A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) notice on how air force pilots obtain their civilian flying licences has exposed “highly concerning” flaws, including some examiners waving mandatory testing requirements such as navigation skills.

The notice raising red flags came four months after the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) audited its SA counterpart, though the CAA said an internal review process which led to the notice began in 2019. It added that it had full trust in SAAF qualifications and training.

The FAA audits other countries’ aviation regulators to allow foreign-based pilots and aircraft into US airspace. The audits look into, among other things, how aviation authorities regulate their sectors, the processes of attaining pilot licences and aviation safety incidents...