CASA Briefing October 2013

From the Director of Aviation Safety

John McCormick

This month I wrote to all pilots about the new licensing regulations taking effect from 4 December 2013 - Part 61 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. These new rules improve and streamline the licensing of pilots, while lifting aviation safety standards in key areas. My letter made it very clear most pilots will not notice any change as a result of the introduction of the Part 61 licences. Claims being made by some people in Australian aviation that the new licences will stop or restrict people from flying are just plain wrong. Indeed for some pilots Part 61 simplifies licensing requirements, while for others it introduces new or alternative requirements to improve safety standards. However, for the majority of Australian pilots the introduction of Part 61 simply means they will at some stage over the next four years be issued with a new licence with a different format and slightly different terminology. Current licences continue to be valid for the next four years or until a new Part 61 licence is issued.

Pilots will keep their existing flying rights under the new rules and will operate the same aircraft in the same way. There are some changes to flight review requirements, although proficiency checks are broadly in line with current requirements. When flight reviews are required it will not always be necessary to undertake separate exercises for each rating and endorsement being checked. For example, a private pilot flying a single engine aeroplane who has a night visual flight rules rating will need a flight review for the single engine aeroplane class rating and the night visual flight rules rating. However, one exercise can be undertaken to satisfy both flight reviews. A commercial pilot licence holder flying multi-engine aeroplanes under the instrument flight rules can cover all the proficiency checks and flight reviews in a single annual exercise with the air operator they work for. For the majority of licence holders there are no additional proficiency check requirements beyond the current regulations.

CASA is not charging any additional fee for the initial issue of a Part 61 licence to existing licence holders. Pilots will simply be issued a new licence when they change or update their licence qualifications with CASA. You will be issued your Part 61 licence when you complete for the first time after 3 December 2013 a proficiency check, a flight review, the issue of a new operational rating, the issue of a new aircraft category (class or type) rating or the issue of an endorsement on an operational rating. You may need to provide CASA additional information to ensure your new licence document accurately reflects all your privileges. Detailed information on what is required is included on the suite of Part 61 forms.

To find out more about new pilot licensing rules go to: licensing regulations.

Best regards

John F McCormick

Smooth transition to new rules for approved testing officers

CASA is working to ensure more than 930 approved testing officers transition smoothly to the new pilot licensing regulations in Part 61 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. Currently approved testing officers hold a delegation from CASA to conduct flight tests. Under the new Part 61 approved testing officers will not be delegates of CASA but will hold a flight examiner rating. At the appropriate time during the four years from 4 December 2013 all approved testing officers will transition to the new flight examiner rating. Current approved testing officer delegations will remain valid until a Part 61 licence is issued with a flight examiner rating on it or until the approved testing officer instrument expires. Full details on the process for the transition for approved testing officers will be provided soon on CASA's website. At present approved testing officers are indemnified against liability or loss arising from the exercise of powers conferred upon them by their delegation/authorisation. This indemnity insurance will not extend to people holding the new flight examiner rating. In other words, people holding a flight examiner rating under Part 61 will need to obtain their own insurance coverage. CASA is examining the effects of this change and is liaising with the insurance industry, which is considering whether to issue professional indemnity insurance policies to flight examiners. Unless professional indemnity insurance is available from December 2013, the transition of approved testing officers to flight examiners will not commence until mid-2014 or possibly later, when insurance coverage options are adequately established. Current approved testing officer instruments that expire on 30 June 2014 may be renewed prior to 4 December 2013, to ensure coverage beyond 30 June 2014. Approved testing officers are also encouraged to consider the scope of any aircraft hull or other policy already in place for any aircraft used in a flight test, as it is likely that these policies may cover you for any claim relating to any flight test accident.

Find out more about Part 61 and read new fact sheets on the changes.

Bad batteries put aircraft in danger

A detailed warning has been issued about the serious safety risks posed by poorly maintained wet lead-acid batteries in aircraft. CASA continues to receive reports of battery terminal separations, battery failures, explosions and fires. These problems can cause total in-flight electrical failure and aircraft fires on the ground. Loose battery terminals or corrosion in terminal assemblies can result in sparking and overheating, leading to explosions and fires. Overheating to the point of melting can ignite the gas mixture given off by a discharging battery, also causing explosions or fires. Blocked battery compartment drains cause spills or leaks to collect in the battery box, penetrating the walls and bottom of the box and then attacking aircraft structures or controls. A failure of battery venting causes overheating and a build-up of explosive gases. In an airworthiness bulletin CASA makes seven recommendations on ways to avoid wet cell battery failures. These include removing the battery every 12 months to check both the battery compartment, tie-downs, the battery case, terminals and cell caps. Terminals and electrical cables must be kept clean and free from corrosion and oxidisation.

