Tech Manager’s Update 19/4/13

[Admin]

Tech Manager’s Update 19/4/13

 

Great news! We have received approval from the Board today to employ the extra staff we believe are needed to not just hold our heads above water with aircraft registrations, but to get over the hump and get back to being able to efficiently sustain the process.

 

Dean Tompkins, with Darren Barnfield backing him up, did an amazing job getting the aircraft files checked that they did. But they’ve both gone home to their wives in South Australia and Victoria respectively. While they continue to support us as Technical consultants, they’re not doing the checks on the registration files anymore. And there’s still more than half our fleet that need to be checked and updated, with many files also requiring additional information.

 

To achieve this, we’re implementing a dedicated “Tech Team”, independent of the normal office administration. The Tech Team will initially have four clerical people who I will be training to understand and handle the registration complexities required by the CAOs and our Tech Manual, for the various aircraft. Initially, as I train the team and they get their competency up, we may backslide a bit with the regos. But then with four of them working together as a team, and only on registrations, we’ll power out of the hole we’re in and we’ll get our fleet back in the air. The Board have given approval for this arrangement to remain in place at least until the end of this year, by which time we will have completed the full annual re-registration cycle. It should be business as usual there after, with the worst of it behind us.

 

However, we are still waiting for many owners to supply us with previously requested information. Until we receive all this information, we can’t register your aircraft. To help our efficiency, please send all of the information we’ve requested in one mailing. Having to go and get the file half a dozen times because the information is being sent in dribs and drabs, really slows us down.

 

Regards

 

Wayne

 

RA-Aus Technical Manager

 

 

[TK58]

Sounds like there's an expectation regos are going to be backlogged for several months yet

 

 

[johnm]

2 yearly aircraft rego please (minimum)

 

1/2 the workload and red tape and twice as much fun

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Sounds like there's an expectation regos are going to be backlogged for several months yet

You would not believe how inefficient handling everything by paper is, Wayne probably spends more time walking back and forth from the filing cabinets than actually processing forms. It's why everything is in such a mess.

 

The core problem is that no one in the RAA has any experience relevant to adopting a IT based approach.

 

The other issue is most of that backlog is probably planes that haven been flown for a few years, so the owners don't care if the rego lapses.I can see the number of RAA planes registered taking a bit drop next reporting period.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Well done Wayne, Sounds like you are attacking the problem head on, and that the board may also be listening to you. Personally I am happy that one of the departing assistants action my rego just prior to departure, however I still feel for the many others who are now grounded, or choosing to fly illegally, which is the whole negative outcome of this CASA over-reaction....good luck there with the new team...keep up the good work you are doing on behalf of us all......................................................Maj...

 

 

[metalman]

Maybe a rewrite of the manual to get rid of some of the crap requirements , most probs have come from us not adhering to our own rules, the old saying ( which I may have wrong) "hoisted by our own pittard"

 

 

[rankamateur]

Maybe a rewrite of the manual to get rid of some of the crap requirements , most probs have come from us not adhering to our own rules, the old saying ( which I may have wrong) "hoisted by our own pittard"

or petard http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hoist%20by%20your%20own%20petard.html I had to google to have a clue what you meant.

 

 

[metalman]

or petard http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hoist%20by%20your%20own%20petard.html I had to google to have a clue what you meant.

Google is our friend!

 

 

[ave8rr]

Maybe a rewrite of the manual to get rid of some of the crap requirements , most probs have come from us not adhering to our own rules

Mat you are right there. For starters, WHY are we still requiring the rego in HUGE letters under the wing when this has been dropped for aircraft on the CASA Register. I don't think Experimental aircraft have ever had it but can be corrected on this. What other aircraft require a placard on the panel stating the MTOW and on it goes.

The Tech manager should be aligning the Tech manual with the current CASA rules and regs.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

2 yearly aircraft rego please (minimum)1/2 the workload and red tape and twice as much fun

And we could synch rego with the BFR.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

what happens if your BFR is delayed by weather?

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

what happens if your BFR is delayed by weather?

The BFR is mandatory, just like Rego. It's up to us to plan ahead and allow for Murphy.

(That said, I must admit to allowing my pilot certificate renewal to get buried on my desk. I discovered this the day before expiry, but a five minute phone call got me renewed. Impressive)

 

 

[M61A1]

what happens if your BFR is delayed by weather?

So will any other flying.........

 

 

[fly_tornado]

It's one way to reduce the cost of owning a plane. I can't see the RAA going for it as the revenues will dry up whenever the weather's bad.