Comment by Tony King - looks like the ever changing goal posts for a L1 are on the move AGAIN "ref: next phase"
Haven't see anything official from RAA, but why does it no longer surprise me. Mini GA with escalating costs. At some stage the members will realise where this mob are heading, in all probability too late.
Yes Daryl, that’s right. Used to be that getting your RAAus Pilot Certificate would also give you the authority to maintain your own aircraft (as long as it’s only used for private operations). That ended a couple of years ago because it was recognised that there’s nothing in the pilot training syllabus that would qualify a person to maintain an aircraft. The L1 (owner/maintainer) maintenance authority presently requires you to complete online training and pass an exam. That helps ensure you know what the maintenance requirements are, where to find essential information, etc., but it still doesn’t confirm that you know which end of a screwdriver to hold. The next phase is in development and almost ready for live trials, which is what Dan is talking about. This will help ensure RAAus owner/maintainers have the practical skills to safely maintain their aircraft.
You’re right that the majority of RAAus crashes are pilot related rather than maintenance related, just like every other sector of aviation. However the ability to maintain your own aircraft is one of the key points of difference between RAAus and RPL or PPL. In order to protect that privilege, and as a responsible industry player, having identified a gap in the training available RAAus is taking steps to close that gap. For those who already have the knowledge and skills it’s a mere formality (although you never know what you might learn). For those who don’t and want to maintain their own aircraft, it will make them safer and more capable.