Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority has established a new Flight Training and Testing Office at Sydney Bankstown airport as part of its programme to standardise the country's flying training industry.
The new office is one of a number of initiatives announced earlier this year following concerns that flying training standards in the country have slipped. The office will improve the standards of flight testing and approved testing officers across Australia, says CASA.
The authority has appointed five fixed-wing examiners to form the core of the office, while the first round of initial issue flight-instructor rating tests have already been conducted.
In addition, a Flight Training and Approved Testing Officer Management Programme is being implemented. This will provide professional development support for approved testing officers. Seventeen two-day professional development programmes are being held across the country over the next 10 months. The first has already taken place in Sydney.
The Flight Training and Testing Office also plans to refine entry control processes for approved testing officers and conduct comprehensive surveillance of approved testing officer activity, says CASA.
Source: Flight International
