AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2012 - I1

Is the pendulum swinging our way?
By Craig Spence, Acting Secretary General The swinging pendulum is used to describe the cyclical nature that you see in many aspects of aviation—from activity levels to aircraft sales. And, as many of you know, things these past few years have not been very good—but the pendulum appears to be swinging towards the positive. One aspect that can have a greater impact on the health of general aviation than any other factor is the level of regulation placed on the industry. Whether you are an ATPL with tens of thousands of hours flying for the airlines, or a weekend VFR pilot flying purely for pleasure, regulations and their resulting costs can influence how, when, and why you fly. The good news is that many of the key regulators are beginning to pay attention to what AOPA affiliates around the world have been saying for years, that over-regulation is killing the industry. There are three initiatives currently underway that offer promise to reduce some of the overregulation that has nearly killed general aviation in many places over the past several years. The FAA is undertaking the Part 23 Advisory Rulemaking Committee, EASA has begun to look at its requirements for Part M, and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia has created a task force to look at how it regulates the general aviation industry. The first two initiatives offer the potential to significantly reduce the cost of certifying new aircraft and maintaining those that are currently flying. The task force being formed by CASA offers great promise as it looks into every regulatory roadblock and tries to find alternative ways to achieve the same level of safety with less regulatory burden. The terms of reference for the document state the following: Background and purpose 1.1 In recognition of the significant changes and challenges facing what is broadly recognized as the general aviation (GA) sector in Australia, today and in the future, the director of aviation safety (DAS) decided to establish a general aviation task force (GATF) to review regulatory issues affecting activities and participants within the general aviation sector. 1.2 The task force will look at various aspects of existing and proposed legislation, and the activities regulated by that legislation, canvassing the views of industry representatives and participants with the intention of gathering fresh perspectives from those most directly involved (or likely to be involved) in the regulated activities under review. 1.3 The task force will liaise closely with relevant standard-setting, oversight, technical, and operational areas within CASA, to help ensure the work and work products of those areas are fully informed by, and meaningfully responsive to, the legitimate needs, interests and expectations of all relevant stakeholders in the GA sector. 1.4 The GATF’s engagement with the industry is intended to complement and supplement CASA’s existing consultative and outreach mechanisms, not to supplant or supersede those activities. I had the pleasure to sit down with three members of the task force while in Oshkosh for AirVenture and I am truly excited about the possibilities of this task force. Continuing to drive home to our local regulators how important this type of an initiative is to the survival of general aviation remains a priority for IAOPA affiliates. Like most other countries, many regulatory challenges remain in Australia and it is too early to celebrate a victory, but I do believe that we are beginning to see signs that the pendulum is starting to swing the other way.

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OCTOBER 2012

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2012