Changes to the regulations regarding pilot licensing and training organisations are set to revamp the training industry in Australia.
Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR) Part 61, 141 and 142 become effective on 4 December, replacing the old Civil Aviation Regulations.
CASA has been detailing the new rules to the industry in a series of national seminars, culminating with one final event in all capital cities on 21 October.
In a letter due to be sent to all pilots next week, CASA Director of Aviation Safety John McCormick has moved to quell fears that Part 61 will prevent some people from flying.
“Your current flying rights will continue under your Part 61 licence and you will to be able to operate the same aircraft in the same way after your new licence is issued,” McCormick states.
“There are some changes to flight review requirements, although proficiency checks are broadly in line with current requirements. Your current licence continues to be a valid licence for the next four years or until you get your new Part 61 licence."
The changes stand to affect just about every general aviation pilot in Australia in some way or another. Among the most significant to Part 61 (licences) are:
- The abolition of student pilot licences (SPLs). This is yet to be confirmed, but Australian Flying has learned it will happen
- Licences will now have category ratings for aircraft type (aeroplane, helicopter, gyroplane or airship) with class ratings attached for things like single-engine and multi-engine. Some aircraft will still require a type rating
- Feature endorsements like retractable, CSU and floating hull will be attached to the licence
- A gas turbine endorsement will be introduced; previously this was part of a type rating
- Operational ratings such as IFR, PIFR and instructor will be attached to the licence
- A new low-level operational rating will be introduced for ops like power-line inspections
- ATO delegations will be deleted and a flight examiner rating introduced to replace it
- The Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) will be available, restricted initially to 25 nm from the airport, but with endorsements such as CTA, flight radio and navigation to expand the privileges
- General Flying Progress Test (GFPT) will be deleted and the RPL used in place
- PPLs will now cover all classes of air space, i.e., the Class G only restriction won’t be available anymore on new licences
- The multi-engine rating will enable a pilot trained on one aircraft to fly others within that class provided competency requirements are met. For example: someone trained on a Baron could use that rating to fly a Seneca
- There will no longer be a co-pilot instrument rating; all ME IRs will be command
- PPLs will be able to hold an instructors’ rating, but limited to design features, spinning, formation, aerobatics and glider towing training.
The shake-up will also present flight training organisations with decisions for their future as well. Two types of flying school will exist, broken into either Part 141 or Part 142.
Part 141 is designed for smaller private schools that do nothing but training, and removes the need for a flying school to have an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC). However, a school can elect to be Part 141 and retain their AOC for charter and airwork purposes. CASA expects 60% of schools will opt for Part 141.
Part 142 is intended for schools offering condensed, integrated training courses, such as those on offer at flying academies. Part 142 schools will need to retain their AOCs.
“CASA consulted widely over a long period of time with people across the aviation industry to find the optimum way to modernise and improve the pilot licensing rules,” McCormick says. “When preparing the final rule CASA took into consideration the responses received from these consultative processes.
“The publication of Part 61 prompted a number of additional comments that were not brought forward through the standard consultation process. These inputs have been taken into account with the result that consequential amendments are being made to incorporate the most recent feedback.”
Details of CASA’s 21 October briefings are available on the CASA website.