D C Bell to ABAA Members
BRIEF REPORT - UPDATED May 2008

Membership
38 Members at May 2008

Business Jet Aircraft in Australia
It is pleasing to report that business jet aircraft numbers in Australia have increased significantly over the past 4 years from 80 aircraft in 2004 to120 aircraft in May 2008.
These include 105 aircraft on the Australian Civil Aviation Register plus 5 x RAAF VIP and several US registered aircraft which spend considerable time in Australia.

Approximately 90 of the 120 business jet aircraft are used for private business purposes and charter. The remaining 30 aircraft are used for activities such as freight, airliner training, RAAF VIP and target towing.

Turbo Prop Business Aircraft in Australia
This segment of the industry has also grown considerably over recent years.

Business Aviation Seminar and AGM
The most recent AGM and Business Aviation Seminar were held at the Hyatt Coolum,
Queensland, 17th October 2007. 32 members and guests attended.

The presentations by CASA, Airservices Australia, FlightSafety International , QBE
Aviation and Aeromil Pacific were considered to be excellent and relevant to many of the issues currently being addressed by the ABAA as we move forward.

Alcohol and Other Drug Testing
Random alcohol and other drug testing is expected to commence in the Australian Aviation industry second half of 2008. AOC holders will be required to have a Drug and Alcohol Management Plan (DAMP) by the end of 2008. ABAA members will be able to obtain comprehensive guidance material and training from CASA which will enable them to tailor a DAMP to suit their individual operational requirements.

Safety Management Systems
A new program was announced by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) April 2008 to assist operators implement Safety Management Systems. The ABAA continues to encourage our members to implement the successful gold standard IS-BAO, but for those members who wish only to implement SMS to satisfy regulations, the new SMS Tool Kit (available later this year from IBAC) will be most welcome.

Use of Overseas Flight Simulators to Conduct Instrument Rating Renewals
Over the past 3 years the ABAA has been advocating the use of overseas flight simulators to conduct instrument rating renewals. It is therefore, pleasing to report that CASA amended CAO 40.2.1 January 2008 to allow the reissue of an Australian Instrument Rating when an Australian flight crew member undertakes a type rating and/or proficiency check with an overseas simulator training organization.

Sydney Airport Curfew
A submission to amend the list of business jet aircraft approved to operate at Sydney Airport during curfew hours was sent February 2008 to The Hon Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The proposal included recommendations to add nine new aircraft and delete three.

Unfortunately, our submission was rejected early April 2008 (Minister Albanese’s electorate is adjacent to Sydney Airport). We will arrange to brief the Minister regarding how curfew operations work, i.e.virtually no noise as arrivals and departures are on runways 34/16 over Botany Bay.

A list of all currently approved business jet aircraft permitted to operate at Sydney Airport during curfew hours is available from the Executive Director.

Fingerprinting Service for Air Crews Training in USA
The ABAA is pleased to advise that fingerprinting has been available in Australia since mid 2007 for pilots and crew members who plan to attend USA Flight School and Simulator Training. Arrangements were made by the ABAA for Ms Toni Remedios of Sydney to be trained and then approved by the USA National Air Transport Association to collect and process fingerprints needed to comply with USA security requirements introduced in 2002.

This service has been made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Inkless Fingerprinting Equipment by FlightSafety International, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. FlightSafety International is a member of the ABAA. So far in excess of 40 persons
have been processed.

Transition to Satellite Technology for Navigation and Surveillance
The ABAA made a submission late 2007 to the Joint Consultation Paper issued by DOTARS, CASA and Defence Dept.regarding the introduction of ADS-B and GNSS.
A summary of the ABAA submission follows:

“The ABAA is generally supportive of the proposals which would ultimately provide
5 nm separation over the entire continent of Australia, although our members have reservations that the new system may be introduced a little too quickly.

Also, the question of cost is important to our members. The current proposal is, we believe, for a Federal Government subsidy for fitment of the required avionics only in aircraft up to 5,700kgs. - approximately $10,000 for VFR aircraft and $15,000 for IFR aircraft.

The FAA has advised that the cost for more sophisticated systems for business jets could be in excess of US$50,000. We would therefore ask for the subsidy to be extended and increased for business jets and turbo prop business aircraft.”

CASA Standards Consultative Committee
The ABAA is represented on the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Standards Consultative Committee by the Executive Director who attends the meetings each 4 months. CASA has been carrying out a major review of Australian Aviation Regulations for the last 6 years and the ABAA has actively participated since mid 2003.

CASR Part 135
A unilateral decision was made by the CASA CEO mid 2007 that the split between
CASR Part 135 and 121 would be at 9 seats, i.e. that CASR Part 121 would cover aircraft
certified to carry 10 passengers or more. Working Groups consisting of both CASA and
Industry personnel have since been formed to review these CASRs. The ABAA is
represented on the Part 135 team.

Fatigue Risk Management Systems
The ABAA is represented on the CASA FRMS Project team which is currently reviewing CAO 48. The required outcome will be a scientifically based and defensible set of flight and duty times which also reflect the needs of the various sectors of the industry.

Security at Regional Airports
Security problems for business aircraft operating at several Regional Airports around Australia have been raised by some ABAA members. Problems arise when a business aircraft arrives or departs within 30 minutes either side of an airliner’s arrival or departure. The business aircraft passengers and crew are then required to be processed through the terminal security screening facility. This results in extra costs and delays.

These issues were the subject of a letter from the ABAA to the Office of Transport Security in Canberra in February 2008. We have since been advised that a Sceening Taskforce has been set up by the Office of Transport Security and the ABAA expects to receive an invitation to present our views in July 2008.

General Aviation Industry Action Agenda/Aviation White Paper
The GA Action Agenda established by the Howard Liberal Govt. has been scrapped. The Rudd Labour Govt. has instead, released an Aviation Issues Paper, which will lead to an Aviation White Paper designed to provide a national industry policy structure. The ABAA intends to provide a submission late June 2008.

Cape Town Convention
The Dept.of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development issued a consultation paper in April 2008 advising that Australia is considering ratification of the Cape Town Convention which came into force March 2006. Supporters of the Convention claim it will lower the cost of aircraft financing by reducing the uncertainty faced by creditors. The response of the ABAA May 2008 was one of caution as it appears the average cost of about US$2,500 per aircraft and potential delays in transfer of ownership will outweigh any potential benefits.

David C Bell