[Peetwo]

Day 22 - Boyd & the Board not pulling punches--

Gobbles - "..Me thinks it is time to chill the beers and make some popcorn! .."

Yes indeed Gobbles it could be a fascinating session or two, but alas I fear that much of the real action is happening now behind closed doors and by the 18th it could all be over...

Anyway onto D22 of the Dick & NewsCorp campaign, this time from that 'happy little chappy' from Tassie again... :

Air safety review for Tasmania  

• by: MATTHEW DENHOLM
  
• From: The Australian
  
• August 01, 2015 12:00AM
  

Tasmania Correspondent
Hobart




Airservices chief air traffic controller Paddy Goodall, left, and Hobart tower manager John Glass at Hobart airport. Picture: Peter Mathew Source: News Corp Australia

Airspace safety in Tasmania will be reviewed, despite Airservices Australia conceding it had failed to implement a previous safety recommendation for radar-controlle­d landings at Hobart and Launceston airports.  

Airservices Australia revealed yesterday that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority had suggested it review operations at both airports to ensure they were adequate to cope with a rapid increase in air traffic. As well, it had been told CASA’s Office of Airspace Regul­ation would undertake its own indepen­dent review of airspace operations at Hobart and Launceston. Sources said this would be a “full airspace review”.

The reviews follow a CASA audit last month of Airservices’ operations, which CASA said yesterday was confidential and would not be publicly released.

Pilots have expressed frustra­tion that there is still no radar or other surveillance-based method of controlling planes on approach to the two airports, despite the widely held belief that this would be delivered by a $6 million TASWAM radar-like system introduced in 2010. Instead, below 8500 feet, aircraft are kept apart by “procedural separation”, whereby tower controllers use radio contact with pilots, visual observations and other aids.

Airservices says this is safe and appropriate for the level of traffic, but the Virgin Independent Pilots Association has described it as “nowhere near” as safe as surveillance control and has questioned why TASWAM is not being used to separate planes below 8500ft.

Aviator and former CASA chairman Dick Smith has attacke­d procedural separation as “a 1930s system” no longer approp­riate for busy city airports, particular in Hobart, a capital city experiencing a tourist boom.

Airservices said the new reviews were evidence that both CASA, which sets safety stand­ards, and itself as the service provider were “on top of the situation”.

“Airservices will review the services we provide and CASA will review the actual airspace classification,” said Hobart air traffic control tower manager John Glass. “It shows that both the regulator and the provider are on top of the situation and are out there looking at our operation all the time to ensure safety is of paramount importance.”

Airservices chief air traffic controller Paddy Goodall said Airservices would ensure that airspace procedures kept pace with the increased traffic, in Hobart in particular.

“(CASA has said) that we should keep an eye on the increase­d activity to make sure that we are prepared to respond in adequate time,” Mr Goodall said.

“The (Hobart) airport has plans between 2015 and 2035 to double the amount of passengers that come through here.

“When they see that, it raises the same red flags with them as it does with us: (it says) ‘Hey, we need to be ahead of the game here’.”

Mr Goodall confirmed that Airservices had failed to imple­ment a June 2010 Office of Airspace Regulation recommend­a­tion that it introduce surveillance control of aircraft to the ground level at Hobart and Launceston.

This report, obtained by The Weekend Australian, noted that TASWAM was being used as a tool to assist local tower controllers with “better situational awareness” but not to separate aircraft below 8500 feet.

“An approach (surveillance) control service should be introduced to manage the airspace below 8500ft,” the 2010 report concluded, formally recommending this approach to be adopted in both Hobart and Launceston.

The report said a yearly 8 per cent increase in Hobart passenger numbers, with 1.8 million passengers already passing through the terminal, was a consideration.

As well, it said the cost of providing a surveillance control service to ground level at Hobart and Launceston would be less, “due to the availability of (TAS)WAM”.

However, the recommenda­tion was never implemented by Airservices, which said yesterday it instead addressed the report’s concerns by improving the use of TASWAM by radar controllers in Melbourne, providing an after-hours service for Hobart and Launceston.

Mr Goodall said the cost of extra staff and training, as well as more grounds stations to improve TASWAM coverage to the point where it could provide surveillance control, was judged by Airservices to be unjustified.

“It’s all achievable and not insur­mountable but in terms of cost benefit it (justification) is just not there at the moment,” he said.

Airservices communications manager Rob Walker said the increased traffic meant “the service will have to change” in Tasmania.

However, the cost of expanding TASWAM to provide surveillance control was estimated by engineers to be at least $10m.

