Microlighters

I have been corresponding with the CAA with a view to getting them to improve their service delivery to MPL pilots.

I have offered long and detailed explanations of why they are not doing a good job. In short I told them - "The average MPL does not believe that your organisation adequately manages microlight and light sport aviation in South Africa."

I have a meeting with them scheduled for 8 December 2008. The examples I have relate to regulatory and legislative issues re getting things like the 300hr crank matter and the topless wing matter resolved speedily. The CAA seems simply not to be available for meetings, and when they are, no preparation has been done, none of the undertakings fulfilled and so on.

I have escalated this matter and have secured a meeting with the CAA, at a high level, to address their service levels. Please offer your views on the CAA's ability to manage aviation. Do you believe that we have a partnership for safer skies with them or do you believe that MPL's would "run a mile" rather than have to deal with them?

Howdy oh great scribe in the Sky.....

Was RAASA not implemented for this? Seems a tad confusing.......

Hi Alan

After listening to the RAASA meeting in the Eastern Cape yesterday, it would almost seem that we wont have much to do with CAA from now on.

All pilot licensing 600 kg and below - will be done by RAASA
All aircraft re-newels will be done by RAASA - but not right now - that's the next step
All online exams will be done by RAASA

Initial registration and change of ownership will be done by CAA

LM

Yes, you are correct but there is more...

Certification and Mod approval will be done by CAA

Airworthiness, manufacturing,schools and accidents will be done by CAA

Why does an accident report take more than a year. Why must a widow wait so long for closure?

Why must a manufacturer wait three years for certification?

Why must pilots wait 18 months for a mod approval?

We need measurable service delivery standards.

Please send me your egs of being in the queue.

My feeling is that licensing and airworthiness are doing a good job. Certification for instance is .... If you have examples of them doing a good job please send it to me as I have none.

Fly safe

Just remember the following:

CAA is RAASA's boss!! Never forget that. CAA will oversee, and be responsible for all actions of RAASA. See them as a new department.

Regards,

Guys please don't start by looking at RAASA negatively before they even had a chance. Those guys really seem to want to make it better for us. Even though CAA might still be ultimately responsible these are players in the industry that knows what we want and has an open door for us to discuss problems and improvements. Lets give them the support they deserve and go in positively and allow them to prove themselves.

Stephan van Tonder wrote:Guys please don't start by looking at RAASA negatively before they even had a chance. Those guys really seem to want to make it better for us. Even though CAA might still be ultimately responsible these are players in the industry that knows what we want and has an open door for us to discuss problems and improvements. Lets give them the support they deserve and go in positively and allow them to prove themselves.

Stephan,

I know the statement I made on top does not sound positive, but RAASA will be an improvement on the current system. At least there is a department catering only for "microlights".

The statement above is made with regards to the fact that there still will be certain elements of microlights afairs handled be CAA. It is just a matter of each department doing his job for which he was created for.

It is all in good hands. I think that with RAASA, all pilots will be better trained, and have better knowledge of aviation when they complete their lisence. Definitely a step in the right direction.

Regards,

If things work out the way they see it going, eventually everything from licensing to aircraft ATF and registration will be done by RAASA which will hopefully be a single point of contact which will be fantastic - no dealing with CAA at all for microlights/LSA. I think they just need our support and input and seeing it will be partly funded from CAA they should not struggle to stay operational as currently that was a problem with the aero club setup. The roll out is only licenses so they have a starting point to iron out the kinks. Once that is going ATF and registration will follow.