HISTORIC AIRCRAFT STAKEHOLDERS CONFERENCE 18th FEBRUARY 2015

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HISTORIC AIRCRAFT STAKEHOLDERS CONFERENCE 18th FEBRUARY 2015

10am MARSHALL AUDITORIUM – AIRSPACE CONFERENCE CENTRE – DUXFORD
“2015 – THE YEAR FOR DELEGATED AUTHORITY AND SELF-ADMIN?”

Free Coffee from 9.30am – 1 hour Lunch Break approx 12.30

INTRODUCTION

In February 2014 the Conference addressed the main issues concerning ‘Annex II’ aircraft operators. The HAA made the bold announcement that it was prepared to accept responsibility for administration of the industry should the CAA grant delegated authority to carry out oversight on behalf of the Authority.

Considerable progress has been made during the past 12 months with the HAA presenting to the newly formed CAA General Aviation Unit a Statement of Intent to act as the Warbird and Historic Aircraft Industry administrative body. Subsequent to that Statement, the HAA presented a draft Exposition for Self-Administration that is currently under joint CAA and HAA review.

This Aircraft Stakeholders Conference on 18th February 2015 will be an opportunity to further consider the full implications of Historic Aircraft Industry Self-Administration of Warbird and ex-Military type aircraft operations and continuing airworthiness oversight.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE FEBRUARY 2014?

Since February 2014 there have been a great number of changes the most important of which have been within the CAA and how they intend to do business with the industry in the future. The Government’s Red Tape Challenge alerted the country to burdensome and costly bureaucracy that needed to be reigned in. Tory Party Chairman and Minister Without Portfolio, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, himself an aviator, focussed the Red Tape Challenge on General Aviation in 2013. The response from GA was overwhelming. The CAA recognised the urgent need for change within the GA sector, and the General Aviation Unit formed on 1st April 2014 has been working since to introduce change in response to the Red Tape Challenge.

The CAA response to the GA Red Tape Challenge has resulted in the CAA GA Unit concentrating most of its efforts to make changes as quickly as possible. The HAA meanwhile has continued to campaign for a better system of oversight and administration utilising delegated authority in the same mould as outlined in CAP 1188 ‘Let There Be Flight’. CAP 1188 states that the CAA will ‘delegate where appropriate’. The only constraints would be a lack of appetite, competence and resilience on behalf of the GA sector. The HAA has been meeting with the CAA to show that the Historic Aircraft Industry does have the appetite, and does possess the competence together with the resilience to provide administrative oversight for this sector of GA.

WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?

A series of CAA-led meetings with the HAA have begun to identify the areas for delegation of responsibilities in operations and airworthiness of warbird and ex-military Annex II aircraft. These meetings are continuing in the early part of 2015 with the aim of announcing progress made at this Stakeholders Conference on 18th February.

The HAA recently placed on the table a proposal to the CAA GA Manager that the HAA would form a Self-Administrative body to undertake delegation of responsibility for the industry. This is based on the same safety-management system as used by Warbirds Australia Limited. The proposal is a draft Exposition for Self Administration of the Historic Aircraft Industry known as the ESAM.

WHAT DO YOU WANT IN THE FUTURE?

This Conference will enable you to learn more about what the CAA and the HAA want to do to manage this industry safely with less bureaucracy, balanced oversight and at reduced cost. These three elements are vital to the long-term future of the Historic Aircraft Industry.

The 18th February will be an opportunity for you to debate the merits or otherwise of Self-Administration. There are many in the industry who already recognise the benefits. Understandably there are an equal number who feel that taking on greater responsibility for oversight and operational management of historic aircraft continuing airworthiness and safety in the air is an unnecessary additional burden. Some operators are content that providing the CAA continue to grant sufficient dispensations and concessions for their activities to carry on but with greater freedom, then there is no need for Self-Admin.

Back in 1979 the historic aircraft community realised that if it was to survive and flourish safely, it had to provide owners and those responsible for airworthiness with a safety management system from within the industry. It led to the formation of the HAA and the establishment of its Registration Committee to oversee Pilots and Engineers in the industry. It also established a Grading Committee to oversee piloting and flying operations of historic aircraft. These were in effect self-regulating responsibilities to provide safety management of operations and maintenance. These were ultimately taken over by the CAA and enshrined in special regulations to govern ex-military and historic aircraft types. If today the CAA is convinced of the HAA’s capability to safely manage the industry, the CAA could be ready to hand back to the historic aircraft industry responsibility for administrative oversight.

This industry is constantly in need of new blood to sustain it into the future. That is why we will also look at apprenticeship schemes for aircraft maintainers during this Conference, and we will also look at how pilots of the modern generation can continue to be trained in the acquisition of the particular skills needed to fly historic aircraft

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND

If you are an owner, or a person involved in operating, flying, and or maintaining an historic aircraft you should attend this Conference on the 18th February and have your say. 2015 is likely to be a year of major change in the way in which the historic aircraft industry is managed. The HAA believes it should be granted delegated authority by the CAA to manage it safely under a system of Self-Administration.

MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Full details on the Conference will follow soon including a detailed Agenda. We are inviting The RT Hon Grant Shapps to open the Conference, and we will be inviting representatives from the CAA to give us their views on changes to historic aircraft industry operations and oversight.

Happy New Year,

Captain O W (Wally) Epton FRAeS
Chairman
Historic Aircraft Association UK