Proposed amendments to Schedule 3 of Part 61 Manual of Standards to support implementation of the Flight Operations Regulations and to ensure it is fit for purpose- (CD 2110FS)

Overview

Part 91 of CASR and the associated flight operations rules, will introduce some change to what pilots and operators need to know or do during the application of the privileges of their authorisations. As a result, we propose to amend the Schedule 3 standards.

The proposed amendments will ensure:

• harmonisation with the new Part 91 and associated flight operations rules
• aeronautical knowledge content of Schedule 3 will be fit for purpose for developing syllabuses for courses of training, and content for the various FCL exams
• CASA exam question bank will contain, and develop, contemporary and relevant questions appropriate for each subject, and deliver accurate knowledge deficiency reports.

Principal changes

The primary purpose of the review and amendment to Schedule 3 is to align content and vocabulary with Part 91 and associated flight operations rules.

Concurrent amendments include:

• editorial changes to make elements associated with the helicopter units more relevant to that aircraft category
• improvements to support Schedule 2 practical competencies and underpinning knowledge currently examined for the issue of licences, ratings and endorsements
• action words added to many of the schedule’s unit elements which articulate the level to which the knowledge in the standard must be demonstrated on completion of a course of training, essential for the document to be regarded as an authoritative competency standard
• correction of grammar and formatting errors.

Previous consultations

Following extensive consultation with the aviation community from 2011, the general operating and flight rules package was published for public review as CD 1511OS - Part 91 of CASR and associated MOS for general operating and flight rules in August 2015. We published a further consultation draft of the proposed Part 91 of CASR and its associated Manual of Standards (MOS) for general operating and flight rules on our Consultation Hub in March 2018 with summary of consultation published in August 2018. Feedback on Part 91 of CASR from previous consultations in 2011 and 2015 was considered and incorporated into the 2018 consultation drafts.

A Flight Operations Regulations Implementation Technical Working Group (TWG) was established by the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) in June 2021.  The TWG has provided current, relevant technical expertise, feedback and recommendations to CASA (and ASAP, where relevant) on implementation activities for the benefit of industry.

The proposed changes to Part 61 MOS Schedule 3 are consequential to the implementation of the flight operations rules.

Why your views matter

We recognise the valuable contribution consultations make to the policy decision-making process and future regulatory change. We are consulting to ensure that the proposed amendments to Part 61 MOS, Schedule 3 accurately and practically reflect the new rule set and will work in practice as intended.

This consultation seeks feedback on the proposed amendments to Part 61 MOS, Schedule 3. Although Schedule 3 is most relevant to aspiring pilots, training organisations, course developers and examination writers, comments are sought from every sector of the community. This includes the general public, government agencies and all sectors of the aviation industry.

The survey below has been designed to give you the option to provide feedback on the policy topics applicable to you.

Your feedback will make a valuable contribution to our standards development and making process and help to inform any future regulatory change.  Comments should be submitted through the online response form.

Documents for review

All documents related to this consultation are attached in the ‘related’ section at the bottom of the page. They are:

• Summary of proposed change on CD 2110FS, which provides background on the proposed standards
• Consultation Draft – Schedule 3 Part 61 MOS - Aeronautical knowledge standards
• MS Word copy of online consultation for ease of distribution and feedback within your organisation

Note: The MS Word document is not to be used as an emailed submission, unless there are extenuating circumstances, and this form of submission has been agreed to by the consultation project lead.

Comments on the CD 2110FS and the Consultation Draft – Schedule 3 Part 61 MOS - Aeronautical knowledge standards, should be submitted through the online response form.

What happens next

At the end of the response period for public comment, we will review each comment and submission received. We will make all submissions publicly available on the CASA website, unless you request your submission remain confidential. We will also publish a Summary of Consultation which summarises the feedback received, outlines any intended changes and details our plans for the regulations.

All comments on the Consultation Draft - Schedule 3 Part 61 MOS - Aeronautical knowledge standards, will be considered. Relevant feedback that improves upon the proposed regulations and is consistent with the regulations and other CASA policy, will be incorporated into the final making. The feedback we receive from this consultation will also assist us in confirming adequate implementation and transition timeframes.

While the Schedule 3 amendment should come into effect with the flight operations regulations, transition will be defined by the rate at which new exam questions are seeded into the flight crew licence exam suite. A phased approach is proposed by the Flight Crew Licensing - Aeronautical Knowledge Exams consultative group over several months.

Post-implementation review

We will monitor and review the amended standards during the transition phase and on an ongoing basis.