Transport is :
[list=a]
Appropriately trained for the aircraft type
Current on type
Current on Check A authorisation to ensure the aircraft is safe to carry passengers
[/list=a]
Any ideas / constructive comments / flames ?
The CAA say you must have a CPL(H) before you can carry passengers. Fair enough - it's in the interests of the operator that passengers a) survive the trip and b) are satisfied enough to come back and spend more money.
Except in the UK it's not quite that simple. You have a type rating. You need to get base and line checked by the operator who runs the particular aircraft you're going to use. If you want to fly for another operator then you need to get base and line checked with them. Same type of flying, same type, just the name on the AOC you're flying under has changed. And the line check is a navigation check to make sure you can fly from A to B without getting lost. And if you have two or more types on your licence then you need to keep current on both base and line checks on all types for all operators for whom you fly.
And if you're going to be allowed to do a Check A on the aircraft, required by law to be done before a P/T flight, you need to be authorised by the maintenance company which maintains the aircraft. All well and good if the maintenance company is the one on the same field as the operator, but what if the aircraft is maintained by someone who's an hour's drive away ? And what if there are two almost identical aircraft, each maintained by a different company ? You need TWO Check A authorisations.
And of course you need to have a fire certificate, and a first aid certificate, and in the early part of your career you need to undergo Single Pilot CRM training - if of course you can find a provider !
My question is this. How is safety increased by having these sorts of hoops ? How come one AOC holder can't do a base and line, and another one just do a brief proficiency check ? Or, how about having a Pilot Proficiency Certificate for each type, which is issued by an operator authorised by the regulator to do that ?
And the Check A ? Why not a similar thing ? A maintenance organisation, approved to conduct Check A Authorisation training, gives you a piece of paper to add to the little forest stapled ( securely :D ) into your log book.
Potential problems :
[list=1]
All aircraft operators don't fly the checks to the same high standards
All maintenance organisations don't provide Check A authorisation training to the same high standards
Pilots will find a way around it, or fly illegally.
Regulators - CAA / EASA (seeing as we're talking UK here) won't like it as they see something which works, albeit in a cumbersome manner, changing.
[/list=1]
Feel free to add your personal list of problems to the above.
However, problems are not without a solution. The primary aim - to provide a less cumbersome (good word, used it before, couldn't find a decent alternative) but just as safe method of ensuring that any pilot who flies Public Transport is :
[list=a]
Appropriately trained for the aircraft type
Current on type
Current on Check A authorisation to ensure the aircraft is safe to carry passengers
[/list=a]
Any ideas / constructive comments / flames ?