[Peetwo]

CASA RESHUFFLES IT’S ASAP CONTINUING TO EXCLUDE AOPA AUSTRALIA

AOPA Australia Executive Director Benjamin Morgan offers an opinion.



The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has announced a reshuffle of it’s Aviation Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), with Tristar Aviation founder Adrianne Fleming OAM, Kestrel Aviation founder and President of the Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA) Ray Cronin and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) expert Dr Reece Clother appointed to the panel.

Making way for the new appointments were; Virgin Australia’s Rob Sharp, Australian Airports Association CEO Caroline Wilke and the TAAAF’s Greg Russell.  Remaining members of the TAAAF are;

Professor Pat Murray – Chairman
Mr John Gissing – Qantas
Mr Jim Davis – RAAA
Mr Michael Monck – RAAus
Mr Graeme Crawford – CASA
Mr Rob Walker – CASA

Yesterday’s announcement seems to confirm what everyone has suspected for a long time and the timing of the re-shuffle neatly coincides with a recent call from the TAAAF for greater control by the CASA board over its Director of Aviation Safety.

Suffice to say, it appears CASA did not receive that news well.

The stunning exclusion of the TAAAF and the Airports Association appear to follow on from public statements leading up to, during and after the recent election, that have put the associations in opposition and conflict with both CASA and the Minsiter.

A mere coincidence?  Maybe not.

Whilst there are some poweful appointments to the ASAP, the credibility of CASA’s advisory panel now seriously at risk with the regulator boldly communicating an unwillingness to hear anything other than it its own voice and opinion.

Clearly there are some difficult times ahead.  Meanwhile AOPA Australia warmly welcomes the TAAAF and the Airports Association to our growing club of associations who have dared publicly disagree with CASA!

Why am I surprised, you would have to be A-SAP to believe that this group were anything but window dressing.

Hmm...but hang on a second, weren't AHIA and AWPA (Australian Women Pilots’ Association), along with RAAus, active members of TAAAF? So has there been a splintering of TAAAF membership?  

If that's the case then it's just same old Big R-regulator tactic ruling and conquering by division...  

Besides the ASAP IMO loses all credibility merely by including the Scottish Git as a remaining member - FDS!

By the by, can anyone believe the bollocks that Hitch put out in his LMH on this turn of events...  

CASA yesterday announced its second iteration of ASAP. This is an advisory panel that utilises industry people to tear apart proposed regulation and give CASA input on the way forward. CASA has added both Ray Cronin and Adrianne Fleming to the panel, a move which has to be loudly applauded. Both Cronin and Fleming have contributed significantly to most aspects of general aviation in this country and bring to the panel the passion and experience that GA needs from its representatives. CASA has copped slings and arrows in the past about a lack of GA representation, especially from AOPA. The inference has been that ASAP member TAAAF was not properly representing the views of GA. Whether or not that's true is now a dead matter as TAAAF is off the panel for the time being. However, it will be very hard to justify statements about a lack of genuine representation now that two of Australia's most prominent and passionate GA exponents have been taken on board.

some of the antagonism has receded - Hmm...do you reckon? 

The general aviation community has been shaken in the past couple of weeks over action taken by the local council to effectively shut down Tyabb Airport. It even made A Current Affair. The good news today is that after a meeting between the respective principals, the council has indicated it won't enforce the letters that ordered companies on the airport to cease operations for the time being. It seems that both Peninsula Aero Club and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council have found a more harmonious way forward. The ball is now with the shire, which has been tasked with providing some information the aero club wants, with another meeting scheduled for a couple of weeks. PAC is standing its ground and insisting it has all the permits and the rights to keep operating, but some of the antagonism has receded. So, some good signs, but the fight is not over yet.

Airservices cutting charges is good news for our industry. Yes, 2% is only a flea on a black dog when it comes to how much aviation costs, but right now, with most costs and charges going in the other direction, we need to take whatever comes our way. Airservices CEO Jason Harfield has credited the cost cuts to saving realised under the Accelerate scheme, which sought to streamline the organisation. Hundreds of jobs were lost under Accelerate, but Airservices has stated that none of them were "front-line" positions. With OneSKY looming large, there were fears that the cuts to personnel had been too deep, but except for a couple of hiccups along the way, there hasn't been a lot of evidence of that. Most of the worries are still about  front-line personnel levels, especially when it comes to reviews of staffing requirements at various airports and the emerging remote-tower technology. All of this should mean more cost rollbacks in the future, unless all the savings are re-absorbed by OneSKY.

