16 January Management of Critical Safety Information: NOTAMs January 16, 2020 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>> Related Posts 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>> 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>> Runway Centreline Lighting AusALPA believes that the visual navigation aid of Runway Centre Line Lights (RCLL) is an underutilised runway safety risk mitigation in the Australian context. Currently some Australian aerodromes serving air transport operations with instrument (approach) runways do not have RCLL installed when recommendations exist for such installation. Read more>> 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>> 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>> 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>> Comments are closed.