Questions are being asked about the safety of Australia's hobby aircraft industry, after a string of fatal recreational plane crashes in Victoria this year. The body for hobby aviators has defended the safety standards of its pilots and aircraft. But more experienced pilots are asking whether the small aircraft flown by everyday Australians are safe.
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00:00Flying instructor Lorraine McGilvray knows all too well the importance of flying safely,
00:08but she says standards are slipping.
00:10We 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
00:32engine 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.
00:43When I look at some of these planes, I do shake my head, they worry me.
00:47One of the issues of concern is the different rules and standards for hobby aircraft and
00:51pilots.
00:52The 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.
01:05Recreational Aviation Australia's mantra is, there is a pilot in every home, and says the
01:10current rules make flying accessible, but safe.
01:13We teach simple flying for simple aircraft.
01:15The 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
01:25recreational or hobby aircraft, and some in the industry say that that means problems
01:30can 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, you've got to do it.
01:55If you want to fly, you've got to have the plane at that standard.
01:57Fighting to keep Australia's skies safe.