[Peetwo]

United we stand divided we fall - Part II: Enough is enough

The following is a quote from a high profile and respected industry identity.. :

The bottom line is that reform of aviation administration in Australia is a political issue, CASA is never going to reform itself.

Indeed, discussions with Skidmore tell me he really has no idea what is going on under his "management".

Unlike the days of the PAP, when we had the strong support of Allan Hawke, the present Secretary, Mike Mrdak, is a major obstacle to any meaningful change. Indeed, Mrdak has recently "vetoed" changes to the Act, because "politicians might amend changes if they are brought to Parliament". Mrdak is clearly of the view that politicians should only do as permitted by their civil services masters. 

The UKs (EASA) licensing suite is around 980 pages, most of it plain language CAPs.

The FAA equivalent is somewhat shorter, as is NZ, and all three work reasonably seamlessly.

Our current CASR Part 61, comprising regulations, manuals of standards, advisory material, explanations of all the forgoing, and CASA "policy" documents that are "determinations" of some meanings, many quite contrary to law, all in total have now passed 3000 pages, and clearly do not work.

If you needed anymore proof that the above quote is indeed as close to a SOF (statement of fact), that Skidmore is aiding/abetting the Mrdak & Iron Ring campaign of obfuscation of any real reform of CASA, go no further than the following CASA tweet, the first for 2016.. :  

 ‏@CASABriefing 23h 23 hours ago

New exemptions provide flight instructors with additional time to comply with instructor rating prerequisites. More: https://www.casa.gov.au/standard-page/licensing-regulations-latest-news-0 …

So from Skidmore's esteemed Tiger Team we get yet more exemptions & additional pages added to the diabolical, industry destroying Part 61:

Licensing regulations: Latest news

23 December 2016
Instructor rating flight test exemptions

CASA has published new exemptions against certain requirements for flight instructors in relation to ratings and endorsements that were granted incorrectly between 1 September 2014 and 22 December 2015.

The exemptions have been made to permit flight instructors who, inadvertently, didn’t meet all the requirements for the grant of the rating and, in some cases, Grade 3, 2 and 1 training endorsements (aeroplane) to continue to conduct flight training.
There are four exemptions.

• CASA EX 215/15 and CASA EX 218/15 are for flight instructors who obtained a flight instructor rating without having passed the pilot instructor rating knowledge examination (PIRC) prior to taking the instructor rating flight test.
  
• CASA EX 214/15 and CASA EX 219/15 are for flight instructors who obtained a Grade 3 training endorsement (aeroplane) without holding a spinning flight activity endorsement at the time the endorsement was granted.  These exemptions also apply to Grade 2 or 1 training endorsements (aeroplane) which those instructors have subsequently obtained.
  
  

Flight instructors referred to above need to pass the PIRC theory examination and/or obtain a spinning flight activity endorsement before 1 April 2016 to avoid losing the rating and having to complete the instructor rating flight test again.

Important conditions apply to all four exemptions.

CASA EX 214/15 and CASA EX 215/15 allow instructors to continue conducting flight training until 31 March 2016, although conditions apply.

If you want to take advantage of CASA EX 214/15 or CASA EX215/15 you need to email CASA at instructorexemption@casa.gov.au  and include:

• your name and ARN
  
• the name of the organisation or organisations you conduct flying training for
  
• confirmation that you have notified your Chief Flying Instructor or Head of Operations you are using the exemption.
  
  

If required, CASA EX 218/15 and CASA EX219/15 will enable CASA to re-grant your instructor rating and training endorsements without you having to take the instructor rating flight test again (conditions apply).

If you want to take advantage of CASA EX 218/15 and CASA EX219/15 you need to email CASA at  instructorexemption@casa.gov.au  and include:

• your name and ARN
  
• details of when you completed the instructor rating and subsequent endorsement flight tests
  
• details of when you passed the PIRC examination and/or obtained the spinning flight activity endorsement
  
• a request, on the basis of the exemption, for CASA to re-grant you a flight instructor rating and (if appropriate) training endorsements
  
• acknowledgement that your next instructor rating proficiency check will be due based on the flight tests you have already done, as the due date is not affected by these exemptions.
  
  

The following conditions apply if you don’t have the spinning flight activity endorsement:

• you must not permit a pilot under flight instruction to manipulate the aeroplane controls during any of the following manoeuvres:
  • a short field landing or short field take-off
    
  • a maximum obstacle clearance take-off and climb
    
  • a steep turn
    
  • a stall or an approach to a stall
    
• except during normal take-off and landing manoeuvres, you must immediately take control of the aeroplane if at any time the aeroplane drops below 1.3Vs  speed for the configuration at the time, or the angle of attach approaches the stalling angle.
  
  

The exemptions will expire on 31 March 2016, by which time all relevant flight instructor rating holders will be expected to have passed the PIRC theory examination and/or have the spinning flight activity endorsements added to their Part 61 licences to avoid having their rating invalidated.

View the exemptions on the ComLaw website.

UFB?- Not really, instead of death by a thousand cuts it is death by another thousand pages..

If you let them the aviation safety bureaucracy will simply obfuscate until the industry self-destructs. Enough talk, spin & bulldust, now is the time for the Alphabet soups to unite, now is the time for action, tell the pollies enough is enough; or BOHICA - Your choice...

MTF...P2