RAAus held a mustering workshop in Cunnamulla during October 2019 and were kind enough to invite a representative from ASRA to attend. I accepted the offer with the idea being to provide input from a gyroplane perspective.

The workshop was aimed at developing a syllabus and training program for a ‘mustering pilot’ endorsement in Australia. Held over three days with representatives from fixed-wing, helicopter and gyroplane disciplines providing anecdotal evidence of the skills required to safely muster from the air. The workshop culminated in a barbeque dinner attended by a number of local pilots eager to anonymously add a range of mustering experiences which helped in the collating of information required to formulate an outline for the draft documents.

RAAus National Operations Manager Jill Bailey has distributed among the workshop committee a draft copy of the proposed syllabus and training program which will be formalised once all comments and proposed changes have been processed. It is worth noting that the most important reference document used throughout the workshop was a mustering pilot’s guide written by gyroplane pilot Andy Treloar. I have spoken with Andy and thanked him on behalf of ASRA and RAAus for allowing his guide to be used extensively by the authors of the proposed mustering documents.

While the RAAus mustering endorsement, which by the way is to be called a ‘Pastoral Endorsement’, will be designed specifically for fixed-wing aircraft, mustering principles will be easily transferred to both gyroplanes and helicopters.

With the upcoming changes brought about by the introduction of Part 149 to Self Administering Aviation Organisations, I believe that having a formal endorsement for mustering pilots in place is a step closer to having mustering in all aircraft recognised by CASA as a legal commercial operation.

Rick Elliott

ASRA President