This NPRM is issued by CASA with a view to ensuring that Australian aviation safety requirements are current and appropriately address safety risks.

CASA’s policies require that the aviation safety regulations must:

• be necessary to address known or likely safety risks
• provide for the most efficient allocation of Industry and CASA resources
• be clear and concise
• where appropriate, be aligned with international standards and drafted in outcome based terms.

The proposed amendments are to:

• CAO 29.6—Helicopter External Sling Load Operations
• CAO 29.1—Helicopter Winching and Rappelling Operations.

These CAOs contain the requirements for the conduct of helicopter external sling load operations and helicopter winching and rappelling operations. The current requirements do not reflect the latest concepts in the use of risk assessment and management in regard to these operations.

The future introduction of Part 138 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) will require a more detailed approach to an operator’s policies and procedures for risk mitigation and a risk assessment process for approval of certain helicopter operations. Bringing these policies forward earlier via amendments to the existing CAOs will provide for better safety outcomes prior to and until the operational CASRs are in place.
This will ensure that regulatory standards for helicopter operations keep pace in the interim with recognised best practice concepts and risk management based processes.

• NPRM 1321OS – Preamble
• ANNEX A – Response Form to NPRM 1321OS
• ANNEX B – Proposed Changes to CAOs 29.6 & 29.1
• ANNEX C – Proposed CAO 29.6 Amdt Instrument
• ANNEX D – Proposed CAO 29.11 Amdt Instrument

How to respond

Please forward your response to CASA by 27 June 2014 by one of the following means:

• Post (no stamp required in Australia)
  Reply Paid 2005
  Standards Documentation Coordinator
  CASA’s Standards Development and Quality Assurance Branch
  Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
• Email (use the response format in the NPRM) nprm1321os@cas.gov.au