SAFETY & TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
AFAP Safety and Technical Committee
The Safety and Technical Committees function is to represent and promote the interests of Australian professional flight crew and to champion the highest possible standards of aviation safety. The Committee is mainly concerned with ensuring that proper safety standards and practices exist at all levels of the aviation industry.
Representatives of the Committee include:
The Committee consists of a Safety & Technical (S&T) Director, Representatives from the AFAP membership, and the AFAP's S&T staff.
Captain Philip Remilton is AFAP's Safety & Technical Director and is responsible for representing the Federation on safety and technical matters affecting aircraft operations, passengers and crew. In addition, Philip holds the position of National Pilot Council Chair (and was Vice-Chair from 2018-2021). He is also an AFAP Convention representative, an AFAP Welfare representative and the AFAP’s HIMS representative. He is employed by the Royal Flying Doctor Service based in Adelaide holding the position of Senior Pilot and flying the Pilatus PC-12.
Outgoing S&T Director Stuart Beveridge (2018-2020) was previously flying the B737 at Virgin Australia Airlines and is now an overseas member in the USA. He is both Vice-Chair of AusALPA's Human Performance (HUPER) and Vice-Chair of AusALPA's Accident Analysis & Prevention (AAP) committees and is an IFALPA Accredited Accident Investigator.
The S&T staff includes Marcus Diamond, Naomi Radke and Julian Smibert in the Melbourne office and Lachlan Gray based out of the Brisbane office.
Marcus is the S&T Manager. He has an aviation career spanning 25 years, Marcus has been a Training Captain, Fleet Captain, Flight Operations Manager, Deputy Chief Pilot and CEO of a small Part 121 regional airline. Marcus has also served the AFAP as a volunteer negotiator and representative on an AFAP pilot council.
Naomi joined the AFAP in 2020 to develop and deliver safety interview training for pilot representatives. With 13 years of experience as a pilot at Virgin Australia, including as a B737 training captain, she also works with our IFALPA partners and AusALPA to coordinate responses to S&T matters; and attends S&T related meetings on behalf of the AFAP and AusALPA.
Julian is a long term member, retired CASA FOI and Aviation Auditor, he has extensive experience as a pilot in Helicopter and General Aviation Fixed-Wing operations. During Julian's flying career he served as an AFAP council chairman and on the board of the MBF.
Lachlan has experience as an airfield safety officer and as a pilot in both regional airlines and in GA. Since joining the S&T team in 2017, he has represented the AFAP and AusALPA at S&T meetings, and liaises regularly with a range of industry stakeholders and CASA to progress a variety of aviation reforms and S&T matters.
The S&T team are always looking for members to help the Safety and Technical area, if you would like to join please get in touch.
E-mail AFAP S&T
Doing Business
The AFAP and AIPA jointly founded AusALPA, which is the Australian Member Association of IFALPA (International Federation of Air Line Pilots).
While the AFAP & AIPA conduct their business, including industrial relations affairs, as separate entities, in the technical arena, the two organisations have joined forces so as to bring a combined voice to these issues, and thus create a more concerted approach.
Safety & Technical Portfolios are managed by a dedicated Sub-Committee. Portfolios within the S&T Sub-Committee are arranged in an IFALPA category order, and include:
- AAP - Accident Analysis & Prevention
- ADO - Aircraft Design & Operation
- AGE - Aerodrome Ground Environment
- ATS - Air Traffic Services
- HEL - Helicopters
- HUPER - Human Performance issues
- LEG/PGA - Legal and Professional Government Affairs
- SEC/DG - Security & Dangerous Goods
Members of the AFAP and AIPA are encouraged to consider representing their organisation as an S&T member. If a member has a specific area of interest, they will generally be allocated to the relevant portfolio. The intention is to provide the opportunity for further training, to anyone who is prepared to invest personal time and effort in this endeavour.
Portfolio members can review operational policy issues on a regular basis. The outcome of portfolio decisions are then processed as required; this frequently results in submissions to Government, ASTRA, CASA, Air Services Australia, and various other aviation agencies including the ATSB, and also IFALPA. In addition, arrangements are made as appropriate for AusALPA representation at meetings, seminars, and other aviation safety forums. Members are encouraged to participate in all of these activities .Within the AFAP, we are also here to advise and assist members and industrial staff on safety and technical related issues and problems. Contact us if you have a flight safety or technical issue that you wish to discuss.
Have your say
From time to time, we are invited to review and comment on policy change proposals and other operational papers. Most, but not all, emanate from CASA's Regulatory Reform Program e.g. documents such as Notices of Proposed Rule Making (NPRMs) and Discussion Papers (DPs). Copies are sent out to representative members for their input before submissions are drafted for the Safety & Technical Director's consideration.
If you see an article of interest and would like to participate, please contact us.
Members can contribute to S&T issues at any time. Your review and comments are most welcome. Wider input from our members can assist the AFAP in providing broader and enhanced submissions to the regulator and other aviation industry organisations.
E-mail AFAP S&T