Informed Consent in Sport Aviation and General Information-
Things you need to know before you fly with us
Sportfly
Introduction to Sport Aviation and Risk
Sport aviation covers almost half the aircraft operating in Australia. It involves about 40,000 participants, more than 9000 aircraft and 360,000 parachute jumps each year. The safety risks of sport aviation are very different to the risks of flying in large passenger jet aircraft or smaller commuter aircraft. Many of the aircraft involved in sport aviation do not meet the design or maintenance standards that are applicable to large jets or small commuter aircraft.
Activities such as making a parachute descent, hang gliding, paragliding, warbird adventure flights, and recreational flights are not operated under the same operational or airworthiness standards applicable to large jet aircraft or small commuter aircraft used in regular public transport. You need to be aware therefore that there is a reduced level of assumed safety.
Participating in sport aviation carries a higher level of risk than flying as an airline passenger.
What is informed participation?
•Informed participation in sport aviation relies on the premise that before you take part or pay for an activity that you are fully aware of the potential risks and consequences.. This may include asking questions of the operator, researching their website, checking with the relevant self–administering organisation/s, further research on the internet, in other literature such as CASA or ATSB publications, or simply by discussing with other participants. However YOU inform yourself of the risks, it is important that you consider the consequences of the intended activity, which may include death or permanent disability as worst case scenarios, and how this would affect you and your family.
Do people have to understand and accept the risks?
Yes. Before you undertake a sport aviation activity as an informed participant you may: have to read and sign a document acknowledging you have been told and understand the risk involved in that particular activity or be given a verbal brief or presentation on the risks for that particular activity.
Depending on the type of aircraft there may also be a warning placard indicating that CASA and the self-administering organisation do not guarantee the airworthiness of that aircraft and all pilots operate these aircraft at their own risk.
This means that you need to accept the risks of flying in, or jumping from, the aircraft as an informed participant and be aware of the potential consequences for you and your family.
www.casa.gov.au/standard-page/sport-aviation-safety-explained
Membership
To participate in Sport Aviation at Sportfly you need to become a temporary member of Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus). Free temporary membership is available via the RAAus website and is only valid for the first 3 hours of flight training. You cannot exceed three hours of flight training without becoming a financial member of RAAus.
RAAus requires that you need to be aware of the following information:
All forms of flight at potentially dangerous. The risks and hazards associated with flying are real and all pilots and potential pilots must be fully aware of the possible risks involved. All persons participating in flight training or instruction conducted in accordance with the requirements of this manual do so at their own risk and as informed participants. Persons undertaking flying training and other types of flying in recreational aeroplanes are advised that there are risks involved. These risks cannot be specifically quantified, however recreational aeroplanes used for pilot training are constructed, operated and maintained under exemptions from the regulations. These exemptions are from the regulations that apply to CASA registered aeroplanes. Whilst similar rule sets apply to our organisation and replace those that we are exempt from, it must be accepted that the overall safety of recreational flying is generally below the well-known commercial air transport standards in Australia
RAAus Operations Manual 3.02
Health Standard
You need to hold and maintain a medical standard equivalent to that required to drive a motor vehicle. This is confirmed by you as part of your initial membership declaration and prior to every flight we use the IMSAFE checklist (Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Eating).
If you are over 75 years of age of have a known medical condition that's listed on the RAAus website, then a doctor needs to confirm your health standard with an annual examination and a written statement for RAAus records
Our Aircraft
•Our aircraft is an Aeroprakt A22LS Foxbat. Like all RAAus aircraft currently, it is restricted to a maximum take off weight of 600kg. This includes the aircraft and everything in it. (pilot and passengers, fuel etc).
Our aircraft is maintained by various maintainers who are certified Level 2 maintainers by Recreational Aviation Australia. All aircraft used for ab initio flight training in RAAus must be factory built and fully maintained by current L2 maintainers. (If you build your own aircraft you can learn to fly in it)
Weather
We only fly during daylight hours, in suitable flying conditions
It may be the case that the weather is sunny, however the flying conditions are still not great and preclude flying by new fliers or even advanced fliers (winds/turbulence). We won’t waste your time and money trying to get you up in the air in poor weather conditions
There may be times where the weather is suitable for advanced fliers but is not suitable to a particular sequence of flight training. Remember, if you don’t fly – our instructors don’t get paid. You may be frustrated but no one is more disappointed than us if we don’t get to fly.
We regularly decline flights based on weather conditions. Its just a normal part of flying.
Aircraft unavailability
Our aircraft is very popular and are used daily for flight training and for private hire. Our aircraft are required to be serviced every 100 engine hours and whenever an issue develops. Our aircraft require new engines every 2000hours! Even a very minor issue will often mean the aircraft is grounded pending an inspection. This can mean that an aircraft is taken offline with little (sometimes no notice). We do not apologise for not compromising on your safety!
Theory requirements
You are required to undertake theory lessons. You will not be able to progress with your learning unless you learn the theory to the required standards. At the school we use a mixture of powerpoint briefings, online videos and one on one tutoring. You do not need to purchase a textbook, however if you choose to do so we recommend the Bob Tait series.
You are required to pass a number of examinations which are delivered in-house. The pass mark is 80%. These exams are multiple choice, paper exams.
You will not be able to proceed to solo flight until you have passed the radio and pre-solo air legislation exams.
You will not be able to proceed for the practical flight test for your pilot certificate until you have additionally passed your Basic Aeronautical Knowledge exam and a further Air Legislation exam.
Flight time requirements
You need to have flown a MINIMUM of 20 hours hours of flight training before you can undertake a flight test.
You need to have flown a MINIMUM of 5 hours of supervised solo flight training
You cannot fly solo unless you are 15 years old (and it IS probably going to rain on your 15th birthday)
When you fly solo it does not mean your training is over, there are further sequences that need to be delivered and practiced prior to a flight test for your pilot certificate.
Regardless of how many hours of flight training you have had, YOU WILL NOT BE SENT SOLO UNLESS BOTH YOUR INSTRUCTOR AND THE CFI BELIEVE YOU ARE READY.
Be wary of chasing hour minimums. Most people do not achieve their pilot certificate in the absolute minimum hours. We do not promise you will reach your pilot certificate in the minimum time.
There will be delays in your flight training due to aircraft unserviceability or possibly unavailability and weather. This is the reality of flight training. It happens in all flight training schools.
RAAus Pilot Certificate
When you have completed your initial training, you will be able to act as pilot-in-command of a 2 seat recreational (RAAus registered Aircraft)
You will be initially restricted to flights of no more than 25 nautical miles from the point of departure and no passengers, however you can obtain passenger (with ten hours pilot in command time) and navigation endorsements after you have completed your pilot certificate.
With a navigation endorsement you will be able to fly anywhere in Australia which is not controlled or restricted airspace.
You can later convert your pilot certificate to a CASA recreational pilot licence, which will allow you to fly a CASA registered aircraft up to a maximum take of weight of 1500kg (think a Cessna 172).
All flight time hours that you undertake during dual training and solo flight count as flight hours for non-integrated flight training for an CASA recreational pilot licence (RPL), private pilot licence (PPL) or Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL). In fact, the majority of my own flight time toward my commercial licence has been in RAAus aircraft.
You will need to undertake a flight review with a CFI or Senior Instructor every 2 years.