Why this change is needed
To help increase the availability of flight examiners, industry suggested that the Flight Examiner Rating Course (FERC) could be delivered by them.
This proposal was made available to industry in September 2022. Since then, CASA-approved operators have been authorised to train:
- flight instructors seeking a flight examiner rating
- flight examiners seeking additional endorsements.
We have also approved experienced industry examiners to conduct examiner rating proficiency checks (EPCs).
The absence of a defined knowledge standard in Schedule 3 of the Part 61 Manual of Standards (MOS) has limited further development of an Industry Flight Examiner Rating Course (IFERC).
What we are proposing
We propose to include aeronautical knowledge standards for the FERC in Schedule 3 of the Part 61 MOS. This will:
- support operators in developing theory syllabuses
- enable further industry development of IFERCs.
The draft unit (Unit 2.8.1 FERC: Flight Examiner Rating - Common) supports operators in developing a theory syllabus that complements their own flight examiner rating training. It includes:
- theory content headings aligned with the Flight Examiner Handbook
- underpinning knowledge aligned with the competency standards in unit FER (Schedule 2)
- expected level of understanding for each element.
These standards are already reflected in theory components of CASA's FER Course.
The proposal will enable Part 141 or Part 142 operators to develop and submit their own Flight Examiner Rating (FER) training courses for CASA approval.
