CASA this week published the deliberations of a Technical Working Group (TWG) that has recommended several changes to the Class 5 medical standard limitations, but will leave the 2000-kg restriction in place.
The TWG met in November last year under the supervision of Principal Medical Officer Kate Manderson, making several recommendations to CASA through the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), which, if accepted, could see modifications to most of the restrictions applied operations under the Class 5 self-declared medical.
Among the key recommendations are:
- the 2000-kg MTOW limit remain in place
- POB limit of two be increased to four
- the 10,000-feet altitude limit remain in place, but be reviewed under the Class 4 framework
- controlled airspace access remain in place
- aerobatics be permitted provided the aircraft has no passengers and not be flown in competition or air shows
- day VFR only be retained, but IFR be reviewed under the Class 4 framework
- formation flying be permitted provided with one passenger only and not in air shows or flying displays
- the requirement for a Class 5 candidate to never have been refused a CASA medical be removed
- the ban on medical stimulants to treat ADHD be removed.
Most contentious has been the 2000-kg limit, which appears to be arbitrary with no medical support behind the figure. However, CASA told the TWG that the 2000-kg limit brings Australia into line with the UK and was "chosen to align with principles of structural robustness for impact tolerance for buildings".
Key to the POB increase was the need to carry family members on flights and also the need to make flying more economical by cost-sharing.
Whilst the TWG did debate raising the 10,000-feet ceiling, CASA explained that 10,000 feet has always been a set limit for flight without supplemental oxygen and taking into account the risk of hypoxia. The recommendation to keep the limit did not reach full consensus, with one objection citing pilots from the gliding community, who have been operating for years above 10,000 feet on self-declared medicals.
Restrictions on aerobatics and formation flying have been recommended for removal, with current limitations on these operations considered sufficient safety mitigators. However, aerobatics will be permitted solo only, and formation flights can carry only one other person in the aircraft. Neither will be permitted in air shows, and competition aerobatics banned. Formation aerobatics is also banned.
Another significant recommendation is to remove the requirement that a Class 5 candidate has never had a CASA medical refused for any reason. The TWG considered that any disqualifying condition no longer exists, that a pilot can be excluded from Class 5 only if their most recent medical was refused, and moving from Class 2 to Class 5 actually assisted with ongoing case management.
Whilst Class 5 is a self-declared standard, CASA's proposed Class 4 standard would require a medical certificate from a general practitioner rather than a DAME, which the TWG considered may permit some operations currently excluded from the Class 5 standard, such as the higher MTOW, flight above 10,000 feet and instrument flight.
The TWG recommendations are currently under consideration by ASAP, which will decide what formal advice to give CASA. However, the final say in any modification of the Class 5 standard will rest with CASA CEO and Director of Aviation Safety, Pip Spence, regardless of the recommendations.
More information including details of the TWG discussion is on the CASA Class 5 TWG website.
- Steve Hitchen
Australian Flying Senior Contributor Steve Hitchen is a member of the Class 5 TWG.