AvSafety Podcast Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Gain a greater understanding of the hazards of wet season flying and a renewed knowledge of the many resources available to help you confidently manage risk and make good operational decisions.

Join our industry experts:


Tim Penney, Aviation Safety Advisor, CASA
Michael Paech & Sam Bethune, Senior Aviation Meteorologists, Bureau of Meteorology
Lee Ungerman, Senior Transport Safety Investigator, Australian Transport Safety Bureau
Lee-anne Smollett, Brisbane Centre, (TOPS) Controller, Airservices Australia
Braden Blennerhassett, Head of Turboprop Operations, Leidos Aviation Solutions Australia.

You can also view a video recording of the wet season seminar.

For more on weather and forecasting for pilots visit the Pilot safety hub: casa.gov.au/pilots and click through to the dedicated page.
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Do you have the current aerodrome chart for planning and reference? 

Always consider alternate routes and potential hazards, regardless of how familiar you are with the aerodrome.

This episode explores the key things you should know when operating at controlled aerodromes - including runway safety, situational awareness and talking to air traffic control.

Runway safety is considered to be one of the highest priority areas for improvement in aviation safety by The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Airservices.

This important topic reinforces why your flight does not finish until your aircraft is in the right spot and the engine is turned off.

This episode features stories and insights from Bianca Wise, senior flight instructor at Flight Training Adelaide, and Raj Prakash, Airservices tower controller at Brisbane Airport.


Visit the show notes at https://www.casa.gov.au/resources-and-education/publications-and-resources/podcasts/avsafety-podcast-staying-safe-runway
To find out more visit the CASA pilot safety hub casa.gov.au/pilots
Register for CASA’s AvSafety seminars at casa.gov.au/events
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you complete thorough pre-flight plans and checklists before each take-off?

 Your decision-making during all phases of flight, including your pre-flight planning, is important to make sure you get home safely, every time you fly. 

Listen in to this flight planning podcast and discover how preparation helps us fly at our best and maximise our chance at the best outcome in emergency situations.

In this episode, Alexander Robinson from Seeing Machines, shares the story of a near-miss in the air due to inadequate planning, and Terry Horsam, Aviation Safety Advisor at CASA.


Visit the show notes at https://www.casa.gov.au/resources-and-education/publications-and-resources/podcasts/avsafety-podcast-why-flight-planning-critical
To find out more visit the CASA pilot safety hub casa.gov.au/pilots
Register for CASA’s AvSafety seminars at casa.gov.au/events
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you do when the weather turns? 

The most talked about topic for pilots is weather and forecasting. It may surprise you that accidents are not actually about the weather, it’s about decisions you made or did not make before the actual flight. In this episode, we hear the story of pilot Lea Vesic, who shares her experience flying in a changing weather environment.  We also speak to Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Michael Paech, who shares his insights and useful advice for pilots. 


Visit the show notes at https://www.casa.gov.au/resources-and-education/publications-and-resources/podcasts/avsafety-podcast-weather-changing-environment
To find out more visit the CASA pilot safety hub casa.gov.au/pilots
Register for CASA’s AvSafety seminars at casa.gov.au/events
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you effectively operate and make quality radio calls in a circuit? 

Operating at non-controlled aerodromes has many challenges and risks and requires pilots to consider their flight planning requirements. This includes considering when and how to make radio calls, checking you’re on the correct frequency and how to operate in the circuit. For this episode we’re joined by two pilots - Nerita Summers, a trainee pilot, and Ben Mackney, co-owner of Flight Standards in Darwin. They both have personal experiences with incidents that occurred in non-controlled aerodromes, share what happened, what they learned, and what you can take away to help you stay safe on your next flight. 


Visit the show notes at https://www.casa.gov.au/resources-and-education/publications-and-resources/podcasts/avsafety-podcast-circuit-and-radio-operations-non-controlled-aerodromes
To find out more visit the CASA pilot safety hub casa.gov.au/pilots
Register for CASA’s AvSafety seminars at casa.gov.au/events
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the AvSafety podcast presented by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. We're your hosts, Lea Vesic And Tim Penny and together we will take you on a journey into the insights of fellow aviators and industry experts willing to share their experiences and impart their knowledge so that we can all be safer pilots. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. And remember, safety is in your hands and we look forward to delivering new content that just might make your next flight that little bit safer.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.