Read the wet cell battery airworthiness bulletin.

Hidden dangerous goods threaten our safety

Smoke rising from passenger bags, leaking mercury, flares and explosive primers in checked luggage, cargo bursting into flames and ‘laundry products’ causing a cargo compartment fire are all real life incidents that underline the importance of following dangerous goods requirements. The incidents are documented in a new section on CASA’s dangerous goods web pages. There are 13 incidents listed, some of which happened in Australia, and a number led to prosecutions and fines or jail sentences. Problems were caused both by undeclared dangerous goods in cargo as well as dangerous goods being carried by passengers. In the worst case a cargo fire caused by a hydrogen peroxide solution and a sodium mixture generated enough heat to cause the aircraft’s cargo floor to sag. Investigators estimated the aircraft could have broken into two within another 10-15 minutes. The fire started because the chemicals mixed together when the package was placed on its side in the cargo compartment. As the package was not declared as dangerous goods there were no labels or right way up markings to stop the liquids leaking and mixing. The safety protection of properly declaring, packaging, labelling and documenting dangerous goods is shown by the fact that from hundreds of reported cargo incidents less than one per cent involves declared dangerous goods.

Find out more about dangerous goods.

Watch to learn about ageing aircraft

With the average age of fixed wing aircraft in Australia now more than 30 years, many aviation people need an understanding of ageing aircraft issues. A thoughtful overview of ageing aircraft is presented in a short video on CASA’s You Tube channel. The video features the Temora Aviation Museum’s chief executive, Kenny Love, and chief engineer, Andrew Bishop. The well-known museum is home to more than 15 aircraft types, ranging from the Tiger Moth to the Cessna Birddog. With the aircraft flown regularly maintaining these older aeroplanes is a key focus of the museum. Kenny Love, who has a background in aviation maintenance, says lessons can be learnt from the experience of the Temora Aviation Museum in maintaining all aircraft still flying well beyond the expectations of their designers and manufacturers. Kenny says a key is knowing your aircraft - what it is made of and the lifespan of these materials. He says owners and maintainers should look at the experience of other operators and think ahead to where problems may emerge. Andrew Bishop says focussing on what you can’t see in an aircraft is very important. A central theme is that you can continue to operate older aircraft but you are going to have to spend money on them.

View the ageing aircraft video now.

It's PEXO for your exams

CASA has introduced a new flight crew licensing examination system, the Pilot Examination Office or PEXO. This replaces the CyberExams system which was used for more than 12 years. PEXO is an automated system designed for exam candidates who have progressed through the Australian system of flying and aeronautical knowledge training. It uses the internet to deliver flight crew examinations to authorised venues. The system automatically manages exams for people who are sitting for flight crew exams in one aircraft category. Candidates who wish to sit exams for more than one aircraft category can still use PEXO but this requires manual intervention by CASA’s flight crew licensing staff. As manual intervention requires time, these candidates are advised to plan ahead and advise CASA flight crew licensing well in advance of their requirements. Professional pilot exams are available Monday to Friday - except for public holidays or PEXO maintenance periods - between 0800 and 1800 hours local time. However, the actual business hours of an exam venue will be determined by the independent company, Assessment Services Proprietary Limited (ASL), which CASA has delegated to supervise the professional exams. The business hours are influenced by the volume and frequency of local exams and bookings by other candidates. People are advised to make early bookings if they have a preferred date and time for their exam. Private pilot exams are available every day, subject to the business activities of the approved flying schools conducting the PEXO exams. Private pilot exams are available at approximately 300 approved flying training schools throughout Australia. To bring PEXO on line required the migration of about 10,000 exam questions and several hundred thousand exam records.

Read more about the pilot exam system.

Keep on top of aircraft wiring

Updated detailed information and advice for maintenance personnel on aircraft electrical wiring has been released. CASA has published a 19 chapter advisory circular setting out the recommended practices and techniques for installing, repairing and maintaining aircraft and ground support equipment electrical wiring. The advisory provides a standard approach to wiring, highlights the importance of good workmanship and identifies potentially unsafe practices. It covers all general purpose wiring and wiring devices used for connecting equipment in aircraft. This includes thermocouple systems, coaxial, fibre optics and data bus cabling. To make the advisory circular easy to use it is divided into chapters which describe and illustrate the recommended procedure for an operation or a series of related operations. The information in each chapter is arranged in the general order in which work is performed, with illustrations and tables supporting the text. An important observation is that improperly or carelessly installed wiring can be a source of both immediate and potential danger to aircraft operations. The performance of electrical systems depends on the quality of design, the workmanship during installation and the know-how of personnel who carry out inspection repair and maintenance. The wiring advisory circular is intended to be used as a manual for general wiring purposes where no other data exists for repair or maintenance.

