The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) yesterday released details of a plan to streamline applications for flying instructors to conduct training as single-person operations.
Flagged in the April CASA Briefing Newsletter last week, the initiative shadows the USA's independent flight instructor path, but still requires instructors to operate with the CASR Part 141 regulations.
"Our new streamlined application and assessment process means individuals can apply to provide non-complex flight training for the issue of recreational, private, commercial pilot licences and certain operational ratings," CASA said today.
"The initiative is part of our General Aviation Workplan to make it easier for flight instructors that want to operate independently to obtain a Part 141 flight training approval. It is aimed at making it simpler and less expensive to gain approval if you are a single instructor providing non-complex training."
Candidates seeking approval to operate as individual instructors can do so only if they are a single-person operator–such as a sole trader–and don't employ any other staff. They will also need to use CASA's sample operations manual and training syllabuses.
Instructors operating as individuals still be restricted to the authorities that their grade permits. For example, Grade 3s, even though they operate alone, will not be able to authorise first solos.
The application form hints that individual instructors will be able to teach RPL, PPL or non-integrated CPL students for both aeroplanes and helicopters, and several operation ratings including PIFR/CIR, night ratings and aerial ag endorsements.
Indivdual instructors can train for both single- and multi-engine ratings in aeroplanes, but only single-engine ratings in helicopters.
CASA will not authorise an individual instructor if they don't hold the approvals they've applied for under CASR Part 61.
Although many in the general aviation community believe this will allow flight training to spread into regions that currently can't support a Part 141 operation, there is considerable opposition coming from the flight training industry.
Cameron Marchant, CEO of Darwin-based Flight Standards, says CASA's individual flight instructor initiative will result in a decay in instructor standards and prove hard for Part 141 schools to compete.
"CASA’s solution runs the risk of simply 'dumbing down the species'," he remarked, "removing quality assurance mechanisms and signing the death warrant for many structured flying schools, who now won’t be able to compete with the 'one-man-band' who is free of DAMP, SMS, supervision, aircraft maintenance standards or the requirements of pay or conditions to the Award.
"It is difficult enough for the small to mid-size schools to compete with the larger corporate 'sausage factories', now they will need to contend [also] with the sole traders beneath."
Sources within CASA have said that individual instructors have always been possible under CASR Part 141, and yesterday's announcement is only about streamlining the process to make easier to apply for approval.
More information is on the CASA website.