From Oz Flying…
AOPA calls for Medicals Risk Assessment
21 September 2018
AOPA Australia today called upon CASA CEO Shane Carmody to release a risk assessment that showed it was safe for holders of Recreational Pilot Certificates to fly on self-certified medicals but not for holders of Recreational Pilot Licences or Private Pilot Licences.
RPCs are issued by Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) for two-seat aircraft up to 600 kg MTOW, whereas the RPL and PPL are issued by CASA for VH-registered aircraft.
“If CASA considers it safe for a private ‘recreational’ pilot to operate in small aircraft with one passenger outside of controlled airspace, then why has CASA denied all government regulated RPL and PPL holders of this risk-appropriate permission?”, AOPA CEO Ben Morgan asked in the letter.
“Why has CASA implemented aviation medical safety standards that serve to force RPL and PPL holders into a private business (the Recreational Aviation Australia Limited) that exposes them to unregulated monopoly fees and charges? Why are Australia’s aviation safety regulations being used to benefit one specific private business, whilst denying all CASA RPL and PPL holders of their rights?”
In July this year, CASA introduced the medical reforms that created the Basic Class 2 medical, which enabled PPLs to have medicals done by general practitioners to an Austroads standard, rather than by a DAME to a CASA standard. At the time, AOPA described the reforms as a “thundering success” to the general aviation industry, but of late has become concerned that the desires of the PPL population of Australia was not properly represented when the reforms were considered.
During an AOPA internet podcast last night, Morgan accused Carmody of obscuring the truth about why self-certifying medicals have been denied to CASA-regulated pilots.
“The real villain in this is in fact CASA,” Morgan said. “The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has been very dishonest, and I’m going to call it out. Shane Carmody … you’ve been incredibly dishonest with the people of this country. You need to come clean now and own-up, and put it on the table.
“What are you are doing to Australia’s general aviation industry? Are you supporting our industry, or are you selling us out? I think the community are owed some honesty and transparency in what’s going on, if in fact it’s your intention to privatise our aviation sectors, then come out, come clean and let everyone know.
“But if it’s not, then answer the question: why have you denied CASA-regulated RPL and PPLs access to private driver’s licence medicals, whilst at the same time you’re allowing the glider community and RAAus to do it? Something has to be answered here.”
CASA has declined to address Morgan’s accusations of dishonesty, but issued the following statement to Australian Flying.
“CASA considers self medical certification to be appropriate for recreational pilots operating in small aircraft (weighing no more than 600kg) with one passenger and outside controlled airspace under licences issued by Recreational Aviation Australia.
“CASA considers medical certification based on an assessment by a medical professional to be appropriate for pilots flying in all classes of airspace, including controlled airspace, under a CASA issued licence.”
There has been no indication of whether or not CASA intends to release the risk assessment.
&.. a couple of comments off the AOPA Oz FB page:
Steve Fenech
Steve Fenech FOI Application perhaps? Bet they never release the sweetheart deal they did with RAAus!
Michael Henderson
Michael Henderson A senate inquiry is called for. Casa think they can do what they. I would go as far as to say even a royal commission into CASA for to long they do what they and they are killing GA
CASA CONFIRMS AND DOUBLES DOWN ON PRIVATE PILOT DOUBLE STANDARDS!
Friday, 21st September 2018
Mr Shane Carmody
Director of Aviation Safety, CASA
GPO BOX 2005
Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Mr Michael McCormack MP
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
PO Box 6022, House of Representatives
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600, Australia
Dear Mr Carmody,
Further to our previous correspondence on self-certification private drivers licence medicals for government regulated Recreational Pilots Licence (RPL) and Private Pilots Licence (PPL) holders. In today’s Australian newspaper, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has gone on the record to state;
“…the authority had carefully assessed the safety issues and risks in determining the various classes of aviation medical certificates, taking into account things like other airspace users, aircraft passengers and people and property on the ground… CASA considers self-medical certification to be appropriate for recreational pilots operating in small aircraft with one passenger, and outside controlled airspace under licences issued by Recreational Aviation Australia.”
If CASA considers it safe for a private ‘recreational’ pilot to operate in small aircraft with one passenger outside of controlled airspace, then why has CASA denied all government regulated RPL and PPL holders of this risk-appropriate permission?
