[Sandy Reith]

Let’s put CASA’s answers to each of the RRAT Interim recommendations :-

1/. We will review costs and consider charging caps to alleviate hardship.

2/. Working through ASAP and TWGs we will consider CASR simplification and combination (stop laughing), plus options for CARs. Will consider conduct of ag pilots Proficiency Checks and options for third party. Will consider and report. Will consider where possible with suitable training Regional and remote pilots (somewhere out there?) to do maintenance. Will examine role of AVMAD in relation to ‘regional and remote’ pilots whose GPs and specialists opinions differ with CASA medicos, but no consideration for city based pilots. Will review CASR 138 and 133 and CAO 48.

3/. Where possible will streamline

4/.This to Government amend Act for the good of Australia’s aviation. CASA noted .

5/. CASA will audit its reg framework where possible to align with USA etc, if it suits us.

6. Will explore opportunities for mutual recognition with other NAAs.

7/. One for Minister BJ, immediately commence, wait for it, yes! an independent review of CASA’s culture.
Oh sure he’s bound to take that one seriously, oh blow now about to be in caretaker mode .

8/. See my previous posted comment, and noting that there’s no direction as to who will set up this new Commonwealth corporate. But if it happens yes it will have to be funded. CASA noted.

9/. Another for someone in Government (?) to initiate as part of the Recovery framework a holistic training review of training. CASA noted.

10/. Someone in Government ensures good careers in aviation including General Aviation, CASA agreed.

11/. Dept. I. T. R. D., Minister Joyce to create a new fund  accessible only to operators of regional and remote airports. Being the independent expert in all things aviation CASA wishes to assist by defining those airports that will be separated by location into regional and remote from the total cohort of airports that may be eligible.

12/. CASA agrees with consultation and that Government ensures this is adhered to.

CASA is pleased to report it has carried out all of its obligations in relation to the RRAT Interim Report.

Should the Committee wish to explore the definition of “regional and remote” CASA, mindful that under the Act safety is the prime consideration, it is prepared to offer a preliminary definition for this new concept of regulatory differentiation in the territory of Australia.

Regional :-  We accept any locality outside the metropolitan areas of the capital cities, but by tying the definition to ‘and remote areas’ CASA must take the safest route and declare that ‘remote,’ for the purpose of rule change to be considered, must be confined to Heard Island, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and the Cocos Keeling Group.
Tasmania was considered for ‘remote’ but too many pilots could take up residence there causing imbalance.

There it is, all done and dusted in about forty minutes.
Thank you Senator McDonald.

[Peetwo]

AOPA Oz one on one with Senator McDonald - 

AOPA Australia
225 subscribers

AOPA AUSTRALIA LIVE - TODAY 2PM
QUEENSLAND SENATOR SUSAN MCDONALD

Join Benjamin Morgan of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia for a one-on-one LIVE discussion with Queensland Senator Susan McDonald,. discussing the outcomes of the General Aviation Industry Inquiry and recent events at privatised airports in Australia.

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

Sic'em Rex calls MAYDAY?? - 

Courtesy BM and AOPA Oz, via Youtube:

AOPA Australia
227 subscribers

AOPA AUSTRALIA LIVE:  TODAY AT 2PM (EST Sydney)!
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SENATOR, REX PATRICK

Join the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia for a one-on-one interview with South Australian Senator, Rex Patrick, discussing the work of the Senate Rural Regional Affairs Transport Committee (RRAT) on general aviation matters.

LIVE Broadcast will commence at 2pm on the AOPA Australia Facebook Page:  www.facebook.com/aopaaustralia

Hmmm...sic'em Rex - 

Ref: https://auntypru.com/never-laugh-at-live-dragons/

MTF...P2 

[Kharon]

“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.”

"All well and good" says the inquiring youngster - "but, can we trust any of it?" A fair question I thought, asked at the end of a revue of the 20/20 inquiry. Best let history answer that question:-

"Highlighting the fracture of industry/regulator relations clearly and repeatedly, the government-commissioned Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR) Panel used the word “trust” or one of its derivatives no fewer than 26 times throughout its discussion, analysis and recommendations."  Paul Phelan - Dec 2016.

