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LMH on Mundy; & Hitch tick, flicks CASA Part 67 TWG?? -   

The Last Minute Hitch: 26 September 2022

26 September 2022

1 Comment

– Steve Hitchen

CASA has expanded their scholarship scheme to now include safety managers. This is part of their new philosophy of spending money on aviation in appropriate places and a deeper engagement with the industry. That is sort of a volte-face from a regulator that was set up more than 25 years ago charged with keeping its distance from the aviation industry. We've all seen how that went. So although scholarships and sponsorships are fringe issues, they're a indication that CASA is prepared to put itself out there. That is a sign of good changes to come; some previous management teams would not have engaged to the depth the current one has. For those that have been beaten up a bit by CASA in the past, this is nothing to salve their wounds, and if we are going to talk straight down the line, those wounds are unlikely to ever heal. All we can do in encourage the regulator in the right direction to ensure there is less beating-up and more understanding coming from Aviation House in the future.

"..GA hasn't really thrown its arms around any of these institutions.."

Try this: walk into an aero club bar or flying school ops room and loudly ask the question "Where is [b]Australia's[/b] home of aviation?" You're almost guaranteed to get either a series of unknowning glances or five or six different answers. No one location leaps out, except maybe [b]Point Cook[/b] where the Australian Flying Corps and the Australian Aero Club were both founded. Or you may get some votes for [b]Temora[/b] where the museum has built a home for flying warbirds, and, of course, [b]Avalon[/b]. But one place is starting to emerge with a solid claim to the title: [b]Albion Park,[/b] NSW. Not far from where [b]Lawrence Hargrave[/b] flew his boxkites, [b]Shellharbour Airport[/b] has since become home to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame (AAHOF) and Wings over Illawarra (WOI), the biggest air show held annually in this country. They are three very firm pillars underneath the case for Albion Park to be recognised as the home of aviation. But even so, it's missing once critical factor: general aviation. GA hasn't really thrown its arms around any of these institutions, which continues to frustrate the likes of [b]Mark Bright[/b] at Bright Events, who has been tirelessly working to get GA to front up to Wings over Illawarra in numbers. Conceding that weather hasn't helped across several events, many of the GA community just don't put WOI on their calendar because it is seen as a show for the public. That is true, but to a great extent, so is [b]Oshkosh[/b]. This year Bright Events has put on under-wing camping and a bar and social set purely for general aviation. There is no doubt they want people to come, but sometimes wanting isn't enough. Shellharbour can make a great home for aviation in Australia, if we embrace the idea and head home for the big party in November.
Nominations for the 2023 CASA Wings Awards close in one month on 26 October. For those that haven't got their submissions sorted yet, there is concern for concentration, but not alarm. Winning nominations all have one thing in common: they address the criteria as set down by the Australian Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS). This take some thinking and a bit of work, but I can tell you that any nomination that hasn't adequately match the criteria hasn't ever won. If you need some help working through things, by all means contact us and we'll step you through the requirements. Start out by reading the criteria on the website, then take it from there.

You'll get two LMHs and e-Newsletters this week: today and Friday. The double-header is to get us back onto the Friday schedule that the GA community tells me they like and, indeed, rely on. Thanks for your understanding whilst we navigated AusFly and some public holidays. See you Friday.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

Plus Sandy comment in reply:

Sandy Reith • a day ago

An Australian Oshkosh? Avalon Airshow had that promise when it started out in the early ‘90s, although it lacked underwing camping, surely a major advantage both logistically and for a comparative financial incentive. In latter years a team of CASA inspectors took to interrogating arriving aircraft at Avalon, a time wasting turn off. Armed with the developed world’s most complex and intricate set of regulations which have been inappropriately migrated into the criminal code, any wonder that a fun day out flying might turn into a CASA induced nightmare and that thought did put offside the numbers that are required to sustain the interest of the promoters.

Hence Avalon has announced that Avalon East will no longer be available. One more nail in the coffin that our Commonwealth is steadily building to receive the body of GA.

In addition, as Hitch mentioned, weather can be a major problem which means that the most stable time must be planned, but if CASA persists with an Avalon style of surveillance, forget it, and proof of the pudding is, sad to say, the demise of the Avalon Airshow for GA.

Next Hitch's take on the Part 67 TWG recommendations etc. :

Technical Working Group recommends Self-declared Medicals

27 September 2022



The second report of the CASA Part 67 Technical Working Group (TWG) released this week confirms that the TWG has recommended self-declared medicals for private pilots.

In its advice to the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), the TWG reached a general consensus to create a Class 4 medical standard that require no medical examination for PPLs. The TWG also recommended abandoning the Basic Class 2 medical.

"The TWG evaluated and analysed the concept for a simplified medical structure which encompassed five levels of medical certification," the report states. "The concept added two new classifications, which include the Class 4 (replaces Basic Class 2) and Class 5 (new), self-declaration based on Austroads private motor vehicle standard.

"The TWG felt that the creation of two new medical certifications will inevitably lead to more complexity and unintended consequences, increasing the likelihood of potential confusion over which standard applies to which pilots. It was also agreed that the sensitivity and specificity of the medical screening process is not sufficient to stratify the risk of medical incapacitation into five layers of likelihood.

"To simplify the medical structure, the TWG supports and recommends the creation of one new medical certification (Class 4 medical certification: Self- Declared) which would set out to achieve the outcomes of the Basic Class 2 and conceptual Class 5 medical certification."

The Class 4 medical, if implemented, would apply only to general aviation and come with limitations and restrictions based on the level of risk, including the number of passengers, flight operations and aircraft size.

The TWG also emphasised that CASA needed to do more risk analysis on operational limitations that would be applied to Class 4.

In the same report, the TWG also reached full consensus that DAMEs should be delegated to issue Class 1, 2 and 3 medicals with CASA oversight, provided the DAME is suitably qualified and has completed a CASA training course.

"CASA is grateful for the TWG members’ commitment of time and expertise to this work," said CASA Principal Medical Officer Dr Kate Manderson. "The depth and breadth of discussion, with contribution from all members, has led to the development of a comprehensive set of recommendations that genuinely represents the position of key stakeholders.

"CASA looks forward to continuing to engage with the TWG members and their nominating organisations as the Part 67 legislation and supporting guidance material is developed."

Hmm...the part in bold to me sounds a lot like the PMO regards the TWG and industry input (611 consult responses) as just someone else's opinion?? (Also see 'CASA: "We'll consult on the consult for medical certification!" - UFB!')

MTF...P2