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Tēnā koutou,
 
The three months since we sent the last CAA Briefing have been busy for our team at the Authority, as I am sure they have been for you, your colleagues, and your families. The resurgence of COVID-19 in Auckland and the Waikato in August was a reminder to us all that although for many of us our lives were starting to seem a bit more normal, we are still living in a very different world to what we were this time last year.
 
Since I last wrote this column I have been out and about visiting operators and meeting with participants each month, and have spoken at industry meetings in Auckland, Nelson, Queenstown and Palmerston North. It’s been fantastic to meet such a wide range of people from New Zealand’s aviation community and to hear about the challenges and opportunities they are grappling with, along with their free and frank feedback about their dealings with the Authority and what we can be doing better to help support New Zealand’s aviation industry at this difficult time. We are following up on the issues raised at these meetings and will be using future CAA Briefings to let you know how things are progressing.
 
I’ve heard from you that you’re broadly supportive of the direction the Authority is heading in as we work hard to engage better with industry, treat participants consistently and respectfully, and generally try to be a more even-handed regulator. Many of you are cautiously optimistic about how things are trending, but you expect to continue seeing positive changes – I want to assure you that I do too, and will work hard with our leadership team, managers and frontline staff to continue driving changes which will improve the culture at the Civil Aviation Authority, deliver more consistent, transparent regulatory practice, and allow us to work more collaboratively with the aviation community towards the common goal of safe and secure aviation in New Zealand.

Operators have told me about the changes they have put in place to help keep their businesses afloat over the past six months, and have outlined their clear expectations that our team at the Authority should do our bit and cut our cloth too. I’ve explained that we’ve already gone through one round of identifying and making cost savings across both the CAA and Aviation Security Service sides of our organisation, but there is more work to do and we’re committed to being the right size to be able to regulate and support New Zealand’s aviation industry in a timely and responsible manner. It’s important that we’re carefully monitoring our spending at this time when we’re relying on Government funding, but we still need enough staff to be able to operate in a responsive manner.

I’ve been impressed by the innovation I’ve seen from the industry, particularly from operators who previously relied on international tourism for their Part 135 (and for some operators Part 125) operations. The range of new offerings designed to appeal to more cost-conscious Kiwi tourists, and pivots to agricultural work I’ve heard of demonstrate that there’s an underlying resilience in the industry we don’t often hear about – things are tough, but operators are working really hard to hold on, keep the blades turning and staff current.

One thing I’ve been regularly asked about when I’ve met with groups of operators and participants is how the Authority will address the proposed closure of five regional control towers and the flight information services at Kapiti Coast Airport and Milford Sound Aerodrome. What I’ve told these groups is that we will be consulting independently with local participants and stakeholders after we receive the relevant aeronautical studies. These consultation periods will allow you to raise any concerns you might have in a comprehensive manner, so that that these can be taken into account in our decision making. I have also reassured operators that our decision making is purely based on safety outcomes, and not issues such as financial implications.

You’ve also asked for an update on where things are at with the PPL Medical Review and the proposal to allow pilots PPL to fly with a range of privileges on a DL9 (commercial driver licence medical). This review has been a lengthy process, and I want to acknowledge that upfront and thank you for your patience as we have worked through the various stages of rule development. Our teams have carefully considered submissions raised through the NPRM process and we are now re-engaging with the Ministry of Transport to discuss the draft final rule package. I am hoping we will be able to share more details about this once the Ministry has had time to review the proposals.

I am hoping there will be a decision by the end of 2020, but ultimately the timeframe for signing off on these Rule amendments is dependent on the formation of the new Government and will be informed by the priorities of the incoming Minister of Transport.

New values for the Authority

I briefly want to mention the new organisational values we have chosen for the Authority as part of our culture change programme – these are important, because these values are what I want our teams to live by as they go about their work. Whether it’s our Monitoring and Inspection team out on a spot check, our Aviation Security Officers screening carry-on luggage at the airport, or a member of our finance team chasing up on an invoice.

These values have been selected by a group of staff and union delegates who have been helping our culture change programme team, and have also been endorsed by the Authority Board. They are:
  • Transparency
  • Collaboration
  • Integrity
  • Respect
  • Professionalism
Our team at the Authority isn’t always going to be telling our participants what they want to hear – we’re the regulator and we do at times have to make tough decisions which affect people’s businesses, livelihoods, and sometimes their careers, but it’s important that as we go about our work we are walking the talk and actively demonstrating these values.

I hope you soon start to see the green shoots of change as we keep the momentum going to build a more respectful and inclusive Authority, where we can take pride in the way we engage and communicate with our participants.

Ngā mihi nui,
Shelley Turner, Acting Director of Civil Aviation and Chief Executive

Our revised Health and Safety approach

One of the more notable changes we made as part of our Organisational Design Review restructure this year was to disestablish the stand-alone Health and Safety Unit and incorporate some of the functions  into a strengthened investigation unit.

This change, along with other changes to our investigation units have led to a few questions from participants about our approach to the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), how we’re enforcing the Act, and where the line is between HSWA obligations and Just Culture principles.

