Changing the rules

Current rule
CASR Part 173 – Instrument flight procedure design

CASR Part 173 was developed to cover the requirements for the certification of designers of instrument approach and departure procedures, including:

  • the qualifications and training required for persons engaged in instrument flight procedure design;
  • the procedures to be used by organisations in the conduct of design work; and
  • provisions for on-going maintenance of procedures.

The determination of instrument flight procedures was originally a CASA responsibility under 1988 Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR) 178. Prior to the establishment of CASA, the former Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) carried out the design of instrument flight procedures. Following the establishment of CASA and Airservices Australia, and as a result of a review of the roles of both organisations, the CASA Procedure Design Section was transferred to Airservices Australia in 1997. As CASA was responsible under the CARs (1988) for the determination of instrument flight procedures, delegations were issued to individual Airservices staff to enable Airservices to carry out design work as regulations governing this task did not exist. Consequently, while CASA was the responsible authority, employees of Airservices Australia carried out the actual design work as delegates of CASA.

One private provider, IAC GPS Pty Ltd had also been issued with a delegation to design GPS approaches. A number of other organisations had applied for delegation to design procedures, but these applications were deferred until a suitable regulatory framework became available.

With the implementation of CASR Part 173, designers apply for and operate under a Procedure Design Certificate, and delegations are no longer required. Under the new rules, the design standards for instrument flight procedures have not changed and Australian procedures will continue to be designed according to criteria published in an ICAO document entitled Procedures for Air Navigation Services, Aircraft Operations (PANS-OPS).

Who Part 173 affects

  • Organisations intending to provide a design service, including aviation consultants, aircraft operators and airport owners/operators.
  • Individuals employed by certified designers who must meet minimum qualification and experience standards.
  • CASA staff who are responsible for administering the certification of designers and their ongoing compliance.

Key proposals

  • Certification: An instrument flight procedure design organisation (including existing delegates, Airservices Australia and IAC GPS Pty Ltd) who require a certificate under Part 173. This is a new initiative to ensure an appropriate framework for the certification and ongoing surveillance of organisations who carry out instrument flight procedure design work.
  • Organisation: Design organisations are required to operate in accordance with an operations manual as well as implement a safety management system and a training and checking system. This is new requirement to ensure the appropriate organisational and functional requirements for conducting procedures design are met, and the appropriate policies, procedures and practices are in place to manage their business.
  • Personnel: CASA must approve the Chief Designer and all design staff must meet minimum qualification and experience requirements. This is a new CASA initiative to develop a set of standards to regulate procedure designers experience/qualifications/practices.
 
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