New ways to ensure Australian pilots are fit to fly

Reforming an aviation system that has been in place for decades is no easy feat.

Reforming an aviation system that has been in place for decades is no easy feat, particularly one that is considered among the safest in the world. It takes time to get it right, and it takes time to implement. If we are to facilitate rather than impede growth in the industry we also have to be able to adapt to our environment and accept feedback from industry.

Aviation medicine is one of those areas that touches on almost all of the industry, from general aviation pilots, through to commercial pilots, student pilots and all of the organisations they work for. Making improvements to this system is one way that we can make general aviation — which includes private flying and training — as accessible as possible, while at the same time maintaining safety standards.

The travelling public has an expectation that pilots are fit to fly. Aviation medicine regulations aim to do exactly that — keep ­pilots, aircrew, passengers and the public safe. That’s why, about a year ago, we released a discussion paper on aviation medical certification standards.

The responses have been considered and analysed to help us come up with a policy position that I believe is proportional to the risks.

Every day on our roads, commercial bus drivers transport people across our cities, towns and country. Their fitness to do this is assessed by their regular doctor using a standard known as the Austroads standard.

Some might argue that flying a plane offers a different level of risk to that of a commercial truck or bus driving. That is certainly the case for commercial pilots, flying hundreds of people every day.

But what about pilots of small general aviation aircraft?

We want to allow pilots of small general aviation aircraft to fly privately after a medical examination by their regular doctor using the Austroads standard, and within an agreed set of conditions. If the pilot meets the fitness standards, their GP will be able to issue the certificate on the spot.

Some countries have moved to self-certification, where pilots assess their own fitness to fly. We have chosen the Austroads standard and GP certification because, after extensive consultation, we concluded that it would be a simpler, fairer and less expensive system. We also think it makes sense to leverage an existing network of experts rather than set up new training courses and materials that would be needed for pilots to reliably certify themselves.

A further important change is to another of our medical certification standards, known as the full class 2 medical certificate. We propose to allow a change in this category to include commercial operations where no passengers are involved — such as aerial agriculture flights or flight instruction where a student pilot is already capable of safely completing a flight.

The ability to rely on Class 2 medicals will open a new opportunity for professional pilots no longer involved in passenger transport — the most experienced pilots flying — to continue their careers in flight instruction. These are pilots that don’t necessarily need to continue to meet the standard for flying an A380 commercially. Their niche is likely to be advanced training, in which they will be able to pass on their expertise to pilots already qualified in basic flying, and they will be able to do this without intensive and intrusive specialised medical inspections.

Overwhelmingly, responses to our discussion paper reminded us to trust the medical profession, and its collective experience, to judge the fitness of pilots.

We want to move quickly on these reforms and we need to continue to monitor and review so that we can adjust to new or changing hazards. That’s the nature of aviation.

Our new streamlined consultation structures and processes are helping us move quickly. The Aviation Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) set up earlier this year, is providing objective, high-level advice on current, emerging and potential issues. It provides one voice that we can consult. The alternative of large groups with many competing voices, and sometimes contradictory viewpoints, simply wasn’t effective. We now have an orderly consultation process that is proving its worth.

I am very proud to lead such a professional and safety focused organisation. During 2018, my intent is to clear the air and resolve some long standing issues including the management of fatigue in aviation and our operations ­regulations suite. Our new consultation arrangements and supporting technical working groups should ensure we focus our attention on the big issues.

Shane Carmody is the chief executive and director of aviation safety at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.