Go to the aircraft wiring and bonding advisory circular.

Remotely piloted aircraft project focuses on the future

The brief for a CASA project working on updating the rules and guidance material covering the operation of remotely piloted aircraft systems has been revised. The project is working on Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations, which sets the standards for the civil operations of unmanned aircraft. CASA recognises that as the rules were made in 2002 they no longer adequately reflect developments in technology and the use of remotely piloted aircraft. When Part 101 was written it relied heavily on the rules governing model aircraft and the terminology at the time referred to these aircraft as unmanned aerial vehicles. The International Civil Aviation Organization is reshaping the regulatory framework for unmanned aircraft globally and the term unmanned aerial vehicle has been replaced with the more correct terms of unmanned aircraft system, remotely piloted aircraft system and remotely piloted aircraft. Similarly, the terms used for the crew members who operate remotely piloted aircraft have been changed. The use of the term remote pilot correctly shows these aircraft are not unmanned but rather have a human pilot in the loop, albeit operating remotely. CASA is developing a notice of proposed rule making on remotely piloted aircraft systems terminology and the weight categorisation of remotely piloted aircraft. In addition there will be eight advisory circulars covering issues such as training and licensing, operations, manufacturing and maintenance.

Find more details on the remotely piloted aircraft systems project.

Guidance for manufacturing parts during maintenance

New guidance has been released for maintenance organisations with approval to manufacture aircraft parts during maintenance. The approval to manufacture parts during maintenance is issued to Civil Aviation Regulation 30 certificate of approval holders. Parts manufactured during maintenance must be identical to the parts being replaced or they must conform to approved design data. Parts that can be manufactured during maintenance are limited to items such as bushes, sleeves and shims, skin panels, flight control cables, hoses and pipes and electrical cable looms. These parts must be fitted to aircraft while they are being maintained in the maintenance organisation’s facility. The capability of an organisation to manufacture parts is determined by the availability of appropriate facilities, approved data, tools and trained and competent employees. Approved data must be current and sufficient before parts can be manufactured. Maintenance organisations are required to maintain a record or register of all manufactured parts and the parts themselves must be marked so they can be traced. There must be quality control inspections after parts have been manufactured and before they are fitted to aircraft.

Read the parts manufactured in the course of maintenance airworthiness bulletin.

Making sure warbird maintainers are trained

Owners and maintainers of warbirds, historic and replica aircraft have been provided with new information and guidance on a range of maintenance related issues. A civil aviation advisory publication has been released explaining the requirements for the training and authorisation of licensed aircraft maintenance engineers who work on warbirds, historic and replica aircraft. The advisory also sets out the requirements for maintenance organisations that train and authorise the maintainers of warbirds, historic and replica aircraft. These aircraft operate within the limited category and maintenance licensing under Part 66 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations is generally not applicable. In the past CASA has issued individual maintenance authorities but a system of in-house training of maintainers by approved maintenance organisations has been introduced. For the purposes of maintenance warbirds, historic and replica aircraft are grouped into three classifications – complex aircraft that require maintenance performed under the control of an approved maintenance organisation with training and authorisation for maintainers, aircraft that can be maintained by an appropriately rated licensed aircraft maintenance engineer without special training and authorisation and aircraft that have not yet been classified. Unclassified aircraft must be maintained to the first classification until their classification is determined.

Find out more about maintenance training requirements for warbirds, historic and replica aircraft.

Briefings on new regs in all mainland states and territories

CASA is holding briefings on important new aviation safety regulations at 17 locations in all mainland states and territories during November 2013. These briefings will cover pilot licensing regulations, electronic flight bags, fatigue rules, performance based navigation and flying training regulatory changes. There will also be a step-by-step guide on how to find and utilise important online safety tools such as OnTrack and Out-n-Back. Overall, the aim is to show pilots and other aviation people how to access the information they need, stay up to date with regulatory change and get safety education and advice. An explanation of transition processes to the new rules will be provided and the responsibilities of aviation people and organisations will be explained. At some locations there will be dedicated sessions devoted to performance based navigation. As always questions and discussion will be encouraged.

Find an AvSafety seminar near you and register your place now.