While Airservices insisted TASWAM was never intended to provide a surveillance control service, Airlines of Tasmania manag­ing director Shannon Wells said the industry had been led to believe it would.

Mr Wells said a review appeare­d justified and if it backed surveillance to the ground, this should be introduced regardless of cost. “If the demand and need is there to make it radar, it doesn’t really matter what it costs — we’ve got to look at doing it,” Mr Wells said.

A pilot training school at Hobart had doubled training movements in the past 18 months and, combined with a tourism boom, plans for an extended runway and increased use of Hobart as a gateway for Antarctic flights, it was time to reconsider surveillance control.

“It needs to be looked at,” Mr Wells said.

Hmm...definitely some B&B (Boyd & Board) influence with that one... The Fort Fumble OAR of old would have simply slapped the ASA with a wet lettuce, while taking backhanders & telling the IOS - "..nothing to see here, move along.."

MTF...P2
  

[Gobbledock]

Spin doctor said;

"Airservices said the new reviews were evidence that both CASA, which sets safety stand­ards, and itself as the service provider were “on top of the situation”.

To that I call bullshit. Sorry it is 'on top of you', not 'you on top of it'. You are now talking about it only because everyone else has highlighted the safety risks for you because you are too useless to do it yourselves. Naughty naughty, pcaught out.

And then the coverup;

"The reviews follow a CASA audit last month  Airservices’ operations, which CASA said yesterday was confidential and would not be publicly released".

Of course you don't want to discuss it, and there is two reasons for that;
a) It was a piss weak audit and you have turned the blind eye, or
b) It was thorough audit, there are huge deficiencies and you want it to be buried.
Naturally Sir Anus wants it all kept under lock and key, that's how he operates. But it won't stop the Senators pushing for the details.

Sneaky sneaky

[Gobbledock]

You can run but you can't hide

Well 'that man' Higgins once again fails to disappoint us. As we enter what I think is day 23 P2?, Higgins tells us that although there has been some recent conveniently timed resignations from ASA (timed to dodge the Senators questioning this month), it seems that the good Senators are not impressed by such covert shenanigans and will still be calling up those former employees to answer questions;

http://m.theaustralian.com.au/news/airse...7467066859

I hope they put Anus Houston on the stand. He is puppeteering this shambolic mess while hiding in the shadows. Time to drag him by the scruff of the neck into the spotlight and unleash on him.

Tick tock ASA tick tock

[Peetwo]

Actually Gobbles...

Day 24 - You can run but you can't hide (nor is a sick note going to past muster.. )

or Senate Sausage sizzle 18 Aug 2015 - "Want some dead horse & onions with your sausage sanga?"

Airservices executives summoned for a Senate grilling  

• by: EAN HIGGINS
  
• From: The Australian
  
• August 03, 2015 12:00AM
  

Reporter
Sydney




Airservices chief executive Margaret Staib has announced her resignation. Source: Supplied {Happier & healthier days for Frau Staib}


The Senate committee investi­g­ating executive bonuses and financial management at Airservices Australia has called on two key executives to appear before it this month, ­despite their recent resignations.  

Some on the committee are understood to be considering whether subpoenas could be issued if Airservices chief executive Margaret Staib, who announced her resignation on Friday, and recently resigned chief financial officer Andrew Clark, were not in a position to ­appear voluntarily.

Airservices spokeswoman Vicki Huggins did not respond to questions regarding Ms Staib’s position, and Mr Clark declined to comment at this stage.

As reported inThe Weekend Australian, Ms Staib said she would leave because of health reasons, and her resignation becomes­ effective next Monday.

Ms Staib and other executives have been called to appear before what will either be a closed-door briefing or an open hearing before the Senate’s rural, regional affairs and transport legislation committee just more than a week later.

Following the exposes in The Australian, the committee launched an urgent investigation into the financial management of the government-owned organisation, which owns and runs the nation’s air traffic control and navigation system and airport fire and rescue services.

In June, The Australian revealed­ how Ms Staib and other senior executives received performance bonuses of up to $100,000 in a financial year where profits halved, return on equity targets were not met, key air safety performance indicators deteriorated, and employment of women in senior positions, and indigenous and disabled Australians overall, went backwards.

Appearing before the committee in Senate Estimates late last year, Ms Staib received a grilling, including over her decision to not report to police an alleged credit card fraud by a middle manager, and Airservices’ failure to get authorisation from the Senate before proceeding on major capital works expenditures.

The committee’s chairman, Liberal Bill Heffernan, said he would like Ms Staib and Mr Clark to appear on August 18.

“I think … it would be sensible for them to be called, and for them to volunteer to appear, because Airservices obviousl­y needs to be sorted out,” he said.