The rest of the article is -HERE - remarkably little has changed since 2016. Can we expect any change in 2022?  I'm not holding my breath.

[Peetwo]

Su-Spence broken promises and (BS) platitudes?? - 

A year and over a million dollars later; it is now time to start completing the IOS/BRB review on the Su_Spence performance so far...
 
Let's start with the matter of Andy Pascoe v CASA where I refer to the following extract from CASA supp submission 46.2 : 

Alleged concerns about CASA CEO not providing evidence

In AFA’s opening statement to the hearing, Mrs Pagani said that in a Local Court matter, the
presiding magistrate had indicated it might be necessary to ‘subpoena the CEO of CASA, issue a
summons for her arrest to bring her before this court to explain why CASA had not provided
information’ (Proof Hansard, pp. 23 and 24).

CASA assumes the litigation referred to is the criminal prosecution of Mr Andrew Pascoe mounted by
the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) on three (3) charges under the
Commonwealth Criminal Code. The matter is currently before the Parramatta Local Court.

CASA has conferred with the CDPP and the Australian Government Solicitor (who appeared for CASA
in connection with questions related to the production of documents), who both advise they are
unaware of any suggestion by the Magistrate that action should be taken against the CEO.

These assurances notwithstanding, CASA has ordered transcripts of all relevant portions of the
proceedings to determine if any such remarks were made. CASA has been advised it may take several
weeks for these transcripts to be provided. As soon as reasonably practicable, CASA will inform the
Committee of the outcome of its review of the transcripts.

Having reviewed all tabled documents etc. from the (at this stage, still ongoing) GA Inquiry webpages it would appear Su_Spence has reneged on the promise to "inform the Committee of the outcome of its review of the transcripts". This assumption was confirmed in communications with the RRAT committee Secretariat. The Secretariat's comment on this was that CASA may have delayed their response waiting for the outcome of the Federal election.

I call bollocks on this as this is an open inquiry and although the committee needs to be reconstituted (probably early August once the 47th Parliament begins sitting), the committee Secretariat is doing business and still accepting submissions etc. to the inquiry. I also call bollocks because the Spence supp submission with that promise was published in early January 2022, 3 months before the calling of the Federal election...

P2 - IOS/BRB rumour mill: While on the Andy Pascoe case I understand there is some pretty disturbing revelations still to come out from the last court day hearing, with associated rumours of internal wranglings leading all the way up to the Su_Spence office -   

MTF? Yes much! - P2 

[Kharon]

History - for future reference.

Old Nostradamus fancied himself a 'seer' of the future; too airy-fairy and ambiguous for my taste and nowhere near as acute as 'Fearless Phelan' when it came to prediction and far sighted comment. The remarkable thing how is not how applicable the articles were at the time of writing; but how very apt they remain in today's world. One could take any one of Paul's comments, cut, paste and re date it, today - and it would stand as fair comment of the situation aviation has been trapped in for over a decade (or two). Find a coffee and a comfy seat, take a journey back in time and consider how very applicable the writings are today; still after all this time. It is truly remarkable how little 'progress' has been made in real reform of anything that matters; in fact there is evidence of a very real regression from 'reform' of regulation or regulator behaviour. Anyone who has to deal or negotiate with CASA should study the recent history; it may not help but at least forearmed is forewarned;

Stunned Silence.
Phelan: - "Aviation Industry “disappointment” is quickly morphing into outrage over what many stakeholders now see as the government’s lethargic reaction to the “Forsyth Review” which has clearly ex-posed a need for major organisational changes to various aspects of the way the regulator goes about its business.
They are alarmed at the lack of any visible response from Deputy PM and Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss who although he has acknowledged the Air Safety Regulation Review’s (ASRR) recommendations, does not appear to have set out an urgent plan of action for their adoption. There also hasn’t been any visible response from CASA or Mr Truss’s Department. The Australian Aviation Associations Forum, representing several major and diverse industry groups, has been seeking a meeting with the Minister for several days but without success.

The situation has created a perceived void of policy that is now affecting the futures of individuals, manufacturers, AOC holders and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) certificate holders alike.

