The following is a report from COPA Board of
Director Frank Hofmann who participated as IAOPA’s representative at ICAO.
The FCLTP met for a second time May 12-23, to review licensing and training
standards found in Annexes 1 and 6.
IAOPA asked for, and was fortunate to be granted, member status on this panel
since most Panel members were individuals responsible for their State’s
licensing system.
The Panel was divided into three working groups - A, B and C. IAOPA was
represented on groups B and C, although in this last meeting IAOPA’s
representative Frank Hofmann had time to participate only for the group B
sessions.
o Working Group A met to discuss proposed requirements for the approval of
training organizations. It also reviewed the issuance of class and type ratings
and the crediting of hours towards a higher licence.
o Working Group B continued to review current flight crew licence requirements
of Annex 1.
o Working Group C is developing a set of competency based Standards for a new ab
initio multi-crew commercial pilot licence (to be named MPL). This group is also
determining the optimum use of instructional devices for developing and
maintaining competency. All three working groups are reviewing the adequacy of
existing ICAO guidance documents.
Working Group B’s major pre-occupations concerned the maintenance of Competency
and Recency suggested in Annex 1. The current situation worldwide is that there
is great variance in how maintenance of competency is demonstrated through
recency of experience.
Requirements range from flying times of 12 hours/year to no set minimum
hours/year. The regulators in the group favoured a minimum hour requirement with
a demonstration of competence by flight testing.
This approach, based on no evidence of how these times were derived, was
unacceptable to IAOPA. Strong reservations were expressed with this approach.
Ultimately an IAOPA recommendation was accepted by the group.
IAOPA proposed that ICAO adopt a Recommendation. In ICAO parlance the meaning of
a “Recommendation” is that States have a choice in adopting - they do not have
to file a ‘difference’ from an international standard.
o IAOPA’s recommendation read: “Recommendation: Maintenance of competency and
recent experience requirements shall be established for pilot licences and
ratings based on a systematic approach to accident prevention and should include
a risk assessment process and analysis of the accident and incident data
appropriate to that State.”
The effect of this proposal is that States are encouraged to first gather
statistics and only upon analysis of data related to the role recency played in
accidents should the State develop requirements to minimize risks. In an
additional note States are given examples of alternate methods (to a flight
test) of compliance.
o At IAOPA’s suggestion, the group also drafted a policy stating that a pilot
licence suffice as proof of competency so that a pilot’s logbook not be required
as proof of competence since logbooks are not usually carried on board general
aviation aircraft flying internationally.
Working Group C developed a set of 17 core competencies which crew members for
the Airline Right Hand Seat qualifications must meet to obtain Commercial Pilot
level competency in a multi-crew cockpit environment.
These competencies are divided into three disciplines: Technical Domain,
Procedural Domain and Interpersonal Domain. The recommendation at this point is
that a pilot so qualified may not act as pilot-in-command of a single crew
airplane.
The airlines are strongly interested in this licence, claiming that someone
trained in the traditional single pilot piston environment is likely not as
readily adaptable to the multi-crew turbine environment in which the airlines
operate.
Indeed, one proposal suggests that such a pilot may do all of his training on a
simulator - no actual flying. The method by which a crew-member may gain
unrestricted ATPL privileges, having been totally trained for multi-crew
aircraft operation, is still under review.
The Panel of the whole will meet Dec. 8-19, 2003, in Montreal to consider all
its proposals for change, to be submitted to the Air Navigation Commission for
approval.