Find out more about our fixed-wing flight training safety strategy.
We've received a lot of feedback regarding the team/intervention name and intent of the industry briefing document [PDF 1.9 MB], which was sent out to the flight training industry in December 2020. We've taken this feedback seriously and have held a series of workshops to rename the team and intervention work as Safety Strategies. Our mission is to carefully analyse all available safety information and develop strategies to help improve safety performance. This is a partnership between industry and regulator and so we thank all of you who have provided feedback to date.
Fixed-wing Flight Training Safety Strategy - industry update (May 2022) [PDF 298 KB]
Standard overhead join webpage with online presentation information launched.
To coincide with the launch of our new Good Aviation Practice (GAP) video on the standard overhead join (SOHJ), we had been planning to run a roadshow taking the video and other information to aero clubs and aerodromes across New Zealand.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 situation and keeping the health and safety of everyone in mind, we’ve made the difficult decision to move the roadshow online. This has not been done without significant consideration as we appreciate that many would welcome the opportunity to meet, discuss, and share their experiences either around the SOHJ or other matters currently affecting them. However, while each venue would have had some control over numbers present, our team would be visiting multiple locations which could facilitate further spread of COVID-19. We’re mindful of the challenges COVID-19 is already having on operators, so we are seeking to avoid further impact at this time.
We’re exploring the use of Microsoft Teams Live to roll this out. We’ll still provide an opportunity in the Teams Live for a Q+A and for you all to engage with CAA staff during the event.
Further information about the online roadshow will be available on the CAA website later this week. To be notified via email when this happens, sign up to our ‘education and events’ list(external link).
We’d like to thank the flying community for the support shown to date for this project and we look forward to a time where we can meet again in person.
We’ve been revising the Flight Instructor Guide and the standard overhead join poster.
We’ve revised all the briefings and they’re now online. We’ve refreshed the diagrams which can now be downloaded. Shortly, we'll have the instructional techniques sections reinstated from the original edition of the Flight Instructor Guide. This is designed to support the Instructional Techniques Course.
Following on from that, we'll have revised 'whiteboard layouts' available for downloading. We’ll then collate all the material for a new printed version. But first we'd like your feedback on the revision so far. Please email katrina.witney@caa.govt.nz with your comments by 30 September 2021.
The updated standard overhead join poster is available through your local aviation safety advisor.
The monitoring and inspection visits associated with the flight training safety strategy are finished. The CAA visited 15 Part 141 flight training organisations, but at this stage of the safety strategy we haven’t visited Part 61 aero clubs.
Our inspectors met senior persons of these organisations and discussed the flight training safety strategy and key focus areas. We appreciate the openness of, and engagement with, these training professionals as we all focus on shared safety outcomes. The open and frank nature of these discussions gave us valuable insight into managing safety in the flight training industry.
The inspectors focused on cross-country training, instructor experience and supervision. Common themes have been identified across the schools and this is captured in the Part 141 monitoring and inspection activity update [PDF 286 KB]. The information we collected and the themes we identified will help shape our work in the flight training sector.
Over the past few months we’ve been working with industry representatives and CAA examiners to produce this video, making sure we include all relevant points. We’ve completed filming and are now in the final stages of editing. We’re excited to share this with you all and hope to release within the next few months.
Due to uncertainty around COVID-19 alert levels, the Licensing and Standards team have decided to postpone the flight instructor seminars until early 2022. Other alternatives are being explored. Updates will be available through the CAA website, email notifications, and in Vector magazine.
We’ve been following up on occurrences reported to the CAA. So, we can review common themes occurring in the reports, as well as what you’re doing to improve safety. This analysis enables us to focus on emerging areas of risk.
One of these themes is near-miss events in the circuit. All the investigation reports we’ve received identify poor situational awareness as a contributing factor. Other contributing factors identified are poor standards of lookout, poor radio communications, a lack of preparation for cross-country flights to unfamiliar aerodromes, and incorrect circuit or joining procedures. Most events have taken place when aircraft have been joining the circuit. This information is likely to focus our future efforts on circuit procedures at unattended aerodromes.
