AOOA Newsletter

Dear Members, would-be Members and Supporters

As we draw to the close of yet another most unusual and difficult year marked by the public health and socio-economic ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, our spirits may be lifted as we review some recent progress in the aviation sector borne on the wave of the most remarkably peaceful and successful of recent Presidential and General Elections held anywhere on planet earth! Well done Zambia!

Meanwhile, just a few short weeks ago, we held a series of frank but highly productive meetings with ZAF regarding Airspace Clearances in Zambia, following which within days the return to Block Airspace Clearances was announced and up and running, a massive morale booster for the commercial air charter and general aviation industries beleaguered by the one-off clearances introduced over the preceding 6 months.

Virtually in step with this were the revised charges announced by ZACL reducing the massive overtime or after-hours fees for keeping airports open outside normal working hours. Yes, we do still have issues with some of the aviation fees which we believe remain excessive (and more importantly un- competitive), but this is a significant step forward in our drive to make Zambia an attractive and affordable tourism, business and investment destination.

Then, just last week, we held our much-anticipated AOOA-ZCAA Agenda ’21 meeting with the Authority’s senior management, not only achieving consensus on 7 out of our 9 Agenda ’21 Items but also noting that most were already in encouraging stages of implementation (summarised below), while the outstanding 2 of which are also works in progress at various stages of consideration.

We would therefore like to highlight the following specific resolutions from our joint AOOA-ZCAA Agenda ’21 intended to support the CAA in its implementation of agreed administrative and regulatory provisions through appropriate consultations between stakeholders and the Authority:

1. (i)  A List of CAA approved Flight Instructors, Designated Check Pilots and Designated Examiners is expected to be published by the Authority.

2. (ii)  The CAA has confirmed that provisions will be introduced allowing pilots to record their flight times in either Hours and Minutes or Decimals in their Personal Flying Logbooks; hours and minutes are to be recorded to the nearest 5 mins (for example 2:05); decimals to one decimal point (for example 2.1); pilots may choose either format but must then consistently maintain their logbooks using only one of the approved formats while flying under the Zambia CAA jurisdiction; the CAA is expected to issue an AIC to this effect..

3. (iii)  The continued operation of aircraft powered by piston engines over 12 years since TBO is to be permitted by the CAA as already provided for by their manufacturers, provided that the powerplants concerned DO comply with manufacturers’ mandatory maintenance requirements, performance specifications, and operational recommendations, and subject to agreed limitations of calendar extensions.

4. (iv)  A working group is proposed to facilitate development of regulations and guidelines regarding the operation of and distinction between Light Sports Aircraft and Experimental Aircraft and associated restrictions on geographical range of their operations; operators of LSAs and Experimentals are urged to contact the CAA to establish this proposed working group.

5. (v)  The CAA is considering a range of options for implementing enabling measures and associated provisions that encourage private or commercial pilots of any age above the minimum to fly an aircraft as PIC or Co-Pilot provided that any such pilot does have a valid Pilots License and is appropriately licensed, rated, proficient and current, and does hold a valid aviation Medical Certificate appropriate to his or her Pilots License, including implementation of proposals regarding the purposive interpretation of provisions allowing CPLs and ATPLs over the age of 65 to continue exercising their flying privileges subject to agreed limitations.

   1. (vi)  Excessive requirements interpreted for the validation and conversion of foreign pilots’ licences are no longer applicable - foreign CPL licences may be validated for 90 days at a time with no limit on the number of validations; Zambian residents and citizens are permitted to convert their foreign CPL licences immediately on application; all others must complete 200 hours on a Zambian-registered aircraft while continuing to fly on validations before being permitted to convert to a Zambian CPL.

   2. (vii)  The CAA is drafting provisions to facilitate the issue of AOCs for non-scheduled commercial air service Operators through the introduction of new Sub-Parts of ZCARs providing for differentiation of AOC Certification Procedures and Implementing Standards for different types, sizes and scopes of commercial air service operations.

   3. (viii)  Proposals regarding provisions for rationalising appropriate flying training procedures and implementing standards for different types, sizes and scopes of flight operations, in particular for non-scheduled commercial air service operations are being reviewed and revised by the CAA where appropriate.

   4. (ix)  The CAA has implemented with immediate effect provisions rationalising Aeroplane Category, Class, Series and Type Ratings for all Dual-Controlled aircraft (including Airliners) to allow for ratings according to agreed compatible Series (such as SEL Piper PA28 Piston-Engine and MEL Cessna C400 Piston-Engine Series), subject to DTO’s, ATO’s, Owners’ and Operators’ Differences’ Training for Types included in such Series.

   If there are any queries regarding the foregoing, feel free to contact the AOOA Secretariat for advice and guidance, or enquire directly with appropriate departments of the CAA. The AOOA thus looks forward to continuing its collaboration with the CAA and its governing Ministry of Transport and Logistics on these and other issues as and when they arise.

   So, let us as a community also look to the future and work together for the betterment of the sector, not only through the AOOA and its platforms, but as individuals and partners in this most promising of economic sectors in Zambia and globally. In these regards, we can also report that we supported and participated in GATCOZ’s Air Traffic Controllers’ Day a few weeks ago, laying groundwork for further cooperation between aviators and our ATC partners.

   Of course, all this takes a lot of time, patience, effort and resources to keep the AOOA active and on top of the many pressing issues that need following up. So we do hope that you will continue to support the Association and join in its activities, and that if you didn’t join us during 2021 that you will do so for 2022 (https://www.aooa-zambia.org/membership).

   Finally, as we have witnessed over the past few days of early November the rains are here bringing with them the promise of fresh hope. But they also herald the season of hazardous weather conditions, from variable winds, windshear, thunderstorms, hail and other severe weather conditions, not to mention deterioration of seasonal airstrips to the point of being dangerous and unusable.

   So, please stay focused on flying safe, with due regard to good airmanship, and complements of the season to you all.

   Richard Jeffery/AOOA President