Questions are being asked about the safety of Australia’s hobby aircraft industry after a string of fatal plane crashes. The body for hobby aviators has defended its safety standards but some are asking whether the small aircraft flown by recreational pilots are safe.
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00:00Flying instructor Lorraine McGilvray knows all too well the importance of flying safely,
00:09but she says standards are slipping.
00:11We need answers and we need to not be losing young lives like this anymore, or any life
00:16for that matter.
00:17Across Australia last year, 27 people lost their lives in 20 general aviation crashes,
00:23ranging from small aircraft and helicopters to paragliders and home-built planes.
00:28Kahuna pilot Keith Link walked away from his own light plane crash in 2020 when his
00:33engine failed mid-flight and thanks his training and aircraft for saving his life.
00:38He wants the Australian aviation industry to take another look at what constitutes a
00:42safe flying.
00:43I look at some of these planes and I do shake my head.
00:46They worry me.
00:47One of the issues of concern is the different rules and standards for hobby aircraft and
00:52pilots.
00:53The main difference between the two different types of certification is what we call instrument
00:57flight.
00:58In RAOs, we fly under visual conditions, which means no clouds, no storms, no inclement weather.
01:06Recreational Aviation Australia's mantra is there is a pilot in every home, and says the
01:10current rules make flying accessible but safe.
01:14We teach simple flying for simple aircraft.
01:16The difference in regulation also extends to how crashes are investigated.
01:20The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, or ATSB, doesn't always look into crashes involving
01:26recreational or hobby aircraft, and some in the industry say that that means problems
01:31can go undetected.
01:32The ATSB says the statistics over the last five years don't show an increase in accidents,
01:38but the consequences of crashes in hobby aircraft are severe.
01:42Particularly when operating at low speeds at low altitudes, the margin of error is very
01:48small.
01:49Keith Link wants a tightening of minimum standards for pilots and aircraft.
01:53There's no question.
01:54You've got to do it.
01:56You've got to fly.
01:57You've got to have the plane at that standard.
01:58Fighting to keep Australia's skies safe.