[Peetwo]

Su_Spence April WOFTAM Waffle! -   

Courtesy Su_Spence, via Fort Fumble: 

Director of Aviation Safety, Pip Spence

Safety is CASA's key objective but it depends on much more than simply being a regulator.

We're keenly aware that every passenger who boards an aircraft in Australia expects their safety authority and industry to work together to ensure they safely reach their destination.

It's a sector-wide responsibility that would get nowhere without the cooperation and actions of individuals, aviation operators and the companies that support them.

That's why we recently reviewed and endorsed the regulatory philosophy that guides us in making our decisions and, we hope, supports you.

That philosophy commits us to approaching our regulatory functions consultatively and collaboratively while taking into account relevant considerations such as cost.

It also requires us to communicate meaningfully with stakeholders, build trust and respect and fairly balance the need for consistency with flexibility.

As a safety authority, there are occasions when we need to take legitimate action against people flouting the rules.

When this happens, our regulatory philosophy tells us to employ a rational 'just culture', proportionality and discretion as well as natural justice and fairness in exercising our powers.

Having a regulatory philosophy is a good start but we also need to be seen to be applying it.

A practical example of the regulatory philosophy in action is our General Aviation Workplan aimed at reducing the regulatory burden on the general aviation sector and some of the specific initiatives we are working to.

One way we are doing this – in response to industry feedback – is by making it easier for individuals to conduct non-complex flight training as a single person operation.

We are simplifying the application, assessment and approval process for simple Part 141 applications to enable an individual to offer simpler flight training for the issue of some flight crew licences, ratings and associated endorsements.

The feedback we received was that obtaining a Part 141 authorisation was complex, time consuming and expensive.

Another example is the proposed Part 66 modular licensing initiative for aircraft maintenance engineers aimed at increasing flexibility and improving the licensing process for industry.

We consulted on this late last year and, as part of our commitment to transparency, we recently published the feedback we received on our website.

While there was strong support, you can also read the views of those who raised issues and how we will work though addressing them on our consultation hub.

Another initiative gives pilots better training and assessment options for aerial mustering.

Trainee pilots now have a choice of training and assessment through their employer or the traditional Part 141 pathway to become qualified for an aerial mustering endorsement.

We’ll keep you informed by publishing updates as we progress the workplan.

This will give you an overview of what we’ve completed, and what is still to be done, including reasons for any delays.

Those on track include the review of Part 67 aviation medicals, an update to Part 21 regulations and manual of standards covering certification and airworthiness of aircraft parts, and a review of the requirement to notify CASA of a flight test.

Our regulatory philosophy is there to guide and support us in our everyday decision making, and to help us be transparent, consult, engage and focus on safety.

This is part of our ongoing efforts to build trust and respect in the aviation community so we can work together to foster a vibrant Australian industry.

All the best,

Pip

Hitch's take on that:

CASA aims for Individual Flying Instructors

5 April 2023

CASA has given the strongest hint yet that it will re-introduce rules that permit flight training by individual flying instructors.
CASA Director of Aviation Safety and CEO Pip Spence said in her April CASA Briefing newsletter published today that restoring individual instructors was part of their program to reduce regulatory burden.

"One way we are doing this – in response to industry feedback – is by making it easier for individuals to conduct non-complex flight training as a single person operation," Spence said.

"We are simplifying the application, assessment and approval process for simple Part 141 applications to enable an individual to offer simpler flight training for the issue of some flight crew licences, ratings and associated endorsements.

"The feedback we received was that obtaining a Part 141 authorisation was complex, time consuming and expensive."
Whilst individual instruction was already possible in theory, the instructor still needed to operate with a CASR Part 141 approval and be overseen by a Chief Flying Instructor or Head of Operations.

Allowing qualified flying instructors to teach outside the Part 141 regime has been seen as key to restoring GA flight training to regional areas, especially at aero clubs that don't have the resources to retain a CFI or work with a Part 141 organisation.

And Sandy's (waiting in) reply to LMH...  

LMH Awaits ok...

"The feedback we received was that obtaining a Part 141 authorisation was complex, time consuming and expensive."

Well well well, after watching the demise of hundreds of flying schools over the last twenty years CASA needed “feedback” to see how destructive has been its relentless fee gouging and extremely expensive regulatory assault on what used to be a flourishing General Aviation training industry. In particular with its Head of Operations and other ‘Hooey’ the likes of which doesn’t exist anywhere else because it was never needed in the first place. And those of us watching the disaster unfolding will never forget the unjust smashing of Glen Buckley’s umbrella business that, painfully designed by dint of months of negotiations with CASA, was successfully helping smaller clubs to survive CASA’s crushing fees and its administrative nightmare.
 
And we wait, and wait, for actions of reform knowing that when CASA really wants change it can act very quickly, have a look back at the hundreds of ‘exemptions’ and see what’s possible. And we wait. 

MTF...P2