Explanatory Statement
Civil Aviation Regulations 1988
Exemption — recency requirements for night flying (Virgin Blue Airlines Pty Limited)
Legislation
Section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act) empowers the Governor-General to make regulations.
Subregulation 5.109 (1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (CAR 1988) provides that a commercial (aeroplane) pilot (the holder of a commercial aeroplane pilot licence) must not fly an aeroplane carrying another person, unless the pilot satisfies requirements set out in the subregulation.
Subregulation 5.170 (1) of CAR 1988 provides that an air transport (aeroplane) pilot (the holder of an air transport aeroplane pilot licence) must not fly an aeroplane carrying another person, unless the pilot satisfies requirements set out in the subregulation.
Paragraphs 5.109 (1) (b) and 5.170 (1) (b) of CAR 1988 both mention certain requirements (recency requirements) that the pilot must have satisfied in the immediately preceding period of 90 days, being requirements relating to take-offs and landings at night. These requirements are that the pilot has, within the period, carried out at least 3 take-offs and 3 landings at night, while flying the aeroplane as pilot in command, or as pilot acting in command under supervision or in dual flying; alternatively, in that period the pilot must have satisfactorily completed an aeroplane proficiency check that was completed at night or passed a flight test that was conducted at night for the issue, or renewal, of an aeroplane pilot rating.
The exemption allows Virgin Blue Airlines Pty Limited (the operator), to use an approved flight simulator to satisfy recency requirements instead of relying on flights in an aeroplane. It differs from paragraphs 5.109 (1) (b) and 5.170 (1) (b) of CAR 1988 in that it allows the recency requirement to be satisfied by 1 night take-off and 1 night landing in the immediately preceding 90 days that has been carried out in an approved flight simulator or an aircraft of the same type. In addition, it requires the pilot to have carried out at least 3 night take-offs and 3 night landings in the immediately preceding 180 days in an approved flight simulator or an aircraft of the same type.
In that period the pilot must also satisfactorily complete an aeroplane night operations proficiency check that was conducted in an approved flight simulator or an aircraft of the same type. This instrument revokes CASA EX75/10 which provided that the completion of the aeroplane night operations proficiency check was an alternative to the recency requirements mentioned in the previous paragraph. That was an error that needed correction in order to comply with current safety standards.
If the flight to which the exemption applies includes a circling approach, then the pilot must have, within the immediately preceding 90 days, carried out at least 1 night circling approach in an approved flight simulator or an aircraft of the same type.
If the flight to which the exemption applies includes an approach without a serviceable electronic or visual slope guidance system, then the pilot must have, within the immediately preceding 180 days, carried out at least 1 night approach without using an electronic or visual slope guidance system in an approved flight simulator or an aircraft of the same type.
Any flight to which the exemption applies may be conducted only to an aerodrome that is a certified aerodrome and has an authorised instrument approach procedure for night operations.
Any flight to which the exemption applies may be conducted only by an operator that has a current CASA approved training and checking organisation and that also has a current CASA approval as the user of a flight simulator representative of the aircraft type.
The conditions in the instrument are largely consistent with and, in some cases, may be additional to, the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Joint Aviation Regulations.
The exemption would allow the operator to rely on flight simulators to meet the recency requirements and would also allow the operator to rely on normal line flying and on its training and checking organisation, instead of requiring the pilot to undergo special flight tests as may be required by CASA. The tests and procedures in the training and checking organisation require approval by CASA.
Legislative Instruments Act
Under subparagraph 6 (d) (i) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 (the LIA), an instrument is a legislative instrument for section 5 of the LIA if it is declared to be a disallowable instrument under legislation in force before the commencement of the LIA. The instrument is, therefore, a legislative instrument and it is subject to tabling and disallowance in the Parliament under sections 38 and 42 of the LIA.
Consultation
Consultation within the aviation industry as a whole has not taken place. The exemption is in a form consistent with and, in some cases, may be additional to ICAO and European standards. Any operator whose procedures and training and checking organisation is considered by CASA to make satisfactory provision for testing and training pilots for night flying operations would be granted an equivalent exemption.
The exemption commences on the day after it is registered and stops having effect at the end of 31 October 2012.
The exemption has been made by the Director of Aviation Safety, on behalf of CASA, in accordance with subsection 73 (2) of the Act.
[Instrument number CASA EX84/10]