“If this is not achievable — and with the recent resig­nations, there may be complex­ities involved in having them appear voluntarily — then we will look at what options are open to us to have them appear.”

He did not detail what such options might entail, but it is understood some senators have canvassed whether subpoenas could be issued.

The senior Labor senator on the committee, Glenn Sterle, said he also wanted Ms Staib and Mr Clark to appear.

Ms Staib’s predecessor, Greg Russell, resigned soon after it emerged he had run up a corporate credit card bill of $243,702 between January 2007 and August 2010. Airservices defended the credit card use as acceptable for an executive whose job required him to travel internation­ally and host senior aviation officials

MTF...P2

[Gobbledock]

I have great concerns with how the mismanagement and at times fraudulent use of taxpayer money is treated in such a lighthearted manner. As a reminder;

Greg Russell, Airservices CEO credit card expenses including $21k at one restaurant;

http://m.theaustralian.com.au/business/a...6358852197

It's interesting how even back then, very little was said regarding the CFO Andrew
Clark who would have been aware of the outrageous expense claims? Anyway, he was promoted to A/g CEO, and when Frau Staib started he went back to his abacus work as CFO. But then suddenly he slips out the back door with yet more financial controversy under his belt, and may I add that he disappears with little fanfare, shortly followed by Frau Staib.

Now the legacy here is that these individuals keep slipping away prior to Senate questioning, why is that? Russell did it, Staib has done it, Clark has done it? Well it's pretty obvious that by fleeing before they are questioned it helps keep things buried. But one has to raise serious questions about Sir Anus and Pumpkin Head who are sanctioning this little game of hide and seek when it comes to transparency and the alleged misuse of TAXPAYER money. But then again, let's recall Angus Beef's history of managing things;

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/...?wpmp_tp=1

And the above is just for starters. There has been numerous ADF debacles he presided over, not excluding inquires into sexual assaults that have occurred throughout the ADF during his reign.

And don't forget, this is now two CEO's to resign over questionable activities while Sir Anus has been on the ASA trough, I mean Board. I can only hope that the Senators subpoena Staib and Clark, and call Sir Anus to the chair, and drill them like they have never experienced before.

Tick tock the fish rots from the head.

[Peetwo]

Dick Smith: air traffic system OneSKY ‘hamstrung by 1930s rules’  

• by: EAN HIGGINS
  
• From: The Australian
  
• July 31, 2015 12:00AM
  

Reporter
Sydney


OneSKY aims to meld the nation’s civilian air traffic control system and the military system in to one highly sophisticated ­operation. Source: AP  
Airservices Australia will proceed with an ambitious new national air traffic control system despite claims from businessman and ­aviator Dick Smith that it will do nothing to improve air safety ­because the rules will still enforce “a 1930s airspace system”.  

Mr Smith has written to Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, whose transport portfolio covers aviation, calling on the government to put the planned OneSKY radar and air traffic ­control system on hold until moves to introduce the US-style of air space management are ­followed through.

Mr Smith, a pilot and former Civil Aviation Safety Authority chairman, has also described as “irresponsible” the fact that, while Airservices last week announced it had signed “the initial contracts for the design and build of the software system”, neither it nor Mr Truss would say how much the project will cost.

“As a government business ­enterprise it has to be completely transparent,” Mr Smith said.
At the time of its announcement, industry sources put the cost of the implementation phase of the project at $600 million.

Airservices says the cost will be revealed in due announcements.

OneSKY, announced in February, aims to meld the nation’s civilian air traffic control system, which is divided into two parts, split between Brisbane and Melbourne, and the military system into one highly sophisticated ­operation.

It envisages 200 radar consoles operated by civilian and RAAF controllers around the country displaying the same ­information in real time.

“Once implemented, Airservices Australia and Defence will share technology and information, giving Australia the most advanced and integrated air ­traffic control system in the world,” Mr Truss said in a media release in February.

But Mr Smith said the One­SKY program, due to be carried out between 2018 and 2021, would be a pointless exercise until the oft-promised shift to the protocols of the US air traffic control system was carried out.

In the US and Canada, air ­traffic controllers direct all commercial air traffic almost right to the runway, whether radar coverage is available or not, maintaining positive separation between aircraft.

Australia in the early 2000s announced it would introduce the US system, but has not taken on this main element.

In contrast to the US system, in Australia some busy regional airports, like Ballina in NSW and Gladstone in Queensland, are designated as being in uncontrolled airspace and controllers do not direct pilots even if the aircraft remain on their radar screens.