Change:

Phelan - The Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s handling of its enforcement responsibilities has already seriously degraded Australia’s air safety climate by generating mounting mutual distrust and antipathy between industry and regulator. There is now more confrontation, and less mutual respect and cooperation, than has ever existed between the regulatory body and an industry which now considers itself to be under siege from its own regulator.

• Every certificate holder is continually faced with the threat that it can be shut down almost at the whim of a single CASA decision maker through the continued exploitation of apparently unintended provisions of the Civil Aviation Act and Regulations – some would describe these as loopholes:
  

Trust
 

Phelan - But sixteen months after the release of the ASRR in May 2014, the issues around mutual trust still hadn’t been acknowledged in any public statements from CASA or the Department. Industry watched cynically as hopes for any appreciable change appeared to be fading in the way that had dogged so many earlier attempts at reform. Exasperation was heightened by (then) CASA director John McCormick’s public statements blaming industry’s alleged unpreparedness for endless delays in implementation. More than a year after those insulting and misleading assertions were first made, adoption of the “Part 61” licensing regulations was still delayed by CASA’s failure to complete and publish the micromanagement-laden regulatory guidance material with which industry was expected to comply fully by the end of August 2017.

and no - 'you can't roller skate in a Buffalo heard'.

[Peetwo]

'To be or not to be' - 2020 to 2022??

Via the RRAT lapsed inquiry webpage: 

Australia's general aviation industry

Under Standing Order 25 (2) (a), the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee will inquire into and report on the current state of Australia's general aviation industry, with particular reference to aviation in rural, regional and remote Australia.

The committee will consider the operation and effectiveness of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and other relevant aviation agencies, with particular reference to:

a. the legislative and regulatory framework underpinning CASA's aviation safety management functions, including:

• the application of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 to Australia's aviation sector, and whether the legislation is fit for purpose;
  
• the safety and economic impacts, and relative risks, of CASA's aviation safety frameworks; and
  
• the engagement of CASA with other relevant Australian Government agencies;
  

b. the immediate and long-term social and economic impacts of CASA decisions on small businesses, agricultural operations and individuals across regional, rural and remote Australia;
c. CASA's processes and functions, including:

• its maintenance of an efficient and sustainable Australian aviation industry, including viable general aviation and training sectors;
  
• the efficacy of its engagement with the aviation sector, including via public consultation; and
  
• its ability to broaden accessibility to regional aviation across Australia, considering the associated benefits of an expanded aviation sector; and
  

d. any related matters.

The committee presented its interim report on 10 December 2020, and was due to report 30 November 2021.

On 20 October 2021, the Committee agreed to extend the reporting date to 17 March 2022.

On 16 March 2022, the Committee agreed to extend the reporting date to 20 October 2022 and provide an interim report on 30 March 2022.

According to the Senate Committee's Secretariat the GA inquiry at this stage (despite the above) will remain lapsed unless the Committee decides to re-refer for further inquiry. The Committee meets over the next couple of days so we should know by the end of the Parliamentary working week whether the inquiry (like so many before it) will be shelf-wared for all eternity.  

 Despite many detractors for former Chair Senator McDonald's GA 20/20 inquiry I believe this part of the ToR... 

    "..the application of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 to Australia's aviation sector, and whether the legislation is fit for purpose.." 

...has definitely not been properly examined with proper factual evidence (30+ years of overburdening regulatory red tape that has lead to the decimation of a once burgeoning GA aviation industry) providing impetus to some serious reform of the CAA. Perhaps that segment alone should be referred to the RRAT Legislative Committee for amendment to the Act to officially disband CASA to be brought back under Ministerial and Departmental control?? - Just saying...

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

'To be or not to be' - 2020 to 2022?? - Part II

Via the Yaffa:

GA Senate Inquiry in Limbo

7 October 2022


The future of the Senate Legislation Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport (RRAT) inquiry into the general aviation industry remains in limbo as it has yet to be re-referred to the senate after the federal election held in May.

All senate inquiries lapse when parliament is prorogued, and if they are to continue in the new parliament, need to be re-referred to the senate committee.

Five months after the election, the nearly three-year-old GA industry inquiry remains lapsed.

Although former RRAT Chair Senator Susan McDonald has asked for the inquiry to be referred back, the office of new RRAT chair Senator Glenn Sterle told Australian Flying that no comment on the inquiry would be possible until the ALP government had responded to the interim report tabled last March.

The GA inquiry was self-referred to the RRAT committee in December 2019 with an interim reporting date of December 2020 and a final report one year later. COVID restrictions later forced that to be modified to March 2022. The deadlines were changed again with the interim report being tabled in March 2022 with the final report due on 20 October 2022.

However, the federal election intervened and forced the inquiry into a lapsed state.

One of the early supporters of the GA inquiry was the Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA). Current CEO Steve Campbell said the GA inquiry needed to be closed off so all the work put in by the GA community wouldn't go to waste,
"We'd like to see the GA inquiry completed; a lot of work has gone into it and it would be a shame to see it not go through to fruition," he said. "Hopefully the committee will find some good recommendations to give to the government to ease the burden on general aviation.

"We've come this far, and it's important for the general aviation community to see that government's genuinely interested in finding solutions."

The GA community has raised concerns that the ALP will disregard the work done by the senate inquiry in favour of doing a new White Paper, which has been their policy since well before the election. Doing so would further delay any revitalising measures.

"The GA inquiry has been going for a couple of years already and we've said to the government that if we know there are some solutions now, we want the government to act on it now ... we don't want to wait for another two-year process to tell us what we already know," Campbell said.

"The GA inquiry has already uncovered some things that can be worked on, and the government should start working on them straight away."

The office of Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King has been contacted for comment about responding to the interim report.

Hmm...has 'crooked mouth' really seen the light?? 

MTF...P2 

[Wombat]

The predictable future is that the inquiry is dead and buried and with it GA.

The excuse will be that the Governments climate change response and green agenda, to be delivered in the forthcoming Green paper, not to mention the current international security situation, preempts the findings of the previous review which are no longer relevant to Australia in a net zero environment.

The Department and CASA can therefore engage in window dressing for another year until the paper is released, then spend the balance of the election cycle considering its implications. That means a minimum of three years of inactivity.

On the bright side, if you are a pilot who identifies as being from a disenfranchised minority group and you own an electric aircraft, the future is looking very good.

[Sandy Reith]

Wombat predicts the GA position in the life of this Parliament, it’s hard not to agree.
One critical missing element is lack of a media profile which could expose the modus operandi of the make work salary factory CASA and its woeful record of mismanagement.
Not to mention the excruciating details of Glen Buckley’s trials and mistreatment at the hands of the out of control regulator.

[Peetwo]

Sandy walks the talk on General Aviation advocacy -

Ref previous post: 

Wombat predicts the GA position in the life of this Parliament, it’s hard not to agree.
One critical missing element is lack of a media profile which could expose the modus operandi of the make work salary factory CASA and its woeful record of mismanagement.
Not to mention the excruciating details of Glen Buckley’s trials and mistreatment at the hands of the out of control regulator.

Via Facebook:

Sandy Reith

Whilst in Canberra for the last couple of days Belle and I were able to meet Senator Susan McDonald.

Senator McDonald is well versed in matters of the “tyranny of distance” having family and personal history in outback ventures and living in northern Queensland. The Senator, of the Liberal National Party, has the very important Shadow Minister Portfolios of Resources and Northern Australia.

The Senator generously agreed to met in between her busy Senate sittings which reminded me of that old saying “If you want a job done ask a busy person.”

We share a mutual Interest to promote practical policies for the revitalisation of General Aviation, and we canvassed some ideas around developing longer term strategies for same, building on the inquiries she initiated through Senate Committee hearings from 2020 and 2021.
 
Having not met Senator McDonald previously, we were most impressed and hope to meet again. There’s no doubt that Senator McDonald’s spirit, personality and free enterprise conviction are the assets that we all wish to see in the Parliament.

Comments in reply:

Ian Tucker

Well done Sandy Reith. I was impressed with Senator McDonald's performance as chair of the Senate Enquiry. She is obviously frustrated with CASA's lack of accountability exposed during the enquiry. What are her thoughts on your suggestion to get CASA back under ministerial control as per normal departmental structure?

---

Benjamin Morgan

Great work Sandy Reith! Senator Susan McDonald is a great friend to Australia's general aviation industry and community!

MTF...P2 

[Kharon]

The right question...

Ian Tucker - “Well done Sandy Reith. I was impressed with Senator McDonald's performance as chair of the Senate Enquiry. She is obviously frustrated with CASA's lack of accountability exposed during the enquiry.

Ian Tucker - “What are her thoughts on your suggestion to get CASA back under ministerial control as per normal departmental structure?”

Spot on...Aye: that is THE question. It begs other questions though don't though; for instance are the Mandarins – the heavy duty ones, concerned or jealous? They should be concerned, the Westminster system has served well for generations now, through all manner of trials and troubles, a corner stone of the democracy we all cherish. Etc. etc...For how much longer will the pillars supporting the democratic system sit back and watch an untouchable autocracy run amok without any form of accountability, restraint or limits?

Pick a challenge; any challenge, say climbing Mt Everest or swimming the English Chanel – Google the list of those who have managed to do it; no problem finding those worthies is there. Now find the list of those who tried but didn't make it; there ain't one is there. Sad, but non the less true. Sharpen your research pencil and try to find the list of politicians (all stripes) who have actually managed meaningful reform of aviation management over the past three decades; not a long list is it. There is however a long, long list of those who have tried and failed to put a dent in the Teflon coat the aviation authorities wear. Just add up the easy ones; the 'hearings' and inquiries; the countless pages of submissions; you could even throw in meetings like the one between the excellent Sandy and Senator Mac. One could even stretch the point and take a long look at the McDonald inquiry (20/20) – good effort, no doubt about it. But did it produce anything of real value to Angel Flight? Was the game worth the very expensive candle?  Did it resolve the 'big' question – the one which is never answered; aviation is diminishing yet the CASA budget and staff keeps growing. Why?

I suspect the latest round of Fool-Aid fuelled looking to the Vertiport future is the latest make work project and will be used to mask the excesses; watch as Spence leads her troops 'into the future'.

Toot -toot...

[P7_TOM]

BOLLOCKS !....

Most refreshing to see and hear Sen. McDonald taking up the cause of those on the Torres Strait. Those unfortunates now without a 'safe' reliable air service, reduced to 'travel by tinnie'. Not certain I could do the maths required to compare the 'risk analysis' matrix between being on the open ocean in a 'tinnie', powered by a 16 hp Yamaha two stroke, for four or so hours, as opposed to a 15 minute exposure (average) flight in an aircraft powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6 (a benchmark amongst the most reliable turbine engines ever made). That an air service system which has never lost a life in 30 odd (probably plus) years is 'suddenly' unsafe, based on a factored number of feet/ yards/ metres needed – without a serious 'at risk time line' being analysed.

But its the purblind 'stupidity' (lack of operational savvy) of the CASA analysis which winds my clock. The 'time at risk' analysis makes a mockery of the CASA assertions. They are waffling on about some 'factored' runway length – on the safely stop – safely go ratios for aircraft with 'scheduled' performance capability. The real facts are that the time span of actual risk, compared to the reliability of the PT6; and, the Asepta safety margin; and, the forced landing areas; and, the percentage chances of an engine and brake failure on even a marginal strip at Charter flight factors are very much less than my chances of winning $100 million on lotto. There is an established, proven, tried and tested safe system in place, so why are those folks now placed at serious risk in shark and croc infested waters – travelling in small boats.  It is  unmitigated BOLLOCKS.

[Peetwo]

Su_Spence to the rescue on Torres airfield embargo?? - Yeah right! 



Media files: 

Frustrated airline CEO lifts lid on rule change that grounded flights

The nation’s aviation regulator stands accused of policy mismanagement which is connected to the death of a Cairns woman and the unnecessary isolation of vulnerable Indigenous communities.

&

SENATOR DEMANDS ANSWERS ON ISLAND AIRSTRIPS DECISION



Shadow Minister for Northern Australia, Senator Susan McDonald, has demanded an urgent review of a decision to close Torres Strait Island airstrips after she questioned CASA staff in Senate Estimates last month about people having to risk their lives travelling in the Strait by boat.

