AOPA Australia makes submission in support of flight training industry opposing international student caps

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AOPA AUSTRALIA MAKES SUBMISSION IN SUPPORT OF FLIGHT TRAINING INDUSTRY, OPPOSING INTERNATIONAL STUDENT CAPS

Article supplied by AOPA.

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia has today submitted it’s recommendations to the Australian Government in response to the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024, which seeks impose caps on international students participating in flight training in Australia.

“AOPA Australia has called on the Australian Government to remove limit caps on the number of international students participating in flight training.” said Benjamin Morgan, CEO.

“The caps will result in a 65% reduction in flight training activity, threatening the closure of a significant number of flight training providers nationwide, damaging our industry and reputation abroad.

“Flight training is vital to the success of the aviation industry, which collectively contributes some $69billion to the Australian economy, representing 5.5% of the nations GDP.

“I thank each of the flight training and aviation education providers who have submitted letters of endorsement for our submission and recommendations.”

Click to Download the Submission in PDF Format

SUBMISSION

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia (AOPA Australia) welcomes the opportunity to lodge a submission into the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024.

Our recommendations in this submission are based on our direct aviation industry knowledge and our experience spanning 75 years, along with our direct consultation with CRICOS approved flight training providers nationwide, who have communicated their concerns and alarms in individual submissions to the Senate Inquiry.

Whilst AOPA Australia understands the desire to create a stronger strategically managed approach to migration and international student education, we urge the Government to give priority consideration to the critical role that flight training plays in support of Australia’s domestic and international aviation economies.

Likewise, we urge the government to recognise that international students participating in flight training in Australia are unique and of high-value, possessing advanced English language skills, have been subjected to rigorous academic and psychometric testing and assessment, have submitted themselves for high-level security screening, have demonstrated strong financial backing and are obligated to return to their home nation airlines following completion of their training and education to commence employment.

It is estimated that over $200million is being directly invested into Australia’s flight training and aviation industry by international students, each contributing approx. $150,000 AUD towards their training and education, their accommodation and living expenses.

AOPA Australia does not believe the amendment bill has been adequately consulted and that the government is not fully aware of the impacts (both planned and unintended) that the Amendment Bill will have on Australia’s flight training providers and subsequently our aviation industry and national economy.

AOPA Australia understands that cap limits have been calculated using data from providers for the period of 2019-2023, a time during which international and domestic COVID-19 lockdowns, travel restrictions and other limitations were in force.  As such, the international student numbers during this period were abnormally low and do not represent the anticipated demand for 2025 and beyond.

Should the Amendment Bill be introduced and cap limits set using the 2019-2023 data it will result in reducing Australia’s intake of international students for pilot training by some 65% or more and will result in provider location closures, skilled aviation job losses and significant reductions in our domestic flight training capabilities.

Such an outcome will place the government at crossed purpose, conflicting with the intent, objectives and policies of the Department of Infrastructure’s recently released ‘Aviation White Paper – Towards 2050’ that has recognised the significant pilot, flight instructor and aircraft engineer skills shortages facing the nation.

A key outcome of the Aviation White Paper is to ‘simplify the visa process for pilots and other highly skilled aviation workers to address the shortage of pilots and instructors in the GA sector and allow easier entry into the Australian labour market’.

The Amendment Bill will cause significant harm to Australia’s standing as a world class flight training provider nation, undermining many decades of aviation industry marketing and promotional investment, encouraging international pilot applicants to seek training with competitor nations.  Flight training is a highly competitive international industry, and should Australia lose it’s standing, it may take many decades to recover.

Importantly, the Amendment Bill will result in creating significant business investment uncertainty, given that there has been no direct consultation with the aviation industry and that the government appears to be forcing an outcome that will result in significant financial damage to flight training providers.

Flight training organisations operate within a highly regulated and cost-saturated environment and require significant capital investment in facilities, aircraft fleets, skilled personnel and time.  Flight training organisations rely on a carefully managed balance of both domestic and international student training to remain sustainable.  Operators cannot be expected to make the significant investments if they are exposed to the risk of government changing policy at a whim and without consideration as to the outcome.

Lastly, the Amendment Bill will create further knock-on impacts on integrated aviation suppliers such as aircraft maintenance providers, engine overhaul facilities, propellor overhaul facilities, avionics suppliers and more, should the caps force flight training provider closures.  Such outcomes will create lasting and broad damage to Australia’s domestic aviation industry capability that may take decades to recover.

SUBMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. Pause the application of cap limits on flight training providers;
  2. Undertake a thorough review of the anticipated and unintended consequences of the Amendment Bill on flight training providers and the supporting aviation industry.
  3. Undertake a thorough review of international student training numbers by all approved flight training organisations, including a review of forward-looking demand for 2025 and beyond.
  4. Form an Aviation Industry Advisory Panel comprised of relevant industry associations/peak-bodies and aviation organisations, to provide direct feedback as Subject Matter Experts to the Department and all relevant stakeholders.
  5. Align and harmonise the Amendment Bill with the intent and objectives of the Department of Infrastructure’s Aviation White Paper, to ensure the government is not at cross-purpose in meeting the critical challenges facing aviation.
  6. Align and harmonise the Amendment Bill with the objectives of Industry Skills Australia.

AOPA AUSTRALIA HOSTED ROUND-TABLE

In response to the government’s planned changes, AOPA Australia hosted an Aviation Flight Training Providers round-table on the 11th of September 2024.  Six (6) CRICOS approved Flight Training Providers were in attendance, representing a diverse cross section of providers nationwide.  Direct telephone consultation was conducted with a further five (5) providers, which echoed the responses of the round-table participants.

The purpose of the roundtable was to seek to understand the concerns of flight training providers and to understand the impacts that the government-imposed caps on their businesses and the broader aviation industry.

Summary of the roundtable and telephone consultation outcomes

  1. That no direct aviation flight training industry consultation was conducted by the Department or any other government representative. None of the Flight Training Providers were aware of any formal government working group, panel or consultative process outside of an invitation to make a submission to the Senate Inquiry, through which direct consultation could have been engaged.
  2. The group understood the government’s efforts to ensure integrity and quality of the overall system. However, the group regarded aviation flight training providers as caught up in broader challenges and problems that were not related to the performance or quality of flight training providers within the system.
  3. The group agreed that international students participating in flight training, were involved in a highly technical education process, with each student required to make considerable investment and commitments.
  4. That on receipt of written notice from the government, Flight Training Providers learned that a cap would be placed on their 2025 enrolments. The communicated cap would cut international student enrolment numbers by more than 50%, but with examples as high as 90%, whilst there was one example of no reduction.
  5. That there appeared to be no structured methodology with respect to how the cap was calculated and that the government appeared to be basing assessments on the 2019-2023 period, during which the flight training industry has not yet recovered to pre COVID-19 levels. All but one roundtable participant communicated that the caps are significantly lower than their anticipated demand for the 2025 year ahead.
  6. The majority of the roundtable participants stressed that the caps would result in significant damage to the Australian flight training industry’s global reputation and that it could take many years to recover from such an outcome.
  7. Roundtable participants detailed that their international marketing efforts involved significant financial and time investments, and that the imposed caps would make such engagement financially unsustainable.
  8. The majority of the roundtable participants reported that their flight training businesses were a mix of domestic and international students combined, with each cohort balancing the providers overall financial sustainability. Most of the roundtable participants reported that should the caps be enforced for 2025, it would result in significant negative business impacts, resulting in location closures, instructor and supporting staff layoffs and the disposal of aircraft fleets and equipment.

CRITICAL AVIATION BACKGROUND & REFERENCE INFORMATION


Aviation is a vital pillar of the national Australian economy

Aviation contributes some $69billion to the Australian economy and represents 5.5% of GDP.

Over 716,000 Australian jobs are in support of the aviation industry.

It is widely understood and has been recognised by the Australian government that demand for qualified pilots, engineers and supporting aviation personnel will outstrip our domestic supply capacity, with an anticipated 63% growth across the next 20 years.

(Reference:  https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/publications/economic-reports/australia–value-of-aviation/)

Demand for pilots outstripping supply

Post COVID-19 Australian airlines are now in significant competition to international carriers who have reached into the Australian pilot population to fill their rank, offering large incentives for Australian pilots to accept positions abroad.

The Asia Pacific region is expected to need the highest number of new pilots globally, with over 91,000 required across the next decade, placing further pressure on Australia’s domestic industry.

(Reference:  https://centreforaviation.com/analysis/reports/the-global-pilot-shortage-is-a-challenge-to-the-worlds-airlines-658033)

Flight instructor snapshot

The Australian Government reports that there are 970 flight instructors employed nationally, representing a direct investment of over $150million in training and skills acquisition.

Flight instruction is a highly skilled technical vocation that requires significant direct financial investment of over $150,000 by each qualified pilot.

On average it takes some three years to become suitably qualified as a flight instructor.

(Reference:  https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/labour-market-insights/occupations/231113-flying-instructors)

CASA approved flight training organisations

There are 419 flight training organisations that hold Civil Aviation Safety Authority approval nationwide.

(Reference:  https://www.casa.gov.au/search-centre/flight-training-operators)

CRICOS approved flight training providers

There are 50 CRICOS approved flight training providers nationwide.

Providers have reported to AOPA Australia that they expense substantial financial resources meeting the application, compliance and renewal requirements imposed by the system.

(Reference:  https://cricos.education.gov.au/Course/CourseSearch.aspx)

Department of Infrastructure:  Aviation White Paper – Towards 2050

The Australian Government released the Aviation White Paper on 26th August 2024, setting out the government’s vision for aviation towards 2050, identifying a range of key policies and initiatives that must be taken, including:

Simplifying the VISA process for pilots and other highly skilled aviation workers to address the shortage of pilots and instructors in the General Aviation sector and allow easier entry into the Australian labour market.

(Reference:  https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/awp-factsheet-regenerating-general-aviation.pdf)

Industry Skills Australia

Industry Skills Australia is a Job and Skills Council funded by the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.  ISA recognise that;

The Australian aviation industry is a crucial component of the country’s transportation infrastructure, connecting people and businesses both domestically and internationally.

Australia’s aviation sector was dramatically hit by COVID-19. By 2020, 38.5% of the industry’s workforce had been lost through early retirements or transition into more secure employment. In the post-pandemic environment, aviation has rebounded strongly with nearly 83% of COVID-19 induced stand downs being reversed.

Strong employment growth of 10.5% is forecast for the sector in the period to 2026.

(Reference:  https://www.industryskillsaustralia.org.au/our-industries/aviation)

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Student nurse Laura was told she would never walk or talk again

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Article supplied by RFDS.

On a ‘random Thursday night’ in January 2023, student nurse Laura McKenney’s life changed in an instant. As a passenger is a car that crashed near the WA town of Pingrup, Laura was thrown and then crushed by the same vehicle, as it rolled back over her. Laura was not wearing a seat belt. Earlier this year, Laura and her family visited the RFDS base at Jandokot and met the WA RFDS retrieval nurse, Lisa, who assisted Laura that night.  Nearly two years on from her accident, Laura and her older sister Emily are ready to share their family’s remarkable journey and Laura’s inspirational recovery from a severe head injury and resulting stroke. In episode #110 of the Flying Doctor podcast – with their Champion Ocean to Outback Fundraiser hats firmly in place – these WA ‘Laura’s Army’ legends are also keen to thank all the first responders and RFDS front-line staff who helped to save Laura’s life that fateful night.

Hours after her accident, Laura's family were told she may never wake up. Let alone walk or talk again.

Laura’s memories from the night of her accident remain (unsurprisingly) hazy. But she does remember that there was speed and alcohol involved. Luckily, the driver and the other passenger in the car that night walked away with only minor injuries. But after she suffered an accident-induced stroke enroute to hospital, Laura’s parents and family members – including her older sister Emily – arrived at the hospital to the news that nobody ever wants to hear. Doctors warned the family that Laura may not survive. If she did, it was unlikely she’d ever regain consciousness. If she woke up, there was very little chance she would ever walk or talk again. The 21-year-old underwent an emergency Craniotomy to relieve the pressure on her brain. But it was many more weeks until her family would start to see ‘the real Laura’ come back to them again. For Laura’s loved ones, those next few weeks in hospital – waiting for her to show any signs of comprehension or recovery – were excruciating.

Laura was a happy-go-lucky student nurse before a car crash changed her life forever.

This October, Laura and Emily and their incredible ‘Laura’s Army’ team of supporters, will once again take on the RFDS fundraising Oceans to Outback Challenge. Last year, they not only managed to raise over $21,000 for the RFDS, but incredibly, Laura herself clocked up over 30km of walking as part of the group’s marathon efforts. Not bad for a girl who was told she’d be lucky to ever walk again! But you only have to talk to Emily or any of Laura’s family members to know just what a fighter this young woman is. Every day, Laura’s hard work and determination comes shining through. And every day, this extraordinary young woman is getting stronger, faster and more focused. Laura may have her own, real-life army. But every day, she’s also conquering her own battles with courage and grace – by taking one determined step at a time.

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Operation Mitchell Plateau

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Article supplied by RFS.  It was a team effort when the RFDS was called to retrieve a woman who broke her leg hiking in one of WA’s most hard-to-reach locations.

Dr Michael spliting a leg

It started with a frantic satellite phone call from the bush. A distressed woman contacted the RFDS to say she was part of a group who’d set off from the Mitchell Plateau in the Kimberley, planning to hike to the spectacular Mitchell Falls. Another woman in the group had slipped into a deep crevice between boulders, breaking her lower leg.

Reaching her was not going to be easy. The accident happened about a two-day walk from the closest airstrip, and the location was inaccessible by road or boat.

It was established that the hiker had a “tib-fib” fracture, where both bones in the lower leg are broken;  a serious injury that needs prompt medical attention.

These breaks are very painful and need to be splinted quite quickly to ensure good blood supply and that you will be able to save the leg

Dr Michael Leith

A crew made up of Dr Michael, Retrieval Nurse Cassie Gaff and pilot Bryn James flew to the Mitchell Plateau, landing on a dirt airstrip. They piled into a tourism helicopter that had room to fit a stretcher and set out to find the injured woman. Spotting the group of hikers in the rugged landscape felt like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Hikers set up tents for visibility

“We were flying around and had to land every half hour to call her on the satellite phone because it was too loud on the helicopter to hear anything,” said Dr Michael. “The hikers tried to give us directions and co-ordinates, but unfortunately what they gave us wasn’t quite right.”

The group put up large yellow tarps to increase their visibility. Other helicopter pilots in the area were told to keep an eye out for them. The hikers were finally spotted perched on the side of a cliff.

The next challenge was finding a safe place to land the helicopter. It needed to be on the same side of the Mitchell River as the patient – the RFDS crew didn’t fancy a river-crossing in croc-infested waters. The closest place to land was about a kilometre from the patient – and the terrain was so treacherous it took an hour to reach her on foot.

When they reached the makeshift tarp tent, the hiker was in a lot of pain. Her pulse was faint and Dr Michael was concerned about a drop in blood supply to the lower part of her leg.

“Cassie and I got to work putting in intravenous lines and giving her pain relief, trying to keep her comfortable while we put her into traction and straightened her leg out,” he said. “In a hospital, patients would usually be sedated for that but it wasn’t possible in this setting and this lady was very stoic.”

Helicopter perched on Mitchell Plateau

Now faced with moving the injured woman to the helicopter, Dr Michael was assisted by his colleague Bryn, the helicopter pilot and others from the hiking group to carry the woman on a stretcher, up and down over boulders and through long, snake-infested grass.

“I could see the patient breathe a sigh of relief once we were in the air,” said Dr Michael. “We even got a nice scenic flight past Mitchell Falls on the way out which she really appreciated because she hadn’t made it to the waterfall on her walk.”

The woman was flown to Broome on the PC-12 aircraft and from there to hospital in Perth on the Rio Tinto PC-24 jet, where she underwent surgery.

The dramatic turn of events hasn’t turned the woman off hiking and she’s apparently eager to complete her Mitchell Falls adventure in the future.

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IFFR 2024 European Quickstep Flyaway

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IFFR 2024 European Quickstep Flyaway

Article supplied by Flying Rotarians.

The European Quickstep, IFFR’s 2024 “post-Convention flyaway” certainly lived up to its name, visiting four countries in 9 days.  The formula, combining the flyaway with the Nordic and Benelux section annual meetings proved popular and successful. In each location IFFR members hosted those attending – 65 members and partners and 16 aircraft on the entire flyaway, with a total of nearly 100, and 22 aircraft participating at some stage.

Day 1 – Friday 5 July

The Quickstep started on the Friday evening – but members had been assembling in Copenhagen over the previous couple of days. The 5 aircraft flying VFR from the UK arrived at Roskilde on the Thursday, to get ahead of the “interesting” weather in Scandinavia on Friday morning, and then spent Friday morning exploring the nearby Viking Longship centre. 13 more aircraft arrived at Roskilde during the morning in time for a light snack lunch, before being bussed into Copenhagen.

By the evening the sun was shining as our party of 80+ Quickstep and Nordic Section guests boarded two glass topped canal boats for a two and a half hour evening cruise around the canals and harbour of Copenhagen. We renewed old acquaintances and made new ones as we enjoyed welcome drinks and a tapas supper. The statue of the Little Mermaid was of course the “must see” highlight of the tour.

Day 2 – Saturday 6 July

Split into groups (speaking different languages), we were given a fascinating walking tour around the old city centre – learning about the popularity of the modern Danish monarchy (especially the recently abdicated Queen Margrethe), the regular fires through the centuries (for a long time the firefighters were paid in beer!) and dodging the occasional passing rain shower.  We arrived at the Amelienborg Royal Palace in time to see the Changing of the Guard – slightly subdued as the King and Queen were not in residence then.

In the afternoon, we had time to explore the city centre – window shopping in the high class shops in Strøget or relaxing over a cold drink beside the water in Nyhavn.  At 4pm the Nordic Section held their Annual General Meeting at which Lydia Banderby was appointed as the next Nordic Section Leader and PWP Svend Andersen, who had been our host for the weekend in Copenhagen, was thanked for leading the section over the past two years.  This was followed by the pilots’ briefing – stressing IFFR’s safety culture and ensuring all were ready for the flying soon to come.

Then it was on to the Gala Dinner, held in Restaurant Påfuglen (Peacock) in the Tivoli Gardens. A wonderful setting and a magnificent private room. After a drinks reception, we enjoyed an excellent 3 course dinner with a fine selection of wines to accompany it.  And then the highlights of the evening.  George Ritchie’s Presidency of IFFR ended with the passing of the Presidential Chain of Office to incoming President Mike McFarlane who introduced himself and his motto for his Presidency “Honour the Past, Live in the Present, Envision the Future”.  Mike kindly presented PWP George with a beautiful glass trophy of three hands supporting the global family of IFFR, inscribed with “IFFR President George Ritchie 2022-24” and his motto of “Flying Good” and a picture of his aircraft G-IFFR on the different faces as a memento of his 2 years as leader.

In Nordic Section business, having presented last year’s winners, Erik and Charlotta Rosenlaw with their award, Svend announced this year’s winner of the Nordic Aviation Trophy, Per Staff, a founder member of IFFR Nordic Section from Norway, who had shared with us how this section came into being.

Day 3 – Sunday 7 July

Two programmes today.

The aviators were bussed back to Roskilde to fly to Stauning on the west coast of Denmark to visit the Danmarks Flymuseum, Denmark’s leading aviation museum. A beautifully clear day, interspersed with the occasional heavy shower, and a strong headwind from the west, giving flight times of around 1 hour 30 to Stauning and not much over an hour back! For some of our guests from other parts of the world, this was their first opportunity for GA flying in Europe.  After a hearty sandwich and cakes lunch, kindly organized by one of Svend’s flying friends, we were free to look around the collection of over 50 Danish and foreign aircraft including gliders, vintage aircraft, fighter planes and helicopters from 1911–2000.

Those preferring the ground programme today went by bus to Helsingør – Elsinore (not to be confused with Helsingborg, Sweden, or Helsingfors (Helsinki), Finland).  Here they visited Castle Kronborg (the castle made famous by Shakespeare in Hamlet) and were given a guided tour. Helsingør is on the water’s edge, from where one can look out across the narrow strait to Sweden.  After the castle visit there was time to explore the town or visit the new Marine Museum before being bussed back to base in Copenhagen.

We had our “farewell to Copenhagen” dinner, which ended the Nordic Section meeting, on the Sunday night in a restaurant beside the water in Nyhavn.

Day 4 – Monday 8 July

Today we moved on to Flensburg, Germany, our second country, and team IFFR Germany / Austria, led by Section Leader Fritz Breitenthaler took over.  By now, the showers of the last couple of days had passed, and it was another great day for flying. As the flying time, going direct, would be less than for the bus, the pilots had a scenic detour, initially heading south to make the short crossing of the Baltic for a lunch break at the club airfield at Ruegen. Here, another superb “snack lunch” had been laid on by the local flying club.

Meanwhile, the ground crew had their own scenic journey west, “island hopping” on the motorways to Odense. Here they stopped to visit the house of the great Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. Their guided tour took them through the pretty old town where HCA’s house is located and on to the modern and fascinating museum behind it where his life story – and his “fairytale” stories are brought to life.  Then it was back on the bus for a sandwich lunch and on to Flensburg.

This is a particularly scenic part of Europe for flying and after lunch, on leaving Ruegen, the pilots had the choice of flying along the north German coast to Flensburg, or a slightly more direct route back over some of the Danish islands. On arrival in Flensburg, we were greeted by Ulrich Starke, our IFFR Germany / Austria host for this part of the tour, for whom Flensburg is home.

By 5.15pm we had all assembled together at our hotel in time to start our guided tour of central Flensburg, a very pretty city with a strong seafaring and merchant trading past.  Very thoughtfully, the tour included a stop at the Braasch Rum Factory – a chance to rest weary legs as we sampled a variety of Braasch rums – and rum chocolate.  They were soooo good that the shop did a roaring trade afterwards.

We returned to our Alte Post (site of the old post office) hotel for our buffet dinner together.

Day 5 – Tuesday 9 July

A busy day, all together on the ground exploring Flensburg and the surrounding region.  Our first stop was the PHÄNOMENTA Science Exhibition. We entered as 62 adults and 3 kids, slightly suspicious of another museum.  But this is a superb “hands on” experience, so cleverly done and so engaging that we nearly had to be dragged out, as 65 happy “big kids”, an hour or so later.

We then had a short bus ride south to the impressive Gottorf island castle in Schleswig-Holstein. Here we visited the the Landesmuseum and were given a guided tour of the Nydam Boat – an ancient Viking long ship and saw the Bog Bodies found in the nearby peat soil which, while looking gruesome, are so well preserved that each one can tell its own story.  Astonishing, given that these individuals lived over 2,300 years ago!

After a delicious “light” – 3 course – lunch in the castle, it was time to head on to the nearby Haithabu Museum. This showcases life in the region over the last couple of thousand years, (of which the Vikings are only a small part). There was then time to make the 10 minute walk to see the reconstructed Viking village on the shores of the water and to see some of the craftsmen plying their trades.

In the evening, after our return to Flensburg, we all enjoyed another fine 3 course dinner in “Im Alten Speicher”, a wonderful old restaurant just around the corner from our hotel.

Day 6 – Wednesday 10 July

Time to say farewell to Flensburg. The pilots were dropped off at the airport and the bus set off for Groningen, Netherlands.  The unsettled weather, which had changed repeatedly, continued this morning. We had also been notified of a “pop up” restricted area covering the width of the land area just south of Flensburg, in which the German Air Force was going to be conducting exercises that morning and afternoon.  There would however be a two-hour window for the Air Force to have an early lunch when it would be possible to cross this area.  The morning weather was not VFR, but by the second hour of the lunch break, the front had moved north taking with it the rain and low clouds, leaving generally sunny conditions.

The plan had been to fly to Wilhelmshaven for lunch and then on to Groningen after lunch.  However, after the weather delay in the morning, and with a risk of thundery showers moving into Groningen in the afternoon, many of the aircraft decided to fly directly to Groningen. A handful of planes did make the stop at Wilhelmshaven where they were treated to a delightful lunchtime barbecue organized by members of the local Rotary Club.

On arrival in Groningen, Maurice Tax, from the Dutch part of IFFR Benelux took over as host.  Unbeknownst to us when we planned the flyaway, this was the evening of the UEFA European Football Championship semi-final match in which the Netherlands was playing England. Groningen is a student city, the Dutch are always proud to wear orange to support their country, and so on a warm summer’s evening, it seemed the entire population of the city was crammed into the bars and cafes to watch the match, turning the entire city orange.

Our restaurant for the evening, the Three Sisters, overlooked one of the city’s main squares.  With nearly 70 of us to feed in our room, and nearly 900 covers to deal with in the group of restaurants in the block, this was not the night for the power to fail in the kitchens!  But fail it did.  And with national pride at stake, it was not a night to be calling out an emergency electrician.  Maurice, an electrical engineer himself, tried to assist to fix it while the chefs sought to plan a cold meal. In the end the situation was rescued when Maurice ordered in pizzas for us all!  An impromptu resolution – but the pizzas were good, no-one left hungry – and the Brits kept a low profile after the final whistle, with England having beaten the Netherlands 2:1!

Day 7 – Thursday 11 July

After several days of travelling, some of the party decided to stay and explore the city centre. The remaining group again split into two. The pilots and passengers took short scenic flights to the coast and past some of the Friesian islands before landing on Borkum, one of the larger islands. The remainder were taken by bus to the ferry terminal at Eemshaven for a 45 minute ride out to Borkum by boat. On arrival, the boat people boarded the little touristic train that makes the short journey to the town centre.  This was a day for exploring on your own. Some hired bikes to explore the island, some went to the beach and swam, and some just relaxed and enjoyed a leisurely lunch in town.

By mid-afternoon, it was time to make the journey back to Groningen.  Having discovered the ferry would not be running that afternoon, we put in place Plan B: an airlift back to the mainland.  Fortunately there were enough free spaces in the planes to make this work. It would have been only one trip for each pilot, but PWP George (who had had to stay behind for a business meeting in the morning) discovered when he went out to Groningen at lunchtime that he had a minor technical issue with G-IFFR that prevented him from flying that day. With three damsels in distress – the three first ladies Sali, Caroline and Carina – Fritz came to the rescue and made a second trip out to collect them.

On our second evening in Groningen, we ate together at De Branderij restaurant, just around the corner from our hotel.

Day 8 – Friday 12 July

Time for the final leg of the flyaway, from Groningen, to Brussels, Belgium.  Sadly, having kept the wrath of the weather gods at bay all week so far, they had the final throw of the dice, and chose this morning to give us heavy rain and low clouds starting only 50 or 60 miles west of Groningen. Definitely not a day for flying VFR in Belgium.

Sadly, but wisely, given the bad weather was forecast to move Eastwards, our Nordic contingent decided to head home before the weather could catch up with them. A couple of the German aircraft were able to fly south to their home bases in Germany, from where they could come by car to join us in Brussels.  For the rest of us, it was time to get on the bus.  The further west we headed, the more we felt glad to be down here wishing we were up there, than up there wishing we were down here.

IFFR Benelux Section Leader Kris de Keyser, our co-host for the weekend with Ingrid Witvrouwen, was also qualified to drive the bus, so he and our driver for the week, Brent, shared the driving, pushing on to get us to Brussels Grimbergen airfield in time for an only slightly late lunch at the aeroclub.  This marked the start of the IFFR Benelux annual meeting, and our numbers were added to by more IFFR members from the Benelux section and UK.

Another fine feast, washed down, for many, by their first Belgian beer, and it was soon time to head across to Brussels airport for a private visit to the headquarters of the Belgian Airforce15e Wing. Due to our late arrival, we missed the personal welcome from the base commander, but nonetheless we were treated to a fascinating behind the scenes tour of the hanger where the 15e Wing’s Airbus A400M military transport aircraft are kept and maintained. With pilots, navigators and ground crew on hand, as well as their PR man, to answer our questions and let us see inside an A400, including a visit to the flight deck, this was a very special visit – but sorry, no photos permitted. This rare privilege was thanks to IFFR Benelux member Chris Goossens, a senior member of the Belgian Air Force.

After a long day’s travelling, we were pleased to be able to relax over dinner in our hotel in the centre of Brussels.  Those who hadn’t had enough exercise during the day stretched their legs after dinner, making the short walk down to the Grand Place for a small digestif.

Day 9 – Saturday 13 July

Our final full day together. After breakfast, it was back on the bus for a guided tour to see the highlights of Brussels, with various stops along the way. These included the Atomium, built for Brussels’ 1958 World’s Fair in the shape of a giant iron atom, and now Brussel’s most iconic landmark and tourist attraction.

The bus tour ended at Autoworld in the Parc du Cinquantenaire, where we had lunch in its Brasserie Bagnole.  In the afternoon, members had the choice of visiting Autoworld, the National Car Museum of Belgium, or the Aviation Hall, forming part of the Royal Museum of Armed Forces, right opposite.

Then it was back to the hotel in time to meet our guides for a walking tour of the city centre, taking in the most famous sites of Brussels, including the Grand Place and the Mannequin Pis bronze sculpture of a small boy peeing into the fountain. Nowadays, he can be dressed in different costumes and there is a nearby museum displaying all his past outfits.

Finally, it was time for the Grand Finale of the flyaway, the Benelux Section Gala Dinner, held in the ballroom of the magnificent Hotel Amigo.  Superb sparkling wines and canapes preceded a sumptuous dinner at which the fine wines were flowing well. Speeches were kept short, to allow the dancing to the live band to begin.  Truly a fine time had by all, and a great way to end our Flyaway.

Day 10 – Sunday 14 July

There were 20 of us who needed to get back to Groningen to rescue our planes, including the four British aircraft. Most opted to take the train, routing via Amsterdam. This arrived in Groningen early afternoon, allowing us all to get home before nightfall.

For those staying in Brussels, the Rotary E-Club of Aviation organized a Barbecue Lunch at the Grimbergen airfield, a rare chance for E-Club members to get together in person.  The weather stayed fine and a good time was had by all.

And so, as they say, all good things come to an end.  A week of great fellowship, plenty of flying and a wonderfully diverse array of venues and activities – all in the true spirit of IFFR.  Thanks go to the team who worked so well together to make it all happen, including Svend Andersen and Roland Johnson from the Nordic Section, Fritz Breitenthaler and his assistant Constanze Remke, and Ulrich Starke from the Germany / Austria Section, and Maurice Tax, Ingrid Witvrouwen and Kris de Keyser from the Benelux Section. Thanks also to Christian Denke, who as Safety Officer, ensured pilots were always well briefed and that the weather conditions for flying were in line with the IFFR Guidelines, and to Ingo Neufert, our photographer in chief.

We look forward to doing it all again in North America next year, after the Rotary International Convention in Calgary!

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Royal Flying Doctor Service WA expands Medevac Service

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Royal Flying Doctor Service WA expands Medevac Service

Article supplied by RFDS.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Australia (RFDS WA) has expanded its aeromedical retrieval capabilities through a new partnership with PHI Aviation.

This collaboration extends RFDS WA’s offshore medevac services to support client operations in the Bonaparte Basin.

Key highlights of the expanded service:

  • A dedicated doctor and paramedic/nurse retrieval team stationed at PHI’s Darwin base.
  • The team provides rapid medical evacuations for critical cases in remote offshore areas, and search and rescue operations.
  • This builds on RFDS WA’s medical evacuation services from PHI’s Broome base.

The partnership with PHI strengthens RFDS WA’s position as a leader in remote healthcare, serving the world’s largest and most remote health jurisdiction. It also generates additional revenue through a profit-for-purpose model, supporting RFDS WA’s mission to provide vital medical services to our communities.

RFDS WA conducts over 10,000 aeromedical retrievals annually, and this extension enhances our capacity to save lives in even more remote locations. The collaboration with PHI Aviation opens doors for potential partnerships with other companies operating in the region, to further extend RFDS WA’s reach and impact.

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A day in the life with the Flying Doctor: Jessie’s bite-sized experience

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A day in the life with the Flying Doctor: Jessie’s bite-sized experience

Article supplied by RFDS.

After spending a decade as a dental hygienist in a previous life, Jessie Burling was given the chance to go back to her roots with the RFDS Oral Health team.

As part of the RFDS’s national partnership with HCF, employee Jessie Burling won the unique opportunity through an internal competition at the not-for-profit health fund, joining the RFDS Oral Health team during a clinic in the remote town of Andamooka in Far North SA.

For Jessie, the experience with the RFDS was not just a professional milestone – it was a deeply personal journey, blending her passion for dental health and volunteer work in remote areas, including communities as far afield as Nepal, with her commitment to improving healthcare access in underserved regions.

HCF employee Jessie

Photo: RFDS national partner HCF’s Jessie Burling.

A personal journey into the outback

Jessie’s adventure began with a flight from Adelaide to Olympic Dam, before a short drive to Andamooka, a small outback town, located in Far North South Australia around 600 km north of Adelaide.

This is the journey the RFDS Oral Health team have to make, along with more than 350 kilograms of dental gear, when delivering care to remote communities like this.

Upon arrival, Jessie found the RFDS team busy setting up over 3,000 pieces of dental equipment, preparing to deliver much-needed care to local residents. For Jessie, who worked for 10 years as a dental hygienist, this was a rare opportunity to see the stark contrast between her role at HCF’s Bondi Junction dental clinic and the challenges faced by the RFDS team in the outback.

“When you’re living this far away from a city and you end up with an abscess or an infection in a tooth, that’s something that, if we weren’t coming in, could turn quite life-threatening,” of the RFDS SA/NT Senior Dentist and Manager Oral Health Program, Dr Vaibhav Garg said.

“We’re really focusing on prevention. There are direct links between oral health and other serious conditions like diabetes, cardiac health, and kidney disease. All of these issues can be challenging to manage in remote areas like this. Delivering these clinics is about taking care of the person as a whole, and therefore the whole community.”

RFDS Senior Dentist

Photo: Dr Vaibhav Garg with a patient in Andamooka.

The heart of community care

During her visit, Jessie also spent time with RFDS Remote Area Nurse Jack King, a familiar and trusted presence in Andamooka.

“The community knows that I’m a resident here and that speaks volumes to them,” Jack said.

“We live in an isolated environment, and our aim is to manage patients’ care as effectively as possible before they require non-urgent or non-life-threatening evacuation.

“It’s a real joy for me to come to work knowing that I can assess patients, get them seen by a doctor, and ensure they receive the comprehensive care they need.

“If we didn’t have funding including private sponsorship, those essential elements of primary health and wellbeing would go unfulfilled here.

“All of that is made possible by RFDS and the support we receive from partners like HCF. It’s pretty special.”

Remote Area Nurse Jack King

Photo: Remote Area Nurse Jack King.

A partnership making a difference

In support of HCF’s social mission to build healthier communities, HCF’s $3 million commitment over three years will help fund the upkeep of RFDS aircraft and life-saving technologies, ensuring the delivery of crucial primary healthcare and mental health services to every corner of Australia. The collaboration between RFDS and HCF is a tangible example of how partnerships can bring about real change.

RFDS SA/NT Executive General Manager, Strategy, Brand & Reputation, Charlie Paterson, highlighted the value of this synergy between the two not-for-profit organisations.

“HCF is all about providing the human touch to its healthcare, and that’s what RFDS is about.”

Jessie’s experience exposed her to the real-life impact of the partnership at work.

“It was an incredible and jam-packed 24 hours with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, seeing how they deliver medical interventions and preventative care to people out in the bush,” Jessie said.

“HCF and the Royal Flying Doctor Service have joined forces, combining their expertise to enhance healthcare access across Australia. Our shared focus on heart health, dental care, mental health, and women’s health are areas where we can make a significant difference together.”

Jessie and Vai

Photo: Andamooka is one of 14 remote communities where the RFDS Oral Health team visits regularly to deliver care.

Looking ahead

Jessie’s journey with the RFDS showcases the power of community and the difference that dedicated professionals and generous donors make every day.

“By doing what we do, day in and day out at HCF, we are part of an organisation that is bringing our human touch to healthcare,” Jessie said.

Through the support of donors and partners like HCF, the RFDS continues to be a lifeline for remote communities, ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible to all, no matter where they live.

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Focus on Flight Ops

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Article supplied by CASA. 

Focus on flight ops
Welcome to July’s edition of Focus on flight ops.

In this issue we cover:

  • – training and checking systems (TCS) due date reminder
  • – TCS industry webinar recap
  • – benefits of using a Part 61 qualified person to conduct non-normal TCS activities
  • – knowing what’s in your operations manuals
  • – exemptions that may benefit your operations
  • – RotorTech wrap-up
  • – rotorcraft transition timeline update.
6 weeks left to submit your TCS documentation
Hopefully everyone is on track to submit their training and checking systems documentation to us by 31 August 2024. 
Catch up on recent TCS information sessions
If you missed out on attending our training and checking systems online info session, you can now watch the recording.

Join Greg and Andrea as they explain the ins-and-outs of what is required when submitting your training and checking documentation.
Conduct non-normal TCS activities with a Part 61 instructor
As you prepare to transition to TCS, did you know that you can use qualified Part 61 instructors and examiners to conduct airborne non-normal training and checking exercises without the need for our approval?
Knowing your manuals
Operators are accountable for understanding the details of their organisation’s operational manuals.
Exemptions that could streamline your operations
Did you know there are a range of exemptions that could help streamline your operations?

Exemptions provide you greater flexibility for implementing standard operating procedures at your organisation, such as avoiding the need to change your processes when you operate between multiple Parts.

Murray began bleeding out internally, after he hit the handlebars of his motorcross bike

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Article supplied by RFDS. 

Childhood sweethearts, Murray and Julie Collins, have been together for over thirty years.

And throughout their time together, they have shared an unusual passion – for the adrenalin charged sport of motorcross racing.

But back in 2003, the wheels very nearly came off Murray’s motorcross adventures, when a random miscalculation mid-race almost cost him his life.

In Episode #98 of the Flying Doctor podcast, Murray and Julie recount the day when an inter-club motorcross race at Longreach ended up with Murray being airlifted by the RFDS, suffering from major internal bleeding.

Murray Collins still races motorcross, even after his near-fatal accident in 2003

The sport of Motorcross combines high speed and jostling for a position on the track, with the challenge of obstacles.

There’s even an obstacle section known as a ‘whoops’ – which is basically a series of continuous bumps that racers can ride over, as fast as they like.

On the day of his accident, Murray recalls taking the ‘whoops’ with confidence – as he was in the leading pack of racers! But after hitting the handlebars of his bike at high speed, Murray quickly realised he had ‘really done something’. Murray had ruptured his mesenteric artery and began severely bleeding into his abdomen.

Murray and Julie's daughter, Keira, is now a highly successful motorcross competitor in her own right.

Kelly was heavily pregnant when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour

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Article supplied by RFDS.

In 2002, as a fit country woman eagerly awaiting the birth of her first child, Kelly Foran believed her issues with balance and co-ordination were simply related to her ever-growing ‘baby belly’. But after going to the hospital with her husband for some tests, Kelly was told she was likely succumbing to pre-eclampsia. Then a visiting ED Doctor noticed Kelly stumbling in the hospital corridor, he asked her if he could ‘run a few more tests’.

Kelly's baby, Jake, was born shortly after she was diagnosed witha brain tumour

The scans Kelly underwent that night revealed a possible aneurism was pressing onto her brain and was threatening the life of both herself and her unborn child. But just hours later, she was told that the mass in her brain was a the size of a ‘goose egg’, and was actually one of the largest brain tumours that her Doctor had ever seen. Kelly, with her husband Dave by her side, were transported by the RFDS for life-saving treatments – while her medical team co-ordinated how to safely deliver Kelly’s baby into the world.

Kelly's baby Jake was diagnosed with eye cancer

After Kelly’s son Jake was delivered safely, he experienced a range of medical complications. Meanwhile, Kelly was told that her brain tumour needed to be shrunk via steroids before any operation would be feasible. So Kelly and her newborn baby were ‘sent home’ to await further operations and updates, not knowing whether Kelly was even likely to survive. But Kelly’s family’s health challenges were only just beginning. After undergoing a 16 hour operation to remove her own tumour, just a few months later, her baby Jake was diagnosed with cancer of the eye.

Kelly has dedicated her life to helping others through her Friendly Faces, Helping Hands Foundation

In this remarkable and inspiring episode #97 of the Flying Doctor Podcast, Kelly bravely shares how both she and her young son fought hard to stay alive. And how her experiences as a rural patient inspired her to start the ‘Friendly Faces, Helping Hands Foundation’ – an organisation dedicated to helping country patients and their families to navigate the often daunting requirements of attending city-based medical treatments and appointments.

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Preventing VFR into IMC

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preventing VFR into IMC

Article supplied by CASA.  We’ve compiled some useful resources to help visual flight rules (VFR) pilots avoid instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).

A wet airport taxiway under a cloudy sky

Flying VFR into IMC is one of the top causes of aviation accidents around the world. Australia is no exception. The often fatal outcomes of these accidents are even more tragic because they are avoidable.

The key to prevention is thorough pre-flight planning and a personal minimums checklist. This minimises poor or incorrect decision-making caused by the stress of flying into marginal weather.

Common factors

Most inadvertent VFR flights into IMC have common factors:

  • > rushed and incomplete pre-flight planning
  • > misinterpreting/underestimating of threats associated with weather forecasts
  • > overconfidence in adverse conditions
  • > overestimating cloud heights and visibility
  • > using phrases like “scud running”, “she’ll be right, I’ve done this in worse conditions” and “we’re close to our destination”.
  • > pressure from passengers to go
  • > pressure from yourself to go.

All the resources listed below are available on the website. You can also visit the weather and forecasting page of the Pilot safety hub.

Resources

Videos

Articles

Audios

Online store

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