Why has CASA implemented aviation medical safety standards that serve to force RPL and PPL holders into a private business (the Recreational Aviation Australia Limited) that exposes them to unregulated monopoly fees and charges?
Why are Australia’s aviation safety regulations being used to benefit one specific private business, whilst denying all CASA RPL and PPL holders of their rights?
Could CASA please provide a copy of its ‘risk-assessment’ that details how the regulator arrived at the conclusion that it is safer for a pilot of a light aircraft with an MTOW of 600Kgs to be flown outside of controlled airspace by a member of the Recreational Aviation Australia Limited versus a CASA regulated RPL or PPL pilot?
Thank you for your time and I look forward to your reply.
Yours Sincerely,
BENJAMIN MORGAN
Executive Director
Download a copy of this letter: https://aopa.com.au/…/2018/09/RPLPPLmedicalcertification.pdf
NOT A MEMBER? WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
Join today: www.aopa.com.au/membership
AOPA Australia | Your Freedom to Fly
&..
PRIVATE PILOT MEDICAL CERTIFICATION DOUBLE STANDARDS – I FLY AND I VOTE
Friday, 21st September 2018
Mr Michael McCormack MP
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
PO Box 6022, House of Representatives
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600, Australia
Mr Shane Carmody
Director of Aviation Safety, CASA
GPO BOX 2005
Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Deputy Prime Minister,
Further to correspondence sent today to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and your office, regarding double standards on private pilot medical certification.
Quite simply it is either safe or it is unsafe for a private pilot to operate an aircraft with an MTOW of 600Kgs with one passenger outside of controlled airspace. For CASA to assert that it’s risk-assessments have concluded that it is only safe if the pilot is a member of a private company is ridiculous. CASA RPL and PPL holders are trained to a higher pilot standard than their RAAus counterparts and therefore should represent a much lower risk to aviation safety!
CASA must now come clean and publicly publish its risk-assessments and explain to the Australian public why it has denied pilots with a higher standard of training access to a self-certification private drivers licence medical. CASA should not be abusing its position and power in forcing unfair and biased aviation safety standards that seek to intentionally disadvantage RPL and PPL pilots, so as to force them into a private self-administration business (RAAus) where they are exposed to monopoly fees and charges that do not exist within the CASA system.
There is no doubt that CASA has been influenced into protecting the private business interests of the RAAus, which has reported year on year financial losses, citing stagnant membership growth. During a briefing to their members yesterday at Airventure Australia Cessnock, RAAUs Chairman, Mr Michael Monck, and CEO, Mr Michael Linke, communicated that..
“…should CASA approve self-certification private drivers licence medicals for RPL and PPL holders, the RAAus would close its doors…”.
As a result of this egregious denial of pilot rights, CASA regulated RPL and PPL holders are forced to become customers of a private monopoly business (RAAus) that owns your medical, your licence and your aircraft registration. Pilots are forced to pay fees and charges that are unregulated and are subjected to ad-hoc oversight and disciplinary processes that are at the discretion of the private business and the personalities that run it.
And, to prevent pilots from electing to stay within the government regulated general aviation industry, CASA have denied RPL and PPL holders the right to choose by refusing to provide an equal and unbiased self-certification private drivers licence medical standard.
Are we now seeing the wholesale corruption of our national aviation safety regulator? Ah – yep! 😥 Is pay for regulatory-play the way of the future? Why is CASA creating safety standards that disadvantage government regulated RPL and PPL holders, whilst deregulating the rules for a private business to ensure its financial survival? Does any of this pass the pub test?
Mr Deputy Prime Minister you must end this abuse of power and demand that all Australian private pilots – regardless of their associations – be regulated equally and fairly. You must announce to the Australian public that any pilot seeking to fly an aircraft with an MTOW of up to 600kgs with one passenger outside of controlled airspace can do so on a self-certification private drivers licence medical regardless of the licence they hold.
And, importantly you must affirm to the Australian people that the role of Australia’s aviation safety regulator (CASA) is to provide aviation safety standards that are free of commercial bias and influence.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to your reply.
Yours Sincerely,
BENJAMIN MORGAN
Executive Director
Download a copy of this letter: https://aopa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/…/09/iflyandivote.pdf
NOT A MEMBER? WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
Join today: www.aopa.com.au/membership
AOPA Australia | Your Freedom to Fly