Just three weeks after the hearing – in which Senator McDonald foreshadowed a tragedy happening – speech pathologist Wendy Richardson was lost in the Strait when the boat she was in flipped in rough seas.

Senator McDonald said she knew Ms Richardson and was distressed by her death, offering her deepest sympathies to Ms Richardson’s family.

In Estimates on May 23, Senator McDonald asked CASA chief executive Pip Spence why CASA had closed airstrips on Murray, Darnley and Mabuiag islands for safety reasons when aircraft had been operating on them without incident for 20 years.

Ms Spence said commercial aircraft used on the islands were not suitable for the relatively short airstrips but Sen. McDonald pointed out those same aircraft flying in a private capacity were permitted to use the strips.

“It makes no sense,” she told the hearing. “I think it is pretty shocking that we have actually gone backwards as a result of regulation. For the people on those islands, I think it's a poor outcome.”

“…People are now forced to travel in dinghies across notoriously treacherous water inhabited by crocodiles and sharks. …it will be cold comfort if something terrible happens to somebody [because] we won’t let people land on places anymore where they’ve been landing for 20 years.”

A dismayed Senator McDonald today called on Federal Transport Minister, Catherine King to fast-track planned upgrades for Torres Strait airstrips so people would have a permanent solution for travel between islands by boat.

“CASA made a questionable decision to close these strips and offered no alternatives for people needing to travel and they are forced to use boats,” she said.

“CASA must provide an exemption to allow air travel to restart to and from these islands before there is another tragedy.

“I am distressed that we are seeing CASA make decisions without sufficient evidence that, instead of offering tangible safety benefits, in fact put people in high-risk situations.

“Minister King must review the closures, order the fast-tracking of airstrip upgrades and ensure the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is addressing issues in a timely, logical and effective manner before another life is lost.”

In the 'passing strange' coincidence file, 2 days after Ol_Tom's BOLLOCKS post above Su_Spence added to the cynical "Stating the BOLLOCKS" press file...

Type
Stating the facts
Date
5 July 2023

We make all of our decisions based on safety. Whether it’s a regional service operating from a capital city, an Australian airline flying overseas or a small airline flying people in remote parts of Australia, we won't compromise passenger safety.



However, we also understand the importance of air services to our remote and regional communities.

Skytrans fly into several islands in the Torres Strait that have short runways. The length of the runway means some aircraft need additional approvals to conduct commercial passenger flights in the types of aircraft being operated.

The aircraft meet the minimums required by the manufacturer, but Australia's safety rules for commercial air transport require longer runways to account for unexpected conditions or pilot skills.

We’ve been working with Skytrans to safely resume services.

Earlier this year we approved Skytrans to resume services to Murray Mer Island.

Last week we reviewed additional data provided by Skytrans and gave them approval to resume services with some conditions to Mabuiag and Darnley Islands.

The information they provided included the results of demonstration flights conducted at both islands, comparing real-life data with manufacturer data and safety standards.

Skytrans had already put in place additional controls like special pilot training, runway markers and approach height limits to account for unexpected conditions in the unique Torres Strait environment.

Additional risk work was also conducted and measures put in place to ensure passenger safety.

The flight data validates Skytrans’ efforts to ensure that operations conducted on the short runways on these islands have appropriate safety buffers in place.

We acknowledge Skytrans’ long safety record and appreciate their cooperation as we worked through the process to validate their operations.

We also understand the vital role air transport services play in the Torres Strait and would like to thank local communities for their patience.

Passengers who rely on these services can be assured they have been thoroughly assessed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and that appropriate measures are in place to ensure people arrive at their destination safely.

So Su_Spence concedes but still arrogantly defends the indefensible IE 24 years of safe Caravan LCRPT Ops to those very same islands and what's changed in that time to suddenly make those OPS any less safe? 

Answer: The introduction of an almost indecipherable 468 page CASR part 139 MOS?? -    

Meanwhile down at Essendon the Su_Spence regime completely obfuscates the fact that the DFO shopping centre complex exists in safety non-compliance with our international obligations to ICAO Annex 14 and indeed the Part 139 MOS...

