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RAAA latest newsletter: RAAA News - Autumn 2016

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IN THE COCKPIT

From The
Righthand Seat - Mike Higgins CEO

Over the last few months I have visited 12 Flying Training Service providers in Victoria and South Australia.

Seven have since decided to join the RAAA as there is no single representative body for this very important sector of our industry.

Some were asking why the RAAA would be interested in offering an advocacy role when most providers were based in non regional areas.

This is because the RAAA recognises the vital importance of the ‘nursery’ of all our future pilots, and also because of the predicted huge increase in trainees from overseas seeking training in Australia.

In order to provide a more effective and efficient operational environment (in the regulatory sense), there is work to be done.

An immediate example is the impending decommissioning of a large number of ground-based navigational aids across the country.

Whilst everyone acknowledges this is inevitable for several reasons, a more rational and risk based approach needs to be applied to the management of this project.

For example, just four RTO’s have reported performing 13,810 approaches over ground based aids in Victoria.

The shutting down of 17 NDBs and 4 VORs will see all these approaches (plus other operators) concentrated over just 4 NDBs and 2 VORs.

Following a recent meeting with several Air Services officers charged with the project, our position is that a moratorium be placed on any further shutdowns until the calendar based decommissioning plan is replaced by an event driven plan.

That is, when CASA can amend its regulations to allow for more training to take place in approved simulators, the less congested the airspace will become.

Once this occurs, then in conjunction with industry, a sensible and safe decommissioning program can be rolled out.

The two items on the top of the current priorities list remain to be CAO48.1 (Flight and Duty times / Fatigue Risk Management) and a Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the Aviation Safety Regulatory Review (ASRR).

The DAS has recognised that we have empirical data that has been gathered and monitored (and audited by CASA) over the years that clearly demonstrate how we have successfully been managing the risk of fatigue. However, this recognition has yet to be driven down to the troops.

The RAAA is an active member of the Australian Aviation Associations Forum (TAAAF) and a TAAAF Policy Document for 2016 has been published and circulated to key Government Ministers and Heads of Departments.

This document is published and presented to Government Members in each election year and has met with an agreeable level of acceptance and uptake in the past, and is available on the RAAA website.

I recommend a read of the Summary Document at least.

The accompanying foundational document has a significant amount of considered detail, for the avid student.

Some recent meetings included:

 CASA to discuss the serviceability issues of a simulator that was causing significant challenges for two of our members.

 Air Services to discuss decommissioning project detailed above.

 BOM to discuss the provision of TAF for one of our airport operator members and lower level GWPT charts.

 Department of Infrastructure to discuss proportionate security measures at regional airports, Airport curfews (see submissions on both issues on our website) and ASIC issues at regional airports and how we might take closer look at a more sensible application of the rules outside the operational periods of RPT services.

If any member would like an update or wish to provide input, please email me at ceo@raaa.com.au.

If any industry member has any questions in relation to the benefits of becoming a member of the RAAA, then I would also welcome your enquiry. I plan to meet as many existing members as I can in coming months, budget allowing.

MTF...P2