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CASA has praised Australian aircraft owners for their positive response to the regulator's campaign to raise awareness of ageing aircraft issues and is encouraging owners to attend upcoming seminars.
As we reported here back in June 2010, CASA has initiated a special project to determine if Australia has an ageing aircraft problem, with the aim to “identify at what point an increase in the age of an aircraft results in unacceptable consequences”. The project was motivated by the fact that the average age of fixed-wing aircraft under 5700kg in Australia is approaching 40 years, meaning that potentially 8700 (out of a national fleet of approximately 14,000) aircraft could be affected by ageing aircraft issues.
Following a recent mass mail out to aircraft owners, CASA says it has received a steady flow of requests for more face-to-face seminars to be held on the subject of ageing aircraft. So far seven seminars have been organised in September, October and November, to take place at:
- Southern Cross Club, Canberra, Thursday Sep 8;
- Airport Terminal Building, Wangaratta Airport, Saturday Sep 10;
- Gunnedah Aero Club, Saturday Sep 24;
- Bunbury Aero Club, Saturday Oct 8;
- Cairns Aero Club, Saturday Oct 22;
- Hawker Pacific building, Bankstown Airport, Saturday Oct 29; and
- Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield, Saturday Nov 12
“People taking part in the seminars will learn about CASA’s Ageing Aircraft Management Plan and the basic scientific concepts relating to the ageing of aircraft,” CASA says. “This includes the so-called ‘bathtub curve’ of predicted reliability and its implications, why fatigue inspections are important, different types of corrosion and how wiring degradation occurs. It is important for all aircraft owners to have an understanding of ageing aircraft issues because all aircraft age from the day they leave the factory.
“While the seminars are primarily targeted at aircraft owners, who have
the responsibility for their aircraft’s maintenance and airworthiness,
they will be of value to aircraft maintainers and operators.”
A special seminar for airworthiness delegates and authorised persons, which will examine the legal responsibilities and proper exercise of delegated authority and provide an update on CASA’s new delegate management notification system, will be held in conjunction with the seminar in Canberra on September 8. CASA says it is likely that additional seminars will be held at other locations where there is a strong level of interest from the aviation community.
To find out more about the seminars, and to register, click here. To register for the delegate and authorised persons seminar in Canberra email delegate.management@casa.gov.au.