An AO, now our Companion, what next??- Err..Sir Dick??

{Comment: On Aunty Pru Dick Smith has heavily featured in recent weeks. Starting from about here – Big issues – Bush businesses. – on the forum you can follow the “Wake up Wazza” campaign to this post today – cheers P2}

 Dick Smith:

Hey Wazza just passing thought I’d drop in!!??

From one of Farmer Truss’s local rags the Fraser Coast Chronicle …

Dick Smith predicts collisions if CASA won’t allow warnings

A brief pause from the “Wake up Wazza” campaign— —-

Dick Smith: Philanthropist sees many flight paths to success  

• by: EAN HIGGINS

Reporter
Sydney

Dick Smith, at home at Terrey Hills in Sydney’s north, says he is ‘pretty honoured to get this award’. Picture: Jonathan Ng Source: News Corp Australia

In his report card of 1954 when he was 10 years old, Dick Smith came in 45th out of 47 students at Sydney’s Roseville Public School.

“When I was at school, I was hopeless,” Mr Smith told The Australian.

With his teachers not expressing any great confidence in his prospects as a scholar, Mr Smith left school at 15 to take up a position as an electrical apprentice.

Mr Smith did eventually go back to finish high school, but the self-made multi-millionaire, who came from a working-class family, makes the point that scholastic ­aptitude and going to university are not the be-all and end-all.

“If you’re not very good academically, don’t write yourself off, you can still get ahead as an ­apprentice,” he said.

It was his electrical trades knowledge and skill at entrepreneurship that made Mr Smith his fortune, starting with a car radio business he set up with $610 of capital in 1968, Dick Smith Electronics, which he sold for $21 million in 1983.

Mr Smith made even more of a killing as a publishing entrepreneur, starting Australian Geographic in 1986 before selling it to Fairfax in 1995 for $41m, by which time circulation had topped 200,000.

While knowing how to make money was a skill Mr Smith developed at a young age, he says a parallel element during his early years was a belief in volunteering, assisting others, and, when he had enough money to engage in it, philanthropy. He says that inculcation started when he joined the Boy Scouts, the key creed being “to help people all the time”.

Among many philanthropic activities over the decades, in 1985 Mr Smith started the Bourke to Burketown Bash from western NSW to northern Queensland, which raises money for children with disabilities.

Profits from his company Dick Smith Foods, which promotes and sells Australian produce, go to charity, and he is engaged in projects ranging from a hospital in ­Somalia to Aboriginal education.

Mr Smith has been appointed a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia.

The citation praises Mr Smith’s “eminent service to the community as a benefactor of a range of not-for-profit and conservation organisations, through support for major fundraising initiatives for humanitarian and social welfare programs, to medical research and the visual arts, and to aviation”.

Mr Smith, who already held an AO, said he was “pretty honoured to get this award”.

Ok – pregnant pause – well done & well deserved Dick…

But then…

..A flyer with more than 10,000 hours, Mr Smith has made huge efforts to improve aviation regulation, including as chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority and later the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in the 1990s.

His efforts have won him praise from many aviators but the ire of some in the aviation establishment who came to regard him as a rebel and a troublemaker.

“..While gracious about his new honour, Mr Smith noted it was ironic that not only was he not asked to be on aviation boards now, but there was a tendency for those he recommended to not even get an interview. But he is still campaigning for reforms to Australia’s air traffic control system..”

Alright back into it…

Must of missed this one from the Northern Star – Airport comms upgrade – the first part of which was pretty much a re-hash of several others. However it was the last part that perked my interest..

…A Virgin Airlines pilot, who didn’t want to be named, told NewsCorp safety was an issue at Ballina.

“I find it quite extraordinary that we have at Ballina a new fire rescue service to deal with an accident, but we have no risk mitigation in place to stop it happening in the first place,” the pilot said.

A CASA spokesman rejected a NewsCorp report claiming the authority “buckled” under pressure to change the rules. —  

The spokesman said firefighters had been able to operate Unicom radios, with CASA approval, since 2005.

The airport’s $13.5 million fire station was required under CASA regulations as more than 350,000 people use the airport annually.

Mr Weatherson said the airport was preparing a report to assess upgrading to a Unicom radio system, to be operated by firefighters or a certified air/ground operator.

He estimated either system would cost about $250,000 a year to staff.

“The risk assessment by CASA and Airservices Australia said it’s okay the way it is,” he said. — are you sure about that now Mr Weatherson??—   —  

“We’ve had the fire station in place to deal with any issues since December; we implemented new required navigation performance procedures last January. There have never been any major incidents or deaths at the airport.

The report would also consider passing higher costs on to passengers.

Dick moving up the Tory food chain perhaps??

Dick Smith says he is considering running against Tony Abbott at the next election  

• by: Lanai Scarr and AAP National Political Reporter
• From: News Corp Australia Network
• 42 minutes ago June 08, 2015 8:34AM

  

  Sauced … Dick Smith says he is considering running in Tony Abbott’s electorate of Warringah at the next federal election. Picture: Supplied. Source: News Limited

  AUSTRALIAN entrepreneur Dick Smith says he is considering running against Tony Abbott at the next federal election. 

  The self-made businessman who was today awarded one of the nation’s highest honours — appointed a companion (AC) of the Order of Australia — said there was much he wanted to achieve in aviation reforms.

  Mr Smith said governments needed to realise they were accountable to promises made and so his eyes were on the Prime Minister’s northern Sydney electorate of Warringah.
  “I am thinking of having a go in Tony Abbott’s seat, mainly to communicate that when you’re a government and you say you are going to do things you have to do them,” Mr Smith told ABC radio.

  

  Watch out … Prime Minister Tony Abbott enjoying a sausage sanger with Dick Smith sauce. Picture: Supplied. Source: News Limited 

  Mr Smith, who was awarded the 1986 Australian of the Year award, also raised concerns over the current debate around stripping citizenship from those suspected of terrorism activity.

  “I think we’ve gone a bit berserk,” Mr Smith said.

  He said the number of people who would die from terrorism activity was much less than those who would die in a car accident and so the issue needed to be deflated.

  Mr Smith was today among the 717 Australians on this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours list for his service to the community through a range of not-for-profit and conservation organisations.

  He said he was incredibly proud to receive the honour, especially given the fact he was considered “dumb” at school.

  “When I was at school I was terribly hopeless … I thought I would get nowhere,” Mr Smith said.
  

  Passionate … Dick Smith says aviation reforms are important to him. Picture: Supplied. Source: News Corp Australia

  “So to get this award … it gives an example that in Australia you can do wondrous things because it is a wonderful country.”

  Mr Smith also weighed into the same-sex marriage debate and called for an end to the “pathetic political strutting” on the issue.

  “I just turn off with the pathetic political strutting,” Mr Smith said.

  “I wish the prime minister would just do it. Show some leadership and get on with it.”

MTF…P2