Instead, pilots of both airliners and light aircraft, while flying in cloud, talk over the radio to each other to try to work out their relative positions and negotiate what manoeuvres each can take to avoid a collision, a system pilots describe as “calling in the blind”.

“It is simply not logical to ­install a brand-new radar system that is purchased to operate with a 1930s airspace system and then bring the airspace up to date after the equipment has been ­installed,” Mr Smith said.

Airservices says it “regularly works with the regulators, airlines, airports and government to improve and deliver the safest and most efficient control of air traffic in Australia”.

A spokesman for Mr Truss said there would be no delay to One­SKY. “The transition to OneSKY is not scheduled to commence for a number of years and will operate consistently with the applicable airspace arrangements at Australian airports,” he said.

The spokesman said that ­“revealing the budget for the full contract would compromise ongoing negotiations”.

[b]Dick's letter to the Minister (i.e. deferral ONESKY TFFF) - Planetalking comment.[/b]

Dick Smith says ATC upgrade plans verge on ‘criminal negligence’

Ben Sandilands | Aug 04, 2015 3:18PM |

Dick Smith has written to the Minister responsible for Aviation, Deputy PM Warren Truss, describing current plans to upgrade Australian air traffic control as “verging on criminal negligence.”

This is very strong language applied to a very important and complex matter, and the body of his letter to Mr Truss, dated 14 July is reproduced at the end of this report.
Plane Talking isn’t going to try and take readers on a fair and balanced examination of the issues, which deserve discussion in those publications and forums supported by general aviation users and private aircraft owners like Mr Smith who have some real concerns about their impact on their livelihoods, businesses and investments.

The issues are deeply technical, although efforts have been made by Mr Smith, and those who disagree with him, to reduce the arguments to newspaper story sized reports with big picture terminology. Or at times a sort of ‘Yes, No, Yes, No’ discussion that almost nobody not intimately involved in aviation will understand.

In my opinion, Mr Smith’s case has merit in that there is an issue of potential mismanagement of the changes and thus the money that it will largely cost the industry rather than the taxpayer in these user-pays days. The goal of AirServices Australia, to achieve an integrated military civilian control system with the catchy and original title of OneSky, for one nation, is noble, but if Mr Smith is right, nobly screwed in its proposed implementation.

This whole issue has been fought in intricate detail behind the paywall on The Australian already, although it isn’t clear just how many of any of those readers who haven’t given up on the saga could pass a written examination to test their comprehension of the issues.

MH370, the financial performances of Qantas and Virgin Australia, airline seating atrocities, and whether or not passengers using the new Sydney Airport should pass through a terminal resembling a cross fit training box would score much higher in reader engagement.

But to be serious, the main problem Dick Smith will have with this Minister, or any other, is that Ministers in Australia always take the advice of their departments, which are always protective of pet projects, even when they are flawed or incompletely planned.

Perhaps some of the relevant air safety experts in the FAA should be enticed into doing a quick audit of the OneSky project to a deadline of say four weeks in which they review potential safety or efficiency related scenarios raised by Mr Smith and then make a recommendation to the government as to whether it should pause or amend its implementation to resolve any show stoppers.

This would have the added benefit of deferring any interest the FAA may have in auditing the general performance of the Australian safety regulator CASA and failing it, with dire consequences for Australian flag carriers.

 
Short sharp to the point, well done Ben...

MTF...P2

Ps 2 weeks today till the Senate ASA sausage sizzle...

[Gobbledock]

Onesky, Sky Sentinel, Sky rockets in the night a trough dwellers delight.........

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz1ex78QeQI

[Peetwo]

Day 26 - Dick Smith on Ballina Band-aid proposal

From that happy little chappy from Tassie...

CASA review: planned airspace changes ‘could make skies less safe’  

• by: Matthew Denholm
  
• From: The Australian
  
• August 05, 2015 12:00AM
  

Tasmania Correspondent
Hobart




Dick Smith with his Cessna Citation plane at Ballina airport. Picture: Renee Nowytarger. Source: News Corp Australia

Planned changes to airspace safety at busy Ballina airport are in­adequate and suggest regulators are still resisting US-style reform of the nation’s regional skies, says veteran aviator Dick Smith.  

A review of airspace at Ballina Byron Gateway Airport released last month recommended tightening safety requirements after concerns aired in The Australian about a sharp increase in air traffic in its uncontrolled airspace.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority report vindicated those concerns, revealing 11 incidents at the NSW northern rivers airport between 2009 and last year in which aircraft strayed closer to each other than was deemed safe.

