CASA EX31/24 — ATC Licence (PARM Endorsement) (Exemptions from Recency and Currency Requirements) Instrument 2024

This is a temporary rule that lets air traffic controllers at Sydney Airport keep their special radar monitoring qualification (called a 'PARM endorsement') valid by practising on a specific simulator, rather than having to do it in live air traffic operations.

What it does:

• Who it affects: Air traffic controllers who work at Sydney Airport and hold a PARM endorsement (Precision Approach Radar Monitor). This is a specialised skill for monitoring aircraft during precision radar approaches.
• The problem it solves: Normally, controllers must regularly perform actual live air traffic control duties to keep their qualifications current ('recency') and demonstrate ongoing competence ('currency'). But PARM operations are rare in live traffic, making it hard for controllers to meet these requirements.
• The solution: This instrument creates exemptions from the normal recency and currency rules. Controllers can now:
  • For recency: Practise on the 'PRM simulator' (a Eurocat simulator at the Sydney Air Traffic Services Centre) for at least 30 minutes every 21 days, instead of doing live PARM work.
  • For currency: Have their simulator performance assessed as satisfactory within the last 6 months, instead of being assessed on live operations.

Important conditions:

• Controllers must already be current in other Sydney air traffic roles (Sydney Tower or Sydney TCU) through live operational work (not simulator work).