Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
29 September 2003
MEDIA RELEASE
CAA Launches Major Safety Initiative
The Director of Civil Aviation, John Jones opened a two-day seminar for flight instructors in Hamilton this morning. In opening the seminar John Jones said that role-modelling was very important in training and development.
"Students in aviation want, and need, to place their flight instructors on a pedestal. They need an example they can emulate. The initial training that you provide significantly contributes to the future attitude and airmanship of your students, and thus has a major influence on the culture of aviation in this country."
The seminars are part of a three-year Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) strategy aimed at producing a "culture shift" in the New Zealand aviation community. This initiative arose from two safety forums held by the Authority in 2001 and 2002. The forums identified problem areas in aviation safety, and proposed solutions to the problems in order to achieve a reduction in accident rates.
"Flight instruction was directly involved in seven of those 18 problem areas. And while the participants at the forums were pointing to problems that existed in flight training, they were also clearly identifying to everyone the importance of training in aviation, and that is something that we must always remain aware of. Training and training standards are just so important.
"This year we have decided to focus our efforts on a series of instructor seminars that are being conducted at five venues throughout New Zealand. We have sought participation from flying instructors across the whole of the aviation community from microlight and helicopter, glider and aeroplane," John Jones said.
Ian Dix, Education and Training Specialist with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Australia (CASA) is in New Zealand to participate in the seminars. He has considerable experience in teaching and flight instruction, and has been a driving force behind CASA's Instructor Seminars and aviation education programmes. Linda Hutchings from Brainstorm, a Waikato-based training and learning resource design business, will also contribute to the seminars. The emphasis will be on instructional techniques.
John Jones, a former airline pilot, reflected on the influence his first instructor had on him, "I will never forget what he taught me, and the grounding that he gave me in aviation. They establish right from the very start the standards that you are going to fly by. That's where this thing that we call an aviation safety culture has its roots. The instructors are the ones who shape your attitudes right from the beginning.
"We want to see an improvement in flight instruction we see it as essential if standards are to improve and accident rates are to fall in General Aviation (GA). This is not the only initiative that the CAA pushing to improve standards in GA, but we believe that it is a very important one."
The Hamilton seminar is the first of five being hosted by the Civil Aviation Authority, with others being held in Palmerston North, Ashburton, Dunedin, and Whangarei over the next two weeks.