This recommendation resulted from a study into violations of
controlled airspace.
Analysis
From 1 January 1993 to 31 December 1996, 112 occurrences of pilots
being unsure of their position or lost were reported to the Bureau.
Of these 112 occurrences, 24, or almost one-quarter, resulted in a
VCA.
In January 1996, the Bureau released the report Flying Training in
Australia (Bureau of Air Safety Investigation 1996). The report
found that for the period 1987-1991, most incidents (78%) involved
either poor navigation techniques or improper in-flight procedures
which led to the pilot becoming lost or unsure of position. In some
instances the pilot then penetrated controlled airspace without a
clearance.
The current study has indicated that navigational difficulty is
the most common factor leading to VCAs.
Civil Aviation Regulation Part V, 5.84, which lays down the
current training requirement for the PPL (aeroplane), requires the
pilot, amongst other things, to have completed 5 hours of
cross-country flight time as pilot in command.
Section 3.17 of the Day VFR Syllabus - Aeroplane, provides general
guidance and standards for navigation training. Apart from fuel
management, the navigation training requires the student to reach a
private pilot licence standard where he/she can consistently
demonstrate proficiency in conducting the exercise and is deemed
fit to operated without supervision.
There is scope for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to provide
more guidance either in the syllabus or the regulations regarding
basic navigational abilities to be attained by the student.
Increased emphasis should be placed on navigation training in the
vicinity of controlled airspace including operations into
controlled airspace. This would help to ensure that student pilots
obtain the proper training.
The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation recommends that the Civil
Aviation Safety Authority require greater emphasis to be placed on
the navigation training in the vicinity of controlled airspace and
the procedures for entry into controlled airspace.
CASA is working in conjunction with Australian National Training
Authority (ANTA) to produce a set of competency based standards for
the Private (PPL) and Commercial (CPL) aeroplane licences. This is
a major project involving substantial industry consultation and
expenditure. The project is expected to be complete and the new
standards available to the aviation industry by February 1999.
All elements of flying skill identified as essential to safely
exercise the privileges of a PPL or CPL will be addressed in the
competency based standards. The criteria required to objectively
assess whether a candidate has met the required standard of
performance for each element will be listed. As far as CASA is
aware, Australia will be the first country to have such a set of
standards for aviation. Improved and consistent standards of
training and testing across the entire flying training industry is
the expected outcome.
Included in the standards are the essential elements and
performance criteria applicable to basic navigation, including
operations into and near controlled airspace. A draft copy of the
standards relating to these elements is attached. CASA considers
that these standards will provide the additional syllabus guidance
recommended by BASI and lead to an improved standard of pilot
performance in these areas.
Because the standards will be comprehensive and objective, it is
not considered necessary to increase the minimum hours devoted to
navigation training. Mandating increased training hours does not
necessarily increase competency and is inconsistent with CASA's
policy of less prescriptive regulation. Detailed and objective
standards will, however, assist all involved in the training and
testing process (including the trainee) to ensure that a safe
standard is achieved.
