Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) in Australia – Continuous Operation Under ICAO Remission Factor The Safety Bulletin, issued by AusALPA, addresses concerns over inadequate Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) at Australian international airports due to Airservices Australia's application of the ICAO Remission Factor during COVID-19. It stresses the need to maintain ICAO-mandated ARFFS levels, citing safety risks such as compromised emergency response. Recommendations include risk assessments, crew briefings, vigilance, and reporting. AusALPA calls for stakeholder collaboration to ensure proper Remission Factor use and safety protocol adherence, aiming to safeguard passengers, crews, and aircraft. Read more>> April 24, 2024
Operations in Australian Traffic Information Broadcasts by Aircraft (TIBA) Airspace The Safety Bulletin 24SAB02, issued by AusALPA, informs pilots globally about the activation of Traffic Information Broadcasts by Aircraft (TIBA) airspace in Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on Air Traffic Services (ATS). It emphasises pilots' responsibility for their safety in Class A, C, D, or E airspace without ATC services and raises concerns regarding the lack of standardised procedures and training for TIBA operations. The Bulletin advises pilots to avoid TIBA airspace when possible, collaborate closely with operators to minimise risks during transit, and submit safety reports for operations within TIBA airspace. Additionally, it provides examples of TIBA/TRA activation NOTAMs and contact information for inquiries, stressing the need for collaborative efforts to uphold flight safety standards in TIBA airspace amidst ATS unavailability. Read more>> April 15, 2024
Fatigue Management of Workload in Helicopter Operations This AusALPA Position Paper articulates the issues associated with an erroneous definition that causes one of the four scientific principles to effectively become unregulated for helicopter operations. The paper outlines the various reasons for this, the consequences of this and the reforms that should happen in order to rectify the issues. It is AusALPA's position that the current FCM fatigue management regulations require reform to rectify the absence of fatigue risk management of workload in rotary wing operations. We're seeking CASA to reestablish a fatigue management working group process and consultation that includes this topic area. Read more>> October 31, 2023
Sick Leave & Fatigue Data This AusALPA Position Paper articulates the issues associated with a lack of process and enabling of crew to provide fatigue data into their operator's safety system. The paper outlines the various reasons for this, the consequences of this and the reforms that should happen in order to rectify the issues. Operators have a responsibility to prevent fatigue data being disguised as sick leave by preventing the use of sick leave as being the only or most viable option for flight crew suffering unsafe fatigue levels. This must come from an understanding that this data is essential to optimise fatigue risk management outcomes. Read more>> October 31, 2023
Remote Towers AusALPA cannot support the full implementation of RTS until a safety standard equivalent to or greater than the current standard can be proven, and procedures and implementation agreed to by all stakeholders. Read more>> November 30, 2022
Management of Critical Safety Information: NOTAMs A Notice to Airman (NOTAM) is a critical piece of safety information for pilots. To achieve the intended function NOTAMs must be easily understood, easy to read, relevant and structured. At present, NOTAMs are difficult to interpret, presented in a text only ALL CAPS format, date time groups being a single non punctuated 10-digit number, have limited punctuation and littered with ambiguous abbreviations and jargon... Read more>> January 16, 2020
Wake Turbulence at Sydney Airport The ATSB has released the results of its analysis into wake turbulence events at Sydney Airport between 2012-2016. Read more>> March 7, 2019
Accepting Penetrations of the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces at Australian Airports ICAO sets the standards for Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) in Chapter 4 of Annex 14, Volume 1 Aerodrome Design and Operations. ICAO prefaces the technical specification as follows: Read more>> July 12, 2018
Stop Bars AusALPA supports the installation and operational use of stop bars at Australian airports. The runway, at all entry or exit points, should be protected by an associated stop bar to mitigate the risk of a runway incursion. There is an overriding importance on procedural consistency which is paramount to maintaining the integrity of the runway. AusALPA encourages operators, regardless of size or type of operation, to educate their pilots accordingly with regards to stop bars. Read more>> June 18, 2018
Satellite Based Augmentation System – Benefits to Aviation Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) on approach to landing is a leading source of fatal accidents worldwide. SBAS would provide a safer and more efficient operation for a considerable number of aircraft, including smaller RPT and charter, and General Aviation aircraft. Read more>> February 28, 2018