Ballina is not a controlled airspace below 8500ft and pilots must talk to each other by radio to ensure aircraft keep a safe distance on approach and departure.

The CASA report recommended a ground-based radio service providing air-traffic information to pilots be introduced at Ballina within a year and radar-controlled airspace be extended to 6500ft.

However, Mr Smith, a former CASA chairman, said yesterday the changes were inadequate and could make the airspace less safe. He released a copy of a letter he sent to federal Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss on Monday warning that it should take an “unnecessary accident” to provoke a more fundamental shift.

He said the report quashed hopes Ballina might be used to test the US model of providing controlled airspace supported by traffic and weather observations from ground staff.
“Amazingly, the CASA supplementary review (on Ballina) does not look at the original government policy to bring in the US National Airspace System in any way,” he wrote to Mr Truss.

“Yes, the review does recommend that Class E (controlled) airspace be dropped to 6500ft. However, this is clearly not terminal airspace. Airline pilots who fly to Ballina have told me — and I agree — that lowering Class E airspace to 6500ft will decrease safety, as there is then less time available for … aircraft to separate themselves when in cloud.”

Mr Smith said the best option for Ballina, which is expected to exceed 500,000 passengers annually by the end of next year, was to have Brisbane-based radar controllers extend their service to help aircraft to take off and land.

This would require extra training of Brisbane-based controllers but Mr Smith suggested costs compared favourably with the alternative of a Ballina controller.

He said it appeared CASA had an agreement with service provider Airservices Australia to resist consideration of the US system, which extends controlled airspace to 700ft even at smaller airports and allows ground staff to give traffic and weather reports.

CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said it was inappropriate to comment, given Mr Smith had raised matters with the minister.

Airservices also declined to comment.

A spokesman for Mr Truss said the government had released its airspace policy and, in the case of Ballina, public response had been invited to CASA’s report and would be considered in forming final recommendations

---No comment on the err...comments...
Pinocchio - "..said it was inappropriate to comment, given Mr Smith had raised matters with the minister..."

ASA - "..declined to comment.."

And from the Minister -  "..in the case of Ballina, public response had been invited to CASA’s report and would be considered in forming final recommendations.."

Well we all know what happens to public/IOS comments & recommendations they will be consigned to the Mandarin's shelf-ware dustbin of obfuscation and completely ignored...

Finally from Botswana O'Hooligan we get this industry weary & reasoned comment..

Botswana O'Hooligan

2 hours ago

Mr Smith is partially right and partially wrong with his assertions, but this is not the United States of America and their rules in many cases are not applicable here, but none of us, pilots, ATC, and the Flight Service Officers he made redundant, will ever forget or forgive him for the mess he made when at the helm of whatever they called the old DCA back then, you betcha.

 
Err NO COMMENT...P2

[Gobbledock]

Staib and Russell have a fan club with Doig Nancarrow being the number one fan!!!
Article is below, but be warned - keep a sick bucket nearby.

http://www.aviationbusiness.com.au/news/...ugust-2015

"The departure of Ms Staib was not entirely unexpected given the immense pressures she had been under for some time, but it is a loss nonetheless. A large part of her legacy will be the huge OneSKY program which she signed off on at the Avalon Airshow earlier this year. But she will be missed by many - both within Airservices and in the broader industry.
Airservices certainly isn’t perfect but it doesn’t deserve the onslaught that has been kept up for weeks. There are some very impressive people in the organisation and it remains a world leader in ATM practice and technology.
We seem to have developed a culture of attacking our aviation regulators et al in a very public way, rather than engaging with them in a professional and productive manner. Such a culture does nothing good for our industry. It’s counterproductive all round and damages public confidence in what is in reality one of the very safest aviation regimes on the globe".

And the worst bit;

"The Australian Aviation Associations Forum (TAAAF) has announced that a new Honorary Chair of the Forum has been appointed - and it’s former Airservices chief (and more) Greg Russell. It’s very good to see Greg back in the action in our industry. We need the talent and experience that people like him have to offer".

Absolutely no comment.........

[Gobbledock]

I don't know if you've all looked at this years Safeskies 2015 line up yet, but it's pretty nauseating to say the least. I think I would rather go hunting for Cecil the lion!

http://www.safeskiesaustralia.org/2015-conference/

PROGRAM for SAFESKIES 2015

Tuesday 22nd September 2015

Parliament House, Canberra

1800.Registration and Welcome Drinks.
Marble Foyer, Parliament House

1900. Safeskies Sir Reginald Ansett Memorial Lecture.
The Great Hall, Parliament House

.Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK AFC

2000. Safeskies 2015 Conference Dinner.
The Great Hall, Parliament House

Wednesday, 23rd September 2015

Day 1 Hotel Realm Canberra

0730. Registration – Hotel Realm Foyer

0830.Welcome to Delegates

Executive Chairman Mr Doug Nancarrow and President

Emeritus Mr GA (Peter) Lloyd AO OBE MiD.

