Yes. Active members must reach prescribed standards of competency and currency in their role. Continued status as an active member is reliant on maintaining the required skill and knowledge standards set down in the training syllabus and Flight Administration Manual (FAM). Other courses/ certificates which would be helpful include a Senior First Aid Certificate, and a marine radio operator course. These are two courses which we can arrange for any interested members.

We also have the requirements that as a Pilot or Co-pilot you must complete a check flight with our chief pilot before taking part in practical training and you must complete an annual currency flight for a specific type of aircraft eg P68 or C172. We have a two pilot policy whereby the Pilot and Co-pilot must both be current in the specific type of aircraft which they intend to fly during training and missions. This just means that if you are tasked to fly a C172 then you need to have completed the annual currency flight for the C172. You must also meet the requirements set by CASA.

Apart from theory training, we also have a lot of practical lessons. There are three levels to our practical lessons. The first stage is that an aircrew is sent on a mission to fly to different waypoints while the observers look for targets on the way. The second stage is where an aircrew fly a simulated SAR mission over land, and the third stage is where an aircrew fly a simulated SAR mission off shore.