Ref: Popinjay's DFO cover-up report: Part II



Ref: Essendon DFO accident: No MSM speculation here Christine?

MTF...P2 

[P7_TOM]

From the keyboard of Paul (fearless) Phelan.

Speaking of Airports and the rampant rape and pillage of 'useful' space; and the costs to the public of privatisation; and of building close in; and of the risk of wind shear and vortex upset; and the huge increase in rent; and the punitive 'lease' agreements; and the money being made by non aviation interests (dis?), do we have Albo to thank for it all?

May 2012 – 

“In an Administrative Appeals Tribunal hearing commenced this week, the Archerfield Chamber of Commerce (ACC) Inc. is seeking an AAT finding to set aside a Ministerial Decision of former Transport Minister Anthony Albanese in May 2012, which approved the Archerfield Airport 2011-2031 master plan. The hearing commenced in Brisbane yesterday (Tuesday 18 November) and is expected to run until November 26.Witnesses for the Chamber will include a former Federal Minister of Aviation Mr Peter Morris and other aviation experts, some of whom are former Federal Government employees.

The Chamber is asserting that the Department of Transport and Infrastructure and CASA did not assess the approved Master Plan with the required detail and technical accuracy demanded. In short the approval was granted without having regard to current applicable legislation, the interests of the aviation industry, the general public and the use of erroneous technical assessments.

Remarkable – nothing changes -  the gift to developers which just keeps giving-  thanks Albo...

[Peetwo]

GA sector being buried by overregulation and red tape?? -  

Via Oz Flying today:

General Aviation Sector Grounded by Red Tape and Sky-high Costs
10 November 2023



Red tape, over-regulation, spiralling costs and a vacuum of government policy are putting significant pressure on the general aviation sector in Australia, according to a survey of industry chiefs.

Ageing infrastructure, thin profit margins and conflicts over airspace allocation are all contributing to pessimism in the non-airline civil aviation sector that employs thousands of people.

In a new paper published this month in Case Studies on Transport Policy, aviation experts from Queensland and the University of South Australia (UniSA) outline the issues plaguing the industry, most of which come down to a lack of policy direction in aviation.

The sector includes training, aeromedical, emergency response and charter services in rural and remote communities.

Interviews conducted with the principals of 21 aviation organisations reveal that outside of regulation, the main concerns are the costs associated with operating premises and airport infrastructure.

“A user pays model to cover airport costs is having a direct impact on the sustainability of enterprises that are operating on low passenger volumes without a change in their overheads,” says lead author Dr Lucas Tisdall, CEO of Flight One Academy.

“There appears to be scant recognition of the community and economic contribution that the general aviation sector makes in Australia,” Dr Tisdall says.

Rising maintenance costs to ensure the safety of an ageing fleet of aircraft, smaller profit margins, and growing urban encroachment on airstrips, are other challenges.

UniSA Professor in Aviation Shane Zhang says the increasing popularity of drones used in a range of applications – from fire-ant mapping and fauna surveys through to real estate development and recreational photography – is also causing tensions.

“The emergence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of transporting patients and passengers introduces new risks,” Prof Zhang says. “Is the automation of such transport at the expense of pilot employment, involving a major re-engineering of international safety systems, worth the cost of development?” he asks.

Aviation chiefs say more federal government assistance is needed to support innovation and investment in the sector, given the average age of general aviation aircraft and the capital cost of new, cleaner technologies, before broader issues like CO2 emissions from aircraft are addressed.

The researchers say the feedback highlights both problems and opportunities.

“It is clear that the current policy and regulatory frameworks are not addressing the sector’s long term needs.

“Approximately 70% of respondents say there is no clear vision for general aviation in Australia, citing bureaucracy and over-regulation as major obstacles, but they are keen to consult with regulators to find common ground,” Dr Tisdall says.

The researchers intend to explore more effective regulatory regimes in the US and New Zealand, where governments and the general aviation industry work more closely.

