AWSA News 10 October 2009

1. PROPOSED FEE INCREASE - PPL EXAMS
2. SOLO FLIGHT
___________________________________________

1. PROPOSED FEE INCREASE - PPL EXAMS

In an email to Aviation Training Organsations (ATO's) the SACAA has indicated that they will be proposing significant fee increases for the writing of PPL exams. The proposed fees are R70 per exam. The current fees are R220 for 14 exams. This represents an increase of 440%. When compared to this the Eskom proposals seem reasonable.

What is especially disappointing about this notice is that is seems to show bad faith on the part of the SACAA. When ATO's were authorised to perform on-line PPL exams in 2008 the fee was introduced at R200 per exam. There was opposition from General Aviation representative bodies and the SACAA reduced the fee to R200 for ten sittings. When the seven subject curriculum was introduced the SACAA committed at an Industry Laiason Forum meeting to continue with that fee for fourteen sittings. At the next CAA fee revision the fee was increased to R220 for fourteen sittings. It appears as if the SACAA has waited for the dust to settle on its previous commitments before proposing this large increase.

What is also disappointing is that the fee charged by the SACAA for a student to write at its Midrand premises is the same as the fee for writing at the premises of an ATO. No recognition is made for the cost saving of the SACAA and the costs incurred by the ATO when a student ATO.writes at the premises of the

__________________________________________________________________

2. SOLO FLIGHT

The SACAA has issued a notice with regards to the logging of solo hours for students.

Despite it being common sense that solo time would mean time flown by a student while being alone in an aircraft, some ATO's felt it necessary to place a "passenger" in the aircraft with the student while the student was flying "solo". They justified this on the basis of insurance requirements.

The notice makes it quiet clear that the SACAA regards this activity as illegal. The SACAA is currently investigating a number of cases in this regard.

_____________________________________________________________________