[Peetwo]

Even the Poms are walkin' the walk on PBR -   

Sandy last week, on a recently released UK CAA consultation paper on proposed changes to private pilot medical requirements:

U.K. CAA, 9th May, 'latest news' segment on their website

Quote: 

 "..Changes to private pilot medical requirements announced

Following a public consultation, 96% of those responding agreed with our proposals, which will lead to both cost and time savings for pilots and, in most cases, remove the need for GP or AME involvement..."

 
And:

"The change is supported by a study of the risks associated with GA flying, together with a review of the causes of light aircraft accidents and the likelihood of these being triggered by a pilot being medically incapacitated. The risk to third parties has been considered and the regulatory approach taken by the Federal Aviation Administration in the USA, which mirrors the UK proposal, was also reviewed.


Today's announcement is in line with the CAA's top level principles for GA regulation:

• Only regulate directly when necessary and do so proportionately
  
• Deregulate where we can
  
• Delegate where appropriate
  
• Do not gold-plate, and quickly and efficiently remove gold-plating that already exists
  
• Help create a vibrant and dynamic GA sector in the UK.
  

The consultation response document can be seen at www.caa.co.uk/cap1397."

  
Could I be forgiven for asking why we are not progressing on medicals? There is no safety case and yet CASA persists with the WW11 aviation military type medicals at enormous expense and extreme dislocation for many, especially those pilots in the outback. 

If we can't be leaders then at least we can follow sensible policies. 

Sandy

Ben Morgan quite rightly jumped all over this as yet another example of CASA's backward, costly and over prescriptive regulation of the GA industry:

Dear Ministers & Chairman,


UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
leads Australia on general aviation reform.

I would like to draw your attention to a media release issued by the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority 8th May 2016 regarding changes to private pilot medical requirements (see attached below).  With the regulator now moving to reduce the Private Pilots License medical requirements to that of an ordinary Drivers License.

Click to view UK CAA’s Media Release

The UK CAA makes clear that it has formulated its aviation policy in line with “the CAA’s top level principles for GA regulation”, which are;

- Only regulate directly when necessary and do so proportionately
- Deregulate where we can
- Delegate where appropriate
- Do not gold-plate, and quickly and efficiently remove gold-plating that already exists
- Help create a vibrant and dynamic GA sector in the UK

Australia’s leading general aviation associations and peak-bodies have been calling for aviation medical reform now for too long.  Their calls for reform totally ignored and sidelined by Australia’s safety regulator.

The UK CAA’s aviation medical policy change was supported via a process of industry engagement which involved some 1,823 industry responses, with the regulator commenting that it was “one of the highest responses we have ever had to public consultation”.
Comment response document:  UK Private Pilots License and National Pilots License Medical Requirements - CAP1397

The UK CAA makes clear that the policy change will save its general aviation industry approximately $2 million and some 10,000 hours expended by private pilots dealing with the legacy regulatory processes.

Ministers and Chairman, I implore you all to take the necessary steps to provide immediate relief to Australia’s general aviation industry by directing the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to adopt the UK CAA’s position on Private Pilot Medicals.

Give the Australian general aviation industry the tools and resources it needs to succeed.

I and the industry would appreciate a response.

Yours sincerely,

BENJAMIN MORGAN

  
And then two days ago on the same theme (i.e. private pilot medicals), this time from the US:

Third class medical reform included in defense bill
May 16, 2016 by General Aviation News Staff 6 Comments

Third class medical reform will once again go to the full Senate for a vote, this time as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

On May 13, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved the NDAA, including third class medical reform language from the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 (PBR2), by a vote of 23-to-3. The full Senate is expected to take up the measure later this month, according to officials with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.


AOPA President Mark Baker

“This is great news for general aviation,” said Mark Baker, AOPA president and CEO.

“Third class medical reform is vital to our community, and it has widespread bipartisan support. We applaud Sen. James Inhofe and the Senate Armed Services Committee for taking action to update an unreasonably cumbersome system that costs pilots millions of dollars and countless hours while doing little or nothing to improve safety.”

Inhofe (R-Okla.), who introduced PBR2 and has championed its adoption by the Senate, expressed appreciation for AOPA’s consistent support of the legislation.


Senator James Inhofe

“Including the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 in the National Defense Authorization Act demonstrates the commitment of the Senate to getting third class medical reform passed this year,” said Inhofe. “As always, I thank AOPA for all of the hard work they’ve done to make this a priority in Congress. I look forward to working with them to get this across the finish line.”

The Senate has already approved third class medical reform language from the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 (PBR2) twice in the past five months — first as standalone legislation and then as part of the Senate’s FAA reauthorization

Meanwhile in Dunce-unda land Skidmore, the Iron ring & Murky are seemingly determined to take the industry back to at least the 19th cetnury with regressive & unworkable overregulation - FDS!


MTF...P2