.Conference Opening

. The Hon Warren Truss MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development

SESSION ONE

0900. Conference Introduction

. Dr Rob Lee AO, Director Safeskies

0915. Chairman

. Mr Doug Nancarrow, Executive Chairman Safeskies Australia

. THE AVIATION POLICY GROUP PERSPECTIVE

. Air Marshal Leo Davies AO CSC, Chief of Air Force

. Air Vice Marshal (Rtd) Mark Skidmore AM, Director of Aviation Safety, CASA

. Air Vice Marshal (Rtd) Margaret Staib AM CSC, CEO Airservices Australia

. Mr Mike Mrdak, Secretary, Department of Infrastructure & Regional Development

1035. MORNING TEA

Oh well, the term 'Safeskies' sure does apply as the skies will be safer while the lot of them are locked down in their little huddle.

Bucket please....

[Kharon]

Oh, happy daze..

It’s remarkable that they can get all that done by morning tea, when you consider it’s taken a quarter century to collectively chew through better than a hundred million a year, for 25 years and achieved sod all. But, it’s nice to know we are in good hands and old mate Dougy will keep us all abreast of the latest developments in his insightful, unbiased, clear cut editorials.

Now Sir, will ye have a pessary to heal the troubled area; or, a tompion, lest the ants creep in while you hibernate?

Gobbles; I’ll have that bucket when you’re done with it.  Cheers.

[P1_aka_P1]

At times, PAIN receives documents which cannot; or may not be published. Often, the information within those documents cannot be confirmed, attributed or, indeed confirmed as “evidence”.  This is one of those times.   Many, if not most ‘leaks’, are kept ‘under wraps’ until such time as the provenance, veracity and source can be proven; or, at very least substantiated, as acceptable for consideration under parliamentary privilege.

The document – HERE - has been provided anonymously, through various channels; twice.  We cannot guarantee provenance or accuracy.  The views, opinions or even conclusions expressed within the document cannot be substantiated.  However; the document as received, is provided to the readers of this forum, without comment, opinion or proof of accuracy.  For all we know, this may well be a fictitious, accusatory fabrication, provided with malice aforethought, to discredit Air Services Australia (ASA) and various officers of that service to the aviation industry.  

However, we all feel it would be in the public interest to openly discuss the conclusions drawn and the assertions made within the document, if for no other reason than to establish that the document is a gross misrepresentation of fact and may be dismissed as such.   PAIN sincerely hope that this is the case, as any other conclusion would cast serious doubt over the Ministers management of air safety.  We will leave that up to the jury of peers. i.e. the IOS.

The PAIN network acknowledges that the document has been transmitted to other parties who are reluctant, for obvious reasons, to acknowledge receipt; or, to openly discuss the matters raised.  PAIN believe the matters raised are pertinent to the approaching Senate committee discussion with ASA and may assist in clearing the air.  If, by providing a firm platform for discussion, in clear air, Australia may develop a world class system of air traffic control, improving on the existing safety standards and address many of the criticisms levelled at the superb ATCO who manage, on a daily basis, to prevent aircraft collisions, despite the onerous conditions under which they are obliged to work.

BTW: My cat owns this website and I can assure you, that apart from a rather smart collar, she has very little else worth owning.  

“K” - with my sincere apologies: only "Selah" will allow me to sign off.  

[Gobbledock]

Oh my, very interesting indeed!!!

I've read through the document in reasonable detail, and all I can say is that if the document is real and not a fake, there are some very very serious questions that need answering. I did notice one very interesting item - Frau Staib resigned on July 31, correct? Her last day being today, August 10. If she resigned on July 31, why were the contract documents actually signed off on July 7 by Hoody??? Was Frau Staib on leave at the time? And even if she was on leave, would such a huge contract with potential media hype be left in the hands of an A/g CEO to sign off? Well I know in my world, the commercial world of private enterprise that would never happen, not with something this big. Again, if the document is in fact a real Rembrandt and not a fake Rembrandt, why was CEO Staib 'out of the loop' or so it seems? Was she already 'dead man walking' and knew it? Or perhaps didn't know it, which surely isn't possible? Something doesn't add up here folks.

Perhaps the Senators have been pursuing the ASA matter with such vigour for a damned good reason??

Tick tock......oh my, I believe so!

