SAFA Skysailor Magazine

4 SKY SAILOR September | October 2022 Part 149 Exposition In this edition of SkySailor, SAFA Safety Man- agement Officer Iain Clarke has penned a plain English article explaining the whys, whats and hows of our journey to become an Approved Self-Administering Organisation under Part 149. As previously advised, it’s a significant undertaking comprising many lengthy doc- uments, but it’s also a ‘stay in business’ issue for SAFA because we must meet our obli- gations by 2 December under the new aviation regulatory regime to remain legally able to fly. We are on track to complete our process in early October. The Board will meet at our Melbourne office over the weekend of 10 and 11 September to conduct an in-depth review/assessment of our submission and to ensure we remain on schedule to meet our internal October deadline. I encourage members to read Iain’s article, and if anyone has any questions, please contact us here . Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) This technology significantly improves safety for all aviators by allowing aircraft to be tracked by air traffic controllers and other pilots without the need for conventional radar. There has been some member interest in the ADS-B, driven in part by publicity around a Federal Government Grant Program to facilitate the purchase of the relevant tech- nology. However, the eligibility requirements for the Grant Program apply only to owners of Australian-registered aircraft flying VFR. Whilst some of our SAFA aircraft may meet the eligibility requirements under the program, it does not apply to our regular hang gliders and paragliders. SAFA Operations staff wrote to the relevant Federal Government department, who confirmed this. However, the department also acknowledged that it’s common for programs such as this to undergo mid-term reviews, and assurance has been given that our submission will be considered if/when such a review occurs. The department has also acknowledged the advantages ADS-B technology offers our members, regardless of whether they are flying registered aircraft or not. SAFA will keep members informed of any developments as they occur. The following links may be helpful for anyone interested in obtaining further information about the technology. • • Video about Automatic Dependent Surveillance • • Resource kit about CNS/ATM SSO/SO First Aid Certificates We are a sport that relies heavily on vol- unteers in various areas. With a new flying season about to begin, our Senior Safety Officers and Safety Officers will again be in great demand. SAFA is acutely aware of the increasing demands placed on this group of members and is actively considering ways to improve the recruitment and retention of these key volunteers. The current appointment process requires the gaining and renewing of an appropriate First Aid Certificate (FAC). This is written into our Operations Manual documents, so it cannot be changed without approval from CASA. However, as part of our Part 149 Expo- sition, we will be requesting some changes as President’s Update by Paul Green