Audit & Compliance

Is your Flight Training School compliant with RAAus requirements? Non-compliances may lead to significant impacts for your flight training operations including insurance implications, suspension of aircraft or ratings and approvals, and in the event of an accident, may lead to litigation.

The following are common areas of non-compliance identified within RAAus Flight Training Schools:

1. Student Training Records

Student training records are arguably one of the most important records maintained by a Flight Training School. Not only are these used for instructors to confirm student progress, but they are also an important resource during the audit of a flight training school to ensure compliance with RAAus training requirements.

It is essential that RAAus Flight Training Schools ensure that student training records demonstrate student competency with all RAAus syllabus of flight training requirements.

Student training records may also be reviewed in the event of a serious or fatal accident involving a current or former student. Serious legal action may be taken against a flight training school of CFI in the event that student training records do not confirm the required competency standards were met for all elements of the syllabus of flight training on at least two occasions.

Areas for review and common non-compliance within student training records include:

Failure to record competency on all areas contained within the syllabus of flight training
Failure to record competency codes against each element
Failure to confirm student competency to the correct standard for each element on at least two occasions
Insufficient comments to identify areas for improvement and resolution of areas of improvement

2. Service Bulletins

Service bulletins are mandatory and must be completed for all RAAus aircraft. Service bulletins often relate to safety critical maintenance actions that are required to be performed, as specified from the manufacturer.

Failure to conduct mandatory service bulletins may result in immediate suspension of an RAAus aircraft as incomplete service bulletins may result in an immediate threat to aviation safety.

In a number of occasions there is some confusion over who is responsible for ensuring that maintenance tasks are completed for Flight Training School aircraft. The aircraft owner is ultimately responsible for ensuring aircraft compliance, however, when a Flight Training School does not own the aircraft, a maintenance controller may be nominated using Tech Form 003.

CFIs have a duty of care to ensure that all Flight Training School aircraft are compliant prior to flight.

3. Instrument & Transponder Calibration

RAAus aircraft require calibration of pitot-static instruments and transponders every 24 months. Transponder calibration must be completed by an appropriately qualified person and if an aircraft is fitted with a transponder it MUST be calibrated and switched on during every flight, even if operating in airspace which does not require transponder fitment.

Transponder and instrument calibration is often overlooked and found to be non-compliant during audits of RAAus aircraft and may result in suspension of the aircraft.

For more information on instrument and transponder calibration - see our safety article from week 2 of National Safety Month

4. Membership, Ratings, Medical and Registration

Member and aircraft compliance must be confirmed prior to each and every flight. Non-compliance may result in insurance implications and other unintended consequences.

Flight Training Schools must ensure they have a processes to confirm the following:

Students hold a temporary membership prior to the conduct of initial flight training.
Students hold a flying membership prior to 3.0 hours flight time.
Instructor proficiency checks are completed at 3, 12, or 24 months (as required).
Instructor medicals are valid and sent to RAAus prior to flight.
Instructors hold current membership with RAAus
All aircraft hold current registration prior to flight.

RAAus recommends that all Flight Training Schools review the Syllabus of Flight Training and RAAus Flight Operations Manual to confirm compliance with RAAus requirements.

RAAus has created an FTS Safety & Compliance Checklist for FTSs to conduct an internal audit of their compliance requirements. Click here to view.

BACK TO WEEK 3 OF NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH