More tea Vicar?
‘Tis but a ramble M’lud; with your indulgence (or without) I will proceed:-
“Two fatal Angel Flights in six years have prompted Australia’s civil aviation safety regulator to re-examine standards for community service flight providers.”
“As community service flights become more widely used, the variable pilot qualifications and aircraft certification and maintenance standards become significant potential risk factors.”
You can almost hear the barricades being raised, the knives being sharpened and the same old saws being tuned up. This has dragged on for years now and we are no closer to an acceptable – compromise – solution.
There are some good ideas around although if AF don’t sink ‘em, then CASA will. AF will take a position that if the CASA ‘standards’ for PPL are not good enough then – blah, blah. CASA will say they are and then blah, blah. The ‘legal eagles’ do what they do and the party continues.
One of the better solutions, IMO, comes from the AOPA and is worth some thought. I’ll not go into the nitty-gritty for sake of brevity; but it runs something like this. Put together a couple of ‘week-end’ training courses, for AF pilots to attend. Draw CASA into the construction of those courses, to add value and to make it ‘official’. There are a variety of subjects which are of value – Meteorology – understanding and ‘reading’ of actual and forecast conditions. Flight and contingency planning for the expected conditions and time frame. Aircraft performance and fuel planning. Fatigue and delay anticipation; CFIT analysis; Icing. All valuable ‘add on’ to a basic licence. You could add in current night proficiency and ‘bad weather’ circuits; even forced landings on the practical side. In short, provide the ‘tools’ needed for survival when the going gets tough. I’d love to include basic ‘instrument proficiency’ to the list; but the deeply entrenched ‘sides’ will not consider compromise of any description. Shame really; only my personal take, but if a pilot has the ‘basics’ then those may be ‘practiced every flight; speed and height control, turns to a heading – etc. to maintain a level of competence in a situation where control could be lost – if the pilot was dopey enough to get into a situation which required the ability. Leaving it there – I can hear the old chain saw engines firing up.
A tailor made course, for AF crews, a record of current experience and a small amount of operational rostering control. AF offers Bloggs a long day – every chance of a return after dark – night current (Yes) – (No); simple go or no-go decision.
There is a notion to align ‘qualification’ to ‘region’ which is worth (IMHO) a moments thought. Extreme would be a pilot who has flown mostly out of say St George to Roma taking on a flight from Bendigo the Melbourne in the middle of winter on a bad day. There is nothing legally preventing that from happening – however, from a practical point of view…..
I don’t believe CASA want to come down ‘heavy handed’ on a valuable community service; AF certainly don’t want their operations constrained; but, there have been two, high profile, fatal accidents and because it involves ‘sick people’ the topic is ‘emotive’ which makes it fodder for political animals and the media.
Proactive cooperation, collaboration and serious, considered, balanced input from ALL those concerned is needed – well, that and a brave umpire; wonder if Solomon is available? Hate to see the AF wings clipped; but, we can’t have the percentage chances of a fatal accident any higher than they are now. Pity AOPA is on the ministerial nose – there is enough sense being talked there at the moment to be of value to the discussion.
Ramble over- just the stray thoughts and musings of an idle mind.
Toot - toot
‘Tis but a ramble M’lud; with your indulgence (or without) I will proceed:-
“Two fatal Angel Flights in six years have prompted Australia’s civil aviation safety regulator to re-examine standards for community service flight providers.”
“As community service flights become more widely used, the variable pilot qualifications and aircraft certification and maintenance standards become significant potential risk factors.”
You can almost hear the barricades being raised, the knives being sharpened and the same old saws being tuned up. This has dragged on for years now and we are no closer to an acceptable – compromise – solution.
There are some good ideas around although if AF don’t sink ‘em, then CASA will. AF will take a position that if the CASA ‘standards’ for PPL are not good enough then – blah, blah. CASA will say they are and then blah, blah. The ‘legal eagles’ do what they do and the party continues.
One of the better solutions, IMO, comes from the AOPA and is worth some thought. I’ll not go into the nitty-gritty for sake of brevity; but it runs something like this. Put together a couple of ‘week-end’ training courses, for AF pilots to attend. Draw CASA into the construction of those courses, to add value and to make it ‘official’. There are a variety of subjects which are of value – Meteorology – understanding and ‘reading’ of actual and forecast conditions. Flight and contingency planning for the expected conditions and time frame. Aircraft performance and fuel planning. Fatigue and delay anticipation; CFIT analysis; Icing. All valuable ‘add on’ to a basic licence. You could add in current night proficiency and ‘bad weather’ circuits; even forced landings on the practical side. In short, provide the ‘tools’ needed for survival when the going gets tough. I’d love to include basic ‘instrument proficiency’ to the list; but the deeply entrenched ‘sides’ will not consider compromise of any description. Shame really; only my personal take, but if a pilot has the ‘basics’ then those may be ‘practiced every flight; speed and height control, turns to a heading – etc. to maintain a level of competence in a situation where control could be lost – if the pilot was dopey enough to get into a situation which required the ability. Leaving it there – I can hear the old chain saw engines firing up.
A tailor made course, for AF crews, a record of current experience and a small amount of operational rostering control. AF offers Bloggs a long day – every chance of a return after dark – night current (Yes) – (No); simple go or no-go decision.
There is a notion to align ‘qualification’ to ‘region’ which is worth (IMHO) a moments thought. Extreme would be a pilot who has flown mostly out of say St George to Roma taking on a flight from Bendigo the Melbourne in the middle of winter on a bad day. There is nothing legally preventing that from happening – however, from a practical point of view…..
I don’t believe CASA want to come down ‘heavy handed’ on a valuable community service; AF certainly don’t want their operations constrained; but, there have been two, high profile, fatal accidents and because it involves ‘sick people’ the topic is ‘emotive’ which makes it fodder for political animals and the media.
Proactive cooperation, collaboration and serious, considered, balanced input from ALL those concerned is needed – well, that and a brave umpire; wonder if Solomon is available? Hate to see the AF wings clipped; but, we can’t have the percentage chances of a fatal accident any higher than they are now. Pity AOPA is on the ministerial nose – there is enough sense being talked there at the moment to be of value to the discussion.
Ramble over- just the stray thoughts and musings of an idle mind.
Toot - toot