Extra – Impromptu Session at Rotortech 2016 About AHIA and Regulation Progress

AHIA Rotortech Australia helicopter expo

This is a recording from a session at the Rotortech 2016 expo on the Sunshine Coast. Vice President of the Australian Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA), Ray Cronin leads a discussion about regulation change and recent progress.

This audio is what you can call an extra from our normal interview series that I’m going to slip into the podcast feed and I’ll tell you why in a moment.

I’ll jump into a disclaimer right up front – the audio quality in parts is not great as I recorded it sitting in the audience but my suggestion is to persevere in the rough bits as there is some really interesting stuff in the discussion.

To set the scene, this is recorded on Sunday 29 May 2016, on the last day of the Rotortech Expo on the Sunshine Coast.

Johanna Osborne, Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor (Rotary) at Airways Aviation speaking during the session prior.
Johanna Osborne, Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor (Rotary) at Airways Aviation speaking during the session prior.

Johanna Osborne, Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor Rotary at Airways Aviation has just presented a talk titled “Global vision and an insight into the writing of our Part 142 application.” – about Airways Aviation’s approach to training and their experience in trying to conform with new regulatory requirements that are being rolled out in Australia that govern flying training, in particular the writing of an operations manual to meet the new CASA requirements.

So this will mainly be be of interest to Australian listeners, however those of you overseas I’m sure can take away some insights that you can apply closer to home in your own industries.

It is a really interesting insight into some of the background things that are happening at the industry representation level and at the regulator – if the discussion just stayed in the room and we didn’t share it further then there would be a lot more people in the dark about some of the things that are happening at the moment and perhaps some pessimism that things weren’t getting better when they do seem to be moving forward, if slowly, for the Australian industry.

Part of the aircraft parking area at Rotortech
Part of the aircraft parking area at Rotortech

The main voices you’ll hear, in order are:

Ray Cronin
Vice President, Australian helicopter industry association
Founder and managing director of Kestral Aviation

Rob Walker, Stakeholder Engagement Group Manager from CASA

and Rob Rich, AHIA secretary.

There are a couple of abbreviations or industry speak mentioned that I’ll give you a heads up on.

Part 141 and 142 are the regulations that cover flight training organisations – with the difference in very broad terms being the complexity of training offered – with Part 142 schools being able to provide additional ratings.

NPRMs – Notice of proposed rulemaking

MOS – Manual of Standards

Part 61 – Part of the Australian regulations that prescribes the requirements and standards for the issue of flight crew licences, ratings, authorisations, and rules for the logging of flight time.

So with all that out of the way, we pass over to Ray Cronin, Vice president AHIA as he takes the microphone for an impromptu session on regulation in the Australian flying industry.

A shoutout to the team at the Australian Helicopter Industry association though for what was a pretty good event running Rotortech 2016 this weekend. I had a great time and look forward to being able to get back for the next Rotortech expo in 2017.

The publication of this interview is with permission of the main speakers involved.

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in new window | Download

Links from this week’s episode:
Australian Helicopter Industry Association
#rotortech hashtag Twitter stream

rotortech-montage

Rotortech 2016 Gala Dinner
Rotortech 2016 Gala Dinner

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