CASA EX161/16 Exemption — hang-gliding and paragliding operations at Hooley Dooley launch site within active restricted airspace at Williamtown, NSW (Cth)

Instrument number CASA EX161/16

I, MARK ANDREW FERNAN, Acting Safety Assurance Senior Manager, Aviation Group, a delegate of CASA, make this instrument under subregulations 11.160 (1) and 11.205 (1) of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.

[Signed M. Fernan]

Mark Fernan
Acting Safety Assurance Senior Manager
Aviation Group

17 November 2016

Exemption — hang-gliding and paragliding operations at Hooley Dooley launch site within active restricted airspace at Williamtown, NSW

1          Duration

This instrument:

(a)   commences on the day of registration; and

(b)   is repealed at the end of 31 October 2019.

2          Definitions

In this instrument:

active restricted area means the military restricted airspace at Williamtown, New South Wales, when it is activated.

aircraft means an aircraft to which Civil Aviation Order 95.8 Instrument 2011 (CAO 95.8), as in force from time to time, applies.

ATC means air traffic control.

Duty Pilot means the member of Newcastle Paragliding Club responsible for overseeing and facilitating Club operations at the Hooley Dooley launch site.

Hooley Dooley launch site means the launch site with coordinates S32^o 30.664’ E151^o 29.971’ located at Hooley Dooley, north-west of Vacy, New South Wales.

VHF means very high frequency.

Williamtown Defence authority means the controlling authority for the active restricted area, as designated from time to time in an instrument made by CASA for regulation 6 of the Airspace Regulations 2007.

Note   In this instrument certain terms and expressions have the same meaning as they have in the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 and CAO 95.8. These include AGL and HGFA.

3          Application

     This instrument applies to a pilot if:

(a)   the Newcastle Paragliding Club and the Williamtown Defence authority have agreed in writing to the conduct of the operation of an aircraft from the Hooley Dooley launch site within the active restricted area; and

(b)   the pilot:

(i)  is a member or guest member of the Newcastle Paragliding Club; and

(ii)  is a financial member of the HGFA; and

(iii)  conducts an operation in an aircraft from the Hooley Dooley launch site; and

(iv)  before commencing the operation — has confirmed with the Duty Pilot that the operation has been approved by the Williamtown Defence authority and Williamtown ATC.

4          Exemption

For paragraph 4.1 of CAO 95.8, the pilot is exempt from complying with the condition in paragraph 7.6 of CAO 95.8, as paragraph 7.6 of CAO 95.8 is in force from time to time.

5          Conditions

The exemption is subject to the conditions mentioned in Schedule 1.

Schedule 1          Conditions

1     The pilot must hold the following qualifications issued by the HGFA:

(a)   a valid pilot certificate, not being a student pilot certificate; and

(b)   a valid Flight Radio Operator’s Licence or a valid Radio Operator’s Endorsement.

2     On a day that the pilot intends to conduct the operation, and before commencing the operation, the pilot must:

(a)   register his or her attendance at the Hooley Dooley launch site with an official of the Newcastle Paragliding Club; and

(b)   receive a briefing from the Duty Pilot on:

(i)  the conditions mentioned in this Schedule; and

(ii)  the VHF radio frequency designated by Williamtown ATC for clause 5.

3     The pilot must, while operating within the active restricted area:

(a)   remain within a 2 nautical mile radius of the Hooley Dooley launch site; and

(b)   not operate eastwards beyond Summerhill Road, Vacy, New South Wales.

4     The pilot must remain below 5 000 feet above mean sea level if operating:

(a)   within the active restricted area; or

(b)   at any point within 5 nautical miles from the boundary of the active restricted area.

5     The pilot must carry a serviceable radio capable of transmitting on the VHF radio frequency and monitor the radio frequency band designated for the operation by Williamtown ATC.

6     In the event of a radio failure or suspected radio failure while operating within the active restricted area, or while operating at any point within 5 nautical miles from the boundary of the active restricted area, the pilot must:

(a)   not operate above 300 feet AGL; or

(b)   if the pilot is operating above 300 feet AGL — promptly descend to an altitude not exceeding 300 feet AGL and not climb above that altitude.

7     After completing the operation, the pilot must notify the Duty Pilot that the operation has been completed.