Read more at http://www.australianflying.com.au/the-l...UkK4Giu.99

Oh well at least Sandy was quick with a retort:

Sandy Reith • 16 hours ago

I’ll add my applause to the appointment of Ray Cronin and Adrianne Fleming to CASA’s advisory panel, incongruously dubbed ‘ASAP.’ As Soon As Possible seems to suggest that we might expect some speed in CASA’s reaction to it’s debilitating regulatory over reach. But of Ray and Adrianne no doubt that these two highly experienced individuals will add greatly to the deliberations of ASAP. 

However I’m sure I won’t be alone in wondering why not AOPA representatives as well? After all AOPA represents private pilots, this is a major part of it’s platform, it’s raison d’etre. To take representatives from from an industry body would seem to be fully in line with democratic practices.

 Ben Morgan was equally as quick with a reply to Sandy:

BENJAMIN MORGAN  Sandy Reith • 15 hours ago

Won't happen Sandy, CASA are not interested in constructive criticism, nor are they willing to work with anyone that disagrees with their regulation and/or policy. The recent re-shuffle is a telling story, laid bare for all to see.

Meanwhile in the Iron Ring version of 'Alice in Wonderland' an update on the ongoing APTA embuggerance: (previous: APTA embuggerance update)

Dear Minister Mc Cormack, or the recipient.

I wrote to the Minister at the start of the week on matters I considered of significance, with regard to aviation safety in Australia. I have not received an acknowledgement, or a response.

Can you please confirm that this is the correct email for such matters. Alternatively, if the correct protocols are to formally lodge such matters through the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ASTB) please advise. The issues are significant and effect aviation safety, so at least an acknowledgement that this is the correct email address to reach Minister Mc Cormack would be appreciated.

Respectfully

Glen Buckley


(In response to McDo'Naught's non-response to this: To the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Mr Mc Cormack.)

---

Dear Mr Shane Carmody,

 
There are no regulatory breaches. There are no safety concerns expressed by CASA.
 
CASAs actions have placed significant restrictions on my ability to trade and that has been repeatedly identified to CASA, as has the associated commercial impact. Craig Martin will be the Subject Matter Expert (SME) within CASA.
 
Within a week,  CASA will make yet another decision to allow continuing operations through another temporary approval, or in fact, close the operation down. I don’t need to outline the enormous organisational instability that brings to the staff, and my ability to retain them, to customers, students, members and suppliers. These “temporary approvals” have now continued for 8 months and understandably bought the business to its knees. The staff and I are exhausted and drained, so is the business. My Key Personnel must now make decisions about their own employment options, and that impacts on continuing operations amongst the group, with the associated consequences on businesses, staff, and suppliers.
 
To bring this absurd matter to a close it simply needs one decent human being, acting in a well-intentioned manner, to make a good decision. It is that simple.
 
It needs one person to give me 3 hours of their time to tell my side of the story. it then needs that same person to spend a further 3 hours revising the Regulatory Philosophy, the functions of CASA, the enforcement manual, the Public Service Commission website, the definition of unconscionable conduct, the PGPA Act, the Ministers Statement of Expectations on CASA, and a familiarity with Administrative Law.
 
It needs that same well-intentioned person, to then seriously contemplate what it means to operate under the Australian Coat of Arms that will be proudly displayed throughout every CASA office. Reflect on the substance of it, the history behind it, the standards, ethics, governance and integrity that is conveyed by having the privilege to operate under it.
 
Then simply arrive at a decision.
 
As you are aware my preference is to resolve these matters through well intentioned face to face discussion. That is the most effective way to resolve any dispute.

However, I have had the opportunity to receive some industry funded and substantive legal guidance on my matter. This meeting was initiated by someone in Industry, and I did not pay for the consultation This firm does not provide litigation funding, and that necessitates me seeking support from wider industry, should I elect to continue. At this stage there is no obligation on my behalf to proceed. If I do:
 
The first stage is a relatively straightforward process costing approximately $50,000. This would provide a robust and detailed overview of the validity of the claim, for both Industry and CASA to consider and would provide full transparency to both parties. On production of the report perhaps I could have the opportunity to meet with CASA again. The case would be based around CASAs failure to deliver clear and concise aviation safety standards, and the effects of that failure on safety and industry, as evidenced by my experience, and no doubt many others.
 
I am fully satisfied that in fact, CASA have failed to achieve “clear and concise aviation safety standards”. That is the root cause of every one of my current issues, and in fact the wider industry’s.

I am fully satisfied that 5 personnel within CASA have acted inappropriately, and in my opinion unlawfully, although I respect that that needs to be determined.
 
My hope is that you could respond indicating if there is a potential change of stance within CASA and a willingness to genuinely resolve the matter via a well-intentioned decision maker that you nominate.
 
Respectfully,
 
Glen Buckley.
 

Hmm...."let's do the timewarp again.."  - 

MTF...P2