[Kharon]

P1 - all is forgiven. Winning a beer off cagey, canny TOM on a GD response. Bravo; use my call sign anytime time it pleases.

Selah - hope the cat survives.

[Gobbledock]

Of pots of money

Fees going up;

http://www.australianflying.com.au/news/...o-increase

Gotta pay for those big salaries, big consultant fees and big bonuses somehow!

[Peetwo]

P1_aka_P1

---

At times, PAIN receives documents which cannot; or may not be published. Often, the information within those documents cannot be confirmed, attributed or, indeed confirmed as “evidence”. This is one of those times. Many, if not most ‘leaks’, are kept ‘under wraps’ until such time as the provenance, veracity and source can be proven; or, at very least substantiated, as acceptable for consideration under parliamentary privilege.

The document – HERE - has been provided anonymously, through various channels; twice. We cannot guarantee provenance or accuracy. The views, opinions or even conclusions expressed within the document cannot be substantiated. However; the document as received, is provided to the readers of this forum, without comment, opinion or proof of accuracy. For all we know, this may well be a fictitious, accusatory fabrication, provided with malice aforethought, to discredit Air Services Australia (ASA) and various officers of that service to the aviation industry.

However, we all feel it would be in the public interest to openly discuss the conclusions drawn and the assertions made within the document, if for no other reason than to establish that the document is a gross misrepresentation of fact and may be dismissed as such. PAIN sincerely hope that this is the case, as any other conclusion would cast serious doubt over the Ministers management of air safety. We will leave that up to the jury of peers. i.e. the IOS.

The PAIN network acknowledges that the document has been transmitted to other parties who are reluctant, for obvious reasons, to acknowledge receipt; or, to openly discuss the matters raised. PAIN believe the matters raised are pertinent to the approaching Senate committee discussion with ASA and may assist in clearing the air. If, by providing a firm platform for discussion, in clear air, Australia may develop a world class system of air traffic control, improving on the existing safety standards and address many of the criticisms levelled at the superb ATCO who manage, on a daily basis, to prevent aircraft collisions, despite the onerous conditions under which they are obliged to work.

BTW: My cat owns this website and I can assure you, that apart from a rather smart collar, she has very little else worth owning.

“K” - with my sincere apologies: only "Selah" will allow me to sign off.

Slightly fragmented but here is the 'leaked' document in pics:

Ironically this was followed by the 'pots of money' post by Gobbles - FFS! This was also covered by the ASA Executive loving Dougy - from the other side of the Yaffa.. :

Airservices seeks industry feedback
11 Aug 2015

Airservices is seeking feedback from the aviation industry on a proposal that will set prices for its services over the next five years.

The proposal is to increase prices at an average of 3.3 per cent per annum to fund new services that have been introduced in recent years, deliver safety and flight efficiency improvements and jointly procure a replacement air traffic management system with the Department of Defence to meet future aviation traffic growth.

The pricing proposal released today for further consultation sets out funding for the provision of safe air navigation and rescue fire fighting services across the country through to 2021.

Airservices Acting Chief Financial Officer, Paul Logan said the proposal equated to a total real increase of less than 3.0 per cent over the five years of the agreement and would ensure Australian skies remained safe well into the future.

For example, an Airbus A380 travelling from Singapore to Sydney will be charged an additional $589 by 2021, equivalent to $1.74 per passenger increase over five years. A Boeing 737-800 from Brisbane to Melbourne will be charged an additional $74 by 2021, equivalent to 63 cents per passenger increase over five years.

“This follows real price reductions of 20 per cent since the commencement of the first long term pricing agreement in 2005. Importantly for our customers, the proposal will provide them with price certainty in a dynamic environment through to 2021,” Mr Logan said.

Over the past few years Airservices has introduced a number of new services required by safety regulations that have been driven by increased air traffic. These include new aviation rescue fire fighting services in Port Hedland, Newman, Gladstone, Ballina and Coffs Harbour, as well as the introduction of an Aerodrome Flight Information Service in Port Hedland.

Over the next five years a new air traffic management system will progressively replace the current system, which was introduced in the 1990s. The new system will provide a secure platform to safely manage the growing capacity and congestion challenges across the network, including new runways at Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth airports, and a second airport in Sydney.

“As we prepare for our future air traffic management system, we need to continue to deliver to our customers and the industry tangible benefits; that of enhanced safety, improved operational efficiencies, reduced fuel costs and improved gate-to-gate performance,” Mr Logan said.

The pricing proposal is the second phase of a 12-month consultation and review process that includes Airservices, airlines, aircraft operators, aviation stakeholders and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The proposal takes into consideration industry feedback from a pricing discussion paper released by Airservices in early 2015.