The importance of our health and safety framework

There were 98 accidents involving commercial aviation operations between 2015 and 2019 – an average of 15.6 accidents per year. These accidents resulted in 27 fatalities, 54 serious injuries and 50 minor injuries.

The sectors where these accidents were prevalent included adventure aviation, helicopter operations, agricultural and “other commercial aviation”. The types of accidents include aircraft striking wires, controlled flight into terrain, accidents involving the misapplication of hazardous substances and fatigue-related accidents.

Using the Ministry of Transport’s ‘Social Cost’ measure, the overall social cost of these accidents was $183.51 million – carrying an annual average social cost of $36.70 million per year.

Fundamentally, New Zealand’s health and safety legislation exists because everyone who goes to work, and the people they work with (including passengers and customers) deserve to come home safely at the end of each day. On first principles it’s about ensuring that there are robust obligations for workplaces and employers to put measures in place to protect their staff and other people who will come and go from the workplace. We’ve all heard this before, it’s especially important in the context of aviation when the stakes are higher and the consequences of lax attitudes to health and safety practices can be devastating.

The CAA’s HSWA role

In February 2016 the CAA was designated as the responsible agency for the aviation sector under HSWA. In general terms this means the CAA administers the provisions of the act, with our jurisdiction covering:

  • Work to prepare an aircraft for imminent flight;
  • Work on board an aircraft for the purpose of imminent flight or while in operation; and
  • Aircraft as workplaces while in operation.

WorkSafe remains responsible for administering HSWA as it relates to other parts of aviation businesses – for example, accidents which occur during aircraft maintenance.

Taking a more proactive approach

It’s important that operators are supported to understand their obligations arising from the HSWA, and the nuances of how health and safety provisions fit in with the broader civil aviation framework of the Rules, ACs, ADs, and operators’ Safety Management Systems.

To help ensure that we’re in a position to more proactively help operators to understand their HSWA obligations, we are moving to train all our CAA operational staff to identify health and safety issues workplaces, so these can be raised early with operators. Staff going through this training will include our Monitoring and Inspection and Certification teams. It is important to stress that when these teams raise issues which relate to HSWA considerations, it will be to educate and support operators – our staff in these teams will not be going out to conduct investigations.

Our HSWA-related investigations will be conducted by trained investigators from our Investigation and Response team, which includes warranted, specialist HSWA investigators. Although this team will be conducting investigations after incidents with HSWA implications, they will also be supporting our proactive work to support harm prevention under HSWA for aircraft in operation. This will include providing specialist input for future Vector stories about aviation-related health and safety matters, along with a HSWA safety education workshop we are planning to develop over the coming year.

Maintaining mental wellbeing in isolation

This advice has been prepared by our new Chief Advisor Human Factors Matt Harris, and is targeted primarily at aircrew. For the rest of us it serves as a good reminder of what we can do to look after ourselves and our wellbeing if we find ourselves in isolation in the future – whether it is because of a COVID-19 resurgence, or working in a remote or isolated setting.

The importance of mental health and wellbeing on career success and overall life satisfaction is being increasingly recognised. Maintaining mental health and wellbeing improves both individual and organisational outcomes. Given the current challenging global circumstances, aviation mental health issues are an ongoing area of concern.

Flight and cabin crew typically face long working hours and frequent periods away from home, but these challenges have been compounded by additional isolation requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spending days with limited social contact, resources and stimulation can be detrimental to a crew member’s mental health and they are potentially more at risk of developing mental health issues such as depression or anxiety.

While a diagnosis of a mental health issue is a serious health consideration, it should not mean the end of your aviation career. It’s important to know that you’re not alone and that there is support and information available.
Given these new challenges, there are strategies and preventative measures you can employ to help self-manage and enhance wellbeing.

Maintain a routine

Identifying what you can control during times of isolation, setting goals and tracking progress can provide you with continued a sense of purpose. Establishing and sticking to a healthy sleep routine can simultaneously help reduce the amount of stress you experience while also preparing you to better manage your stress the next day. Schedule time to be active both physically and mentally by finding new ways to exercise and engage your brain. Plan what and when you’re going to eat and connect with your fellow crew. Organise regular video/phone calls with family and friends and then set aside time to intentionally unplug from technology.

Maintain mental and physical fitness in isolation

Physical health has a strong impact on our mental wellbeing. Exercise can help reduce anxiety, depression, and negative mood and improve self-esteem and cognitive function. When space is limited exercise can be difficult but taking inspiration from our peers in maritime there are ways to exercise and stretch even in confined spaces; Training on Board - Wall Workout. Exercising our brain as well as our body is just as important for mental health and wellbeing. We can do this by challenging our mind with puzzles, crosswords, Sudoku, and so on, or by learning something new, such as a new language.

Keep up hobbies and interests

Aim to have some activities to do alone or with some of the crew, playing games, solving puzzles, making things, reading or drawing, and plan ahead so you can take the materials you need away with you. Continuing to engage in hobbies and interests is important, even if it’s not the same as at home, as the sense of achievement gained can boost self-esteem and general wellbeing. If your hobbies are difficult to take with you, look forward to picking them up again on your return, and try something new in the meantime.

