CASA has announced new measures to permit Flight Examiners (FE) to conduct Flight Examiner proficiency checks, and allow approved Grade 1 flying instructors to assess pilots for a range of endorsements.
Under CASR Part 61, FEs needed to have their proficiency checks done with a CASA representative, but the new measures mean the check can also be done with another approved FE.
"From 1 July, we will allow experienced industry examiners to apply for approval to conduct flight examiner proficiency checks," CASA Director of Aviation Safety and CEO Pip Spence said in the July CASA Briefing Newsletter.
"This will give flight examiners a choice between undertaking their checks with CASA or another examiner with the appropriate approval.
"We’ve also cut the fees for part of the Flight Examiner Rating Course (FERC), providing savings of between $180 and $460.
"Further reforms to reduce the demand on flight examiners include increased privileges for grade 1 flight instructors that will allow them to train, grant and assess a range of endorsements."
CASA has said it will soon be consulting on developing a draft protocol for industry to deliver the FERC.
Maddy Johnson, chair of the Australian Flight Training Industry Association (AFTIA), said the new measures would benefit the industry as a whole.
"CASA has struggled with resources to be able to maintain what industry needs, so handing it back to industry with CASA coming in to oversee when they want to is an excellent idea," she told Australian Flying. "It would free-up everyone in the industry to do what they want to do in a timely fashion."
One group of FEs that stand to benefit greatly from the changes are those operating in remote areas, where the cost of getting a CASA representative to the region or traveling to a major centre is prohibitive.
"Regional, rural and remote community examiners will be able to work together," Johnson says. "As long as the process is done correctly to standard competency, I think this is a perfectly good way to assist the industry."
AFTIA believes that CASA could do more in the space surrounding Grade 1 instructors, particularly when it comes to training new instructors. Currently a Grade 1 can conduct instructor rating (IR) training only if they have done a separate course to teach instructors.
"I think instructors as Grade 1s should be able to instructor ratings to create brand new Grade 3s because they would be doing it under mentorship with a structured syllabus rather than off their own bat," Johnson said.
"A Grade 1 is usually doing advanced training already ... why would you do an instructor rating training approval? You're better off doing an MECIR or something else to add to your licence.
"It's a cost to do the Grade 3 Flight instructor training approval, but if they got it automatically it would save the flying school or instructor a lot of money. And instructors are CPLs who have done an instructor rating, so they know about teaching.
"From an AFTIA point of view, that has to change because it's going to kill training, especially in foundation training.
"The CAR 5 process was appropriate and robust."