Via Case Studies on Transport Policy - Volume 14

Seeking wicked problems, finding opportunities: Advancing Australian general aviation policy beyond COVID-19

Abstract

The efficacy and value of Australian general aviation policy has been the subject of strident debate. While a program of regulatory reform has shaped activity in the last decade, little documented evidence of coherent sector development or stimulus exists. The purpose of this paper is to highlight policy issues of contemporary concern to a sample of Australian general aviation stakeholders and to capture insights into their attitudes about the current policy environment. The paper presents the early qualitative findings from part of a longitudinal study into the sector, and initially asks whether the economic concept of ‘wicked problems’ represents a frame for understanding some of the impediments identified by the respondents. The results suggest that although there is a willingness to engage with progressive policy initiatives, efforts to resolve endemic and emergent issues are being compromised by the current bureaucratic engagement strategies in place to participate in industry planning.

---

Introduction

Internationally, the issue of expanding aviation capacity to cater for an increasingly mobile global community creates planning tension. Recent studies have found that for the general aviation (GA) sector, the impacts are often even more keenly felt (Freestone and Wiesel, 2014, Tisdall et al., 2020). Experience during the COVID-19 global pandemic has further exposed a lack of planning efficacy for what is often considered the incubator of civil aviation capability (Tisdall and Zhang, 2020).

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) categorises the general aviation sector as ‘all civil aviation operations other than scheduled air services and non-scheduled air transport operations for remuneration or hire’ (Skybrary, 2020). In Australia, many operators characterised by this definition also conduct non-scheduled air transport operations by way of non-scheduled (charter) services as adjunct income source from capital invested in aircraft.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is the principal regulatory body for Australian aviation, charged with the administration of legislation in the interests of public safety. CASA’s own Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey for 2020 found that 46% of respondents were not satisfied with the Regulator’s performance across a range of measures (CASA, 2021). Evidence suggests that this body often experiences an adversarial relationship with its constituency (Carter Newell, 2014) despite periodic efforts to overhaul its culture and appeal (Thomas, 1997, Hurst, 2016). The federal government has previously acknowledged that industry efforts to achieve compliance with a perceived pariah regulator have compromised the capacity and the desire of operators to participate in broader policy engagement with the responsible Minister and their department (Kirk, 2002). Ongoing Senate enquiries (Australian Flying, 2019) and new appointments at CASA’s apex are among recent efforts to improve the outlook for Australian aviation (Creedy, 2021).

This article explores the historical difficulty of setting a cogent policy agenda for Australian general aviation, arguing that a more engaging model for consultation between stakeholders is necessary to maximise the planning outcomes for, and economic utility of, general aviation. The discussion focuses on Australia as an illustrative example of an ICAO member state with significant policy making power, a geographic imperative for a functioning aviation industry and a diverse set of issues impacting its GA constituency.

This research presents findings drawn from a qualitative sector enquiry as a contribution to efforts to align the experiences and focus of operators with the capability and intent of policy makers more closely. After initially surveying extant literature relating to the concept of ‘wicked problems’ and their possible presence as an impediment to GA policy planning, the paper introduces contemporary sector commentary as a way of highlighting difficulties for GA operators seeking to build enterprise value in a nebulous policy environment. Wicked problems are those multidimensional economic issues in which there is ‘no immediate and no ultimate test of a solution’ (Lönngren and van Poeck, 2021) Posing two overarching questions about the future of GA and its value as a tool for economic growth, this research utilises results from twenty-one in-depth semi-structured interviews to draw out issues that represent focus topics that can be utilised to galvanise stakeholder engagement in the near term.

The two guiding questions that frame this enquiry include:

Firstly, is evidence of wicked problems for policy planners currently observable?

Secondly, what do the industry’s stakeholders see as significant impediments to business success?

Focusing on the insights gained in this exploration may assist in the development of more robust and engaging policy objectives, with possible international implications for general aviation constituencies.

MTF...P2 

[Sandy Reith]

Same old same old and more words all about lack of policy, over regulation, rising costs in every area including airport rentals etc., etc.

Nothing new and no one is looking at the real cause which is government lacking resolve to tackle the real question which is that the independent regulator is a failure and CASA should be disbanded. The Westminster system cannot work without responsible Ministers and their Departments having the arms of government firmly in their power and grasp.