CASA has opened consultation on the first Part 149 Manual of Standards (MOS) for approved self-administering aviation organisations (ASAOs).
ASAOs administer specific sections of aviation under a CASA approval, and organisations such as Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) the Gliding Federation of Australia (GFA) and Australian Warbirds Association Limited (AWAL) are expected to transition to the new Part 149 rules.
Previously, these organisations were approved via individual agreements with CASA
"This consultation draft sets out the full proposed Part 149 MOS that supports the operation of Part 149 of the CASR – Approved Self-administering Aviation Organisations (ASAOs) – for public consideration and comment," CASA has stated. "Previous consultation has supported policy to have a concise regulation and move most of the operational detail for ASAOs into the Part 149 MOS.
"While Part 149 of CASR has been designed for sport and recreational aviation organisations which currently operate under a system of self-administration, the regulation enables any aviation organisation to apply to CASA to carry out a self-administered activity."
The MOS sets out the regulatory framework under which ASAOs will be expected to operate, and the requirements an organisation will need to meet for CASA to issue an ASAO certificate. The MOS covers many areas including:
- aircraft registration
- airworthiness
- flight operations
- flight training
- key personnel
- safety management systems
"The implementation of Part 149 of CASR means that the administration of aircraft operated in accordance with the 95-series CAOs that apply to sport and recreational aircraft would become an aviation administration function," CASA states in the Summary of Proposed Change.
"For the purposes of the prescribed aviation administration functions, the kinds of aircraft subject to self-administration (Part 149 aircraft) are described in the MOS in terms consistent with how they are described within the applicable CAO(s)."
CASA has given the aviation community until 21 October to respond to the draft Part 149 MOS via the Consultation Hub.