Industry members are encouraged to provide written feedback to Airservices on the proposal, which will be taken into consideration before a draft price notification is lodged with the ACCC for its review.

This will be followed by additional consultation by the ACCC before a formal price notification is lodged, to take effect from 1 July 2016.

Well besides topping up the ASA exec trough, we all know what those fee increases will actually be paying for if the 'leaked doc' is for real...


MTF...P2

[Gobbledock]

The water boy

I'm glad Angus Beef has so much spare time on his hands;

http://m.indaily.com.au/news/2015/08/11/...expertise/

In part;

"In June, former defence force chief Sir Angus Houston was appointed South Australian special envoy for international trade and investment".

and

"This week’s trade mission is not only focusing on water and the environment, but also agriculture, the arts, education, health, mining and resources, tourism and wine.
Sir Angus is on the trade trip, along with the Government’s strategic adviser on India, Brian Hayes, Economic Development Board member Rob Kerin and the Paul Heithersay from the Department of State Development".

Sounds like loads of fun. I hope they took enough daily travel allowances with them!!

Oink oink

[Kharon]

Well, no wonder the RRAT committee are asking awkward questions.  The document provided –HERE – although unsubstantiated and anonymous, begs so many questions; but, if it is ever proven, it provides answers a lot of the nagging, background questions.  

One of our associates, who is qualified to speak, has studied the document.  

A program to replace a very out of date Eurocat (aka TAAAATyTAATS) with a not quite so out of date Eurocat, customised so that, once again, Australia reinvents the wheel ---- at huge expense

Now I for one would like to know exactly what has been going on behind closed doors at ASA; the rumours of incredible waste, indulgence, fraud, corruption, hank-panky and ugly politics are in mountainous proportion.  Far too many to be dismissed as idle gossip.

But the truly alarming thing is that not only does Australia have a truly dreadful system, which places huge burdens on the ATCO; the cost to industry just in the form of delays and additional track miles caused by the system is truly horrendous.  The public get whacked at every turn.  Take a simple six minute hold; say it costs $10,000 and hour to operate the aircraft, this adds another $1000 to the cost of running the flight.  Say that happens 10 times a day, there’s $10,000, seven days a week, there’s $70,000, 365 days a year, there is $ 25,550,000 additional to the cost of operating an A to B air service.  When you dig into the numbers, the cost burden of the existing system is truly a frightening number. 

Now ASA want to increase their fees; and someone has to pay for that; guess who.  The airlines will simply build the loss into the airfares, ASA will collect the fees, the ATCO will still be operating a second rate system, the government will benefit by another $100,000, 000 per annum.  The poor old punter gets clipped, three ways for no added safety or efficiency benefit; nary a one.   In fact as the system deteriorates the punter is paying over the odds for a decreasing efficiency and a reducing safety factor, while those on the ‘bone-us’ system earn massive salaries, dine in splendour and get to have dinner with clever folk who want them to buy an expensive, outdated, inefficient equipment which cost (if investigations prove it) more that the top of the range modern gear.

No matter, no doubt An(g)us  will sort it out during his lazy visit to far off climes in a minute, using his I-pad, after first class meal service.  Funny that, travelling away when the merde is about to hit the windmill at the RRAT.  Let’s hope he has had all his vaccinations, lest he catch something nasty whilst on holiday at public expense.

Aye - Toot toot.  Tote now open for the 'In-Camera-Cup'.

[Gobbledock]

Ferryman;

"Funny that, travelling away when the merde is about to hit the windmill at the RRAT".

Could mean one of two things. Either the man is very confident and knows that his motley crew remain untouchable, or he is hiding from the spotlight - out of sight out of mind. I think that scenario 2 is the most likely option based on his previous modus operandi!!

Now viewers, back to the RRAT show!!

[Gobbledock]

Sir AN(g)US is most certainly a busy boy!!!
So much to do and so little time - air traffic safety oversight, flogging water internationally, delivering safe musical outcomes!!! What's next on his bucket list, eradicating peek fire ants from SE QLD or a stint on Ch 9's The Block??

An(g)us's musical folly as reported by Simply Marvellous Horse pooh;

http://m.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/...it2oj.html

"The orchestra's chairman, Air Chief Marshal (rtd) Angus Houston"

Personally I would rather see the knighted one musically support a Uriah Heap, Judas Priest or Krokus reunion. But then again, maybe along with the Can'tberra symphony orchestra he could belt out an orchestral version of Don't Fear The Reaper by The Blue Ouster Cult??