SAFA Skysailor Magazine

4 SKY SAILOR July | August 2021 On the Cover Paragliding State of Origin, Easter 2021 at Manilla, NSW Credits Cover Photo: Melissa Pemberton Editor/Design: Gneist Design Web Conversion: iSonic Notice to Readers & Contributors This is a publication by the Sports Aviation Federation of Australia. Contributions are welcome. Articles, photos and illustrations are all accepted, although the editor and the SAFA Board reserve the right to edit or delete contributions where necessary. Materials of unknown origin won’t be published. All contributions should be accompanied by the contributor’s name, address and membership number for verification purposes. Articles, News & Calendar Entries: Submit to the Editor by email as Word or text files, photos can be shared via online clients or emailed as high quality JPGs. Photos require captions and photographer names for identification. Classifieds, Club Executive & Member Updates: SAFA members can submit equipment classifieds and changes of member details to SAFA at office@safa.asn.au . Visit the Classifieds section for more information. Official publication of the Sports Aviation Federation of Australia Display Advertising: Commercial display adverts can be booked via the SAFA member site , email the Editor for specifications. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the SAFA nor the Editor’s. They are strictly the views of the author. Copyright in this publication is vested in the SAFA. Copyright in articles and other contributions is vested in each of the authors/ photographers in respect of their contribution. SkySailor Editorial Contributions Contact points for SAFA members submitting to SkySailor are the SAFA Editor/Designer and the SAFA Office. These contacts should be used according to the directions below. Editor & Graphic Design SAFA Office & Sales Suzy Gneist Ph: 03 9336 7155 Ph: 07 5445 7796 Fax: 03 9336 7177 skysailor@safa.asn.au office@safa.asn.au Postal: 57 Alice Dixon Drive, www.safa.asn.au Flaxton QLD 4560 Unit 21/54 Commercial Place, Keilor East VIC 3033 SAFA Web Contributions Club News CC: skysailor@safa.asn.au Comp News CC: skysailor@safa.asn.au Airwaves SkySailor The Sports Aviation Federation of Australia (SAFA) is a member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) t hrough the Air Sport Australia Confederation (ASAC) . President’s Update by Paul Green Transition to Part 149 Update Members will be aware that significant changes are occurring to the regulatory framework for aviation in Australia. SAFA, along with a number of other organisations, operate by way of exemptions to the Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs). SAFA’s exemptions are contained in Civil Aviation Orders (CAOs) 95.8, 95.10 and 95.32. This arrangement makes for an overly complex and overly prescriptive reg- ulatory environment. Also, the exemptions focus mostly on individuals and not the organisation and at times it has proven difficult for CASA to take appropriate action against errant individuals who have been exempted from certain regulatory applications. The Part 149 reform will place greater regulatory focus on the functions and responsibilities of organisations – the regulatory focus on exemptions is changing to a focus on safety outcomes. As a result, CAOs are being dispensed with whilst the CARs are being phased out and replaced by Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASRs). This is resulting in significant re-writes of the rules as we have known them. The new CASRs are referred to as ‘Parts’ and this arrangement brings Australia into line with other countries around the world. Part 149 applies specifically to self-administering aviation organisations such as SAFA. Essentially, the new regulatory regime will provide a much stronger legal framework for the supervision and enforcement of aviation regulation within Australia. SAFA will become an approved self-administering organisation (ASAO) once the regulator is assured that we have the functional capability, management processes, policies and procedures in place to meet CASA regulatory requirements. The approval process occurs through what is called an exposition, which entails a rigorous review of all aspects of SAFA’s organisation. Once approved, SAFA will have a more prominent role in the management, supervision and enforcement of Australian aviation regulations, as they apply to our disciplines, supported by a legal framework commensurate with our increased responsibilities. We will also be more accountable for the way our organisation functions. The work being done to prepare our exposition is continuing to modernise our organisation and this will increasingly benefit all members, as well as facilitate a seamless transition to the new regime without disruption to our flying. In order to meet CASA requirements, a huge amount of work has gone into writing/rewriting most SAFA documents which will result in some very noticeable efficiencies. In this regard, our staff and Board volunteers have worked tirelessly to ensure we are in position to meet the new regulatory environment by year’s end and