Remember you’re not alone

A natural consequence of being away from family for long periods of time is that of feeling lonely. Remember that if you’re feeling low and alone, you are neither the first nor the only one to feel this way. Humans are social beings and staying connected is important. It lifts our spirits and keeps us going.  Technology can help us reach out to friends and family through phone/video calls or social media but even writing notes or letters to post or email can help you feel connected. Connecting with your fellow crew is equally as important and the conversations don’t need to be about mental health or personal experiences if you don’t want to. Positive conversations about things outside of work, common interests or things important to you can help everyone have the best possible experience in the circumstances.

Check in with yourself and your colleagues

We often don’t take the time to reflect on how we feel, especially during busy or stressful periods. During briefings, take time to discuss mental health, what works for you might not work for others, talking things through as a team might help crew members develop their own coping strategies. Again, out maritime peers can assist with providing some talking points based on what the science says about helping Boost Your Wellbeing.  It’s also important that operators ensure their crew have the necessary information and strategies to help alleviate the effects of stress that can lead to mental health issues. Finally, operating since 2015, the Peer Assistance Network (PAN) has been providing guidance and counselling to hundreds of aviation professionals, from trainees to senior airline captains. To help improve personal wellbeing Flight Safety Foundation have produced An Aviation Professionals Guide to Wellbeing.

In times like these, with no definitive time frame for when these COVID-19 restrictions will ease, it’s in the crew's best interest to put these types of strategies into practice. Supporting your own and others’ mental and physical health and wellbeing is vital for getting through these challenges safely.

Drone research results and safety campaign launched

In August we released the results from our latest drone research project, which we commissioned with the Ministry of Transport and MBIE. The research from Colmar Brunton has revealed that there are more than 270,000 recreational drone users and nearly 8,000 businesses using drones in New Zealand. This represents an increase of about 30,000 recreational drone users since our last drone research in 2017.

We are aware of some of the limitations of this research project and we have committed to working together with the sector to develop future research projects. In the meantime, this research updates our understanding of what drones are being used for in New Zealand, and the profile of who our drone users are.

Acting Deputy Chief Executive for Aviation Safety Dean Winter says it is encouraging that the number of drone users with at least a basic understanding of the rules they need to follow has increased by 10 percent over the last three years.

“We still have some work to do to educate the other 34 percent of drone users who aren’t familiar with the rules, which is why we’re launching a new drone safety campaign today – Share the Skies,” Mr Winter said.

“The campaign focuses on six key rules which drone users need to follow so that they can safely Share the Skies with other aircraft while keeping people safe on the ground below.”

Watch the Share the Skies advertisement here, and to learn more about the Part 101 rules you need to follow when flying a drone, visit www.aviation.govt.nz/drones.
 

Share the Skies video

Make sure to update your address if you move house

Moving house is always exciting. Having to tell everyone about your new address is a bore. But where your ‘address for service’ is concerned, it’s an obligation under the Civil Aviation Act 1990.

Out-of-date contacts mean critical safety information doesn’t reach you, which is why keeping them current with the CAA is a legal requirement.

If you change your address for service – and any telephone or fax numbers, or email addresses you supply when you first apply for your aviation document – you do have to let us know. By law, if the CAA sends a letter to your address for service, you are deemed to have received it.

To avoid problems, just email info@caa.govt.nz, or post the details to CAA, PO Box 3555, Wellington 6140.

If you subscribe to AIP New Zealand, you need to contact Aeropath separately, and the Rescue Coordination Centre if you fly an aircraft with a 406 MHz distress beacon.

If you own an aircraft, its Certificate of Registration may be invalidated by out-of-date contacts, which may affect your insurance cover. To update your details email aircraftregistrar@caa.govt.nz.

So save yourself some grief, and put the CAA on your list of the people who need to know you’ve moved.

Making ADS-B Work webinar series

This November (3rd-5th) the New Southern Sky Conference will be presented using a virtual platform for the first time, to deliver a series of talks on "Making ADS-B Work".

There will be global perspectives from the US and Australia on lessons learned from their ADS-B Transitions, best practice guidance for operators in New Zealand for its ADS-B Transition, plus an ADS-B Grant Scheme update and Q&A.

To learn more and register, see HERE.

ADS-B Grant Scheme update

The uptake of ADS-B has continued to grow, with September producing the largest monthly increase of new installations so far, with 83 new aircraft detected. This takes the total number of aircraft equipped with ADS-B to 1100.

The ADS-B Grant Scheme also approved the largest number of grants in September (106), with over $331,000 to be paid out in October. Once paid, the Scheme will have distributed almost $1.5m.

Contact details for the Aviation Safety group

A friendly reminder that the Aviation Safety Group contacts are now available on the CAA website. The Aviation Safety Group encompasses the following units:

  • Monitoring and Inspection;
  • Licensing and Standards;
    • Medical;
    • Personnel and Flight Training;
  • Investigation and Response;
  • Certification;
    • Aircraft and Product;
    • Organisations.

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