[Peetwo]

From the school of 'passing strange' coincidences - 

Not sure about home to roost TB but I think it is about time "K" started up a TAB on how long it'll be before the witless, wonder from Wagga will pause to change feet again?? 

In the meantime this via the other Aunty yesterday...

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Flying school for Chinese pilots reports racial abuse, laser pointer attacks and jammed radio signals

ABC Mildura-Swan Hill 
By Christopher Testa

Posted yesterday at 5:01pm

PHOTO: QantasLink is among those to have raised concerns about increased activity at the airport. (ABC News: Christopher Testa)
RELATED STORY: Flying school allegedly funded with embezzled Chinese loans

Reports of interference with aircraft radio communications and the use of laser pointers at one of regional Victoria's busiest airports, where a flying school trains pilots for Chinese airlines, are being investigated.

Key points:

• International Aviation Alliance CEO Simon Clemence said tensions over the academy's presence meant it had become "reluctant to even let [the students] out"
  
  
• Mr Clemence, who is also Mildura's mayor, said unknown persons had jammed radio frequencies
  
  
• A spokeswoman for the Australian Communications and Media Authority said it was investigating a complaint
  

The International Aviation Alliance academy has been subject to a number of complaints about noise, however CEO Simon Clemence said tensions over its presence in Mildura had escalated to the point where the academy had become "reluctant to even let [the students] out".

Mr Clemence, who is also Mildura's mayor, said unknown persons had jammed radio frequencies to prevent its aircraft from operating, and aimed laser pointers at its planes.

And, he added, Chinese student pilots aged in their 20s had been subjected to racial abuse on aircraft radios and in public.

"All the rednecks are coming out and quite literally attacking us," he said.

Academy helping amid covid-19: Clemence

The flying school opened to much fanfare in 2019, when Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack announced the Federal Government would contribute $2 million toward the installation of an instrument landing system at the airport.

Mr McCormack at the time said the funding was allocated because Anne Webster, then the Nationals candidate for Mallee, "continually rang me and rang me and rang me" and said the region needed the landing system to attract flying schools to Mildura.

PHOTO: The academy has been subject to a number of complaints about noise. (ABC News: Christopher Testa)

But in recent weeks, enough "distressed" constituents had written to Dr Webster angry about noise from late-night training flights that the MP had written to the flying academy to ask it to consider changing its schedule.

Part of the school's plan to alleviate those concerns involves expanding to places like Swan Hill, whose council this week voted to pursue negotiations that could eventually lead to 200 Chinese student pilots learning to fly at the Swan Hill Aerodrome, despite some councillors' concerns.

Mr Clemence said the academy's presence had helped some businesses in Mildura survive the downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it was even courting interest from the Tasmanian Government.

But while business leaders and local councils were attracted to the academy's promise of an economic boost, Mr Clemence said the students had been subjected to vigilante behaviour in the community.

A spokeswoman for the Australian Communications and Media Authority said it was investigating a complaint about interference to licensed radio communications services at Mildura Airport and had encouraged the airport's management to report the matter to police.

Mr Clemence said while there were genuine community concerns about aircraft noise and foreign ownership, he felt "anti-Chinese sentiment" was fuelling much of the outrage at a time when coronavirus was spreading.

"If this was Qantas, would anyone really be making all the complaints and allegations they are making now? I don't think so," he said.

ATSB found no need to investigate report

QantasLink is among those to have raised concerns about how increased training flights have made Mildura Airport a more difficult place to fly to.

In a recent airspace review, the carrier told the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) it had begun to find radio traffic at Mildura "challenging", with pilots commonly encountering "poor or miscommunication" on radio calls.

Virgin Australia, another of the three commercial airlines to service Mildura, also told the review none of CASA's recommendations would address the risk of "insufficient or ineffective communication" involving student pilots whose first language was not English.

Peter Guest, a recreational pilot from Mildura, said he had encountered communication issues on multiple occasions, and felt it was "just pure luck that there hasn't been a collision yet".

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) contacted Mr Guest this week after learning of an incident last Sunday (April 19) in which he claimed a pilot from the flying school failed to respond to his radio call as he prepared to land.

The ATSB decided no further investigation was warranted.

CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said more education about radio use at Mildura was planned but stressed the airspace was safe, with three incidents recorded over the past year out of almost 20,000 flights.

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"..continually rang me and rang me and rang me.." -  Hmm...why do I get the feeling that a certain 'Editor at Large' won't be leaving that Mick Mack comment alone -   

And this bit: ...also told the review none of CASA's recommendations would address the risk of "insufficient or ineffective communication" involving student pilots whose first language was not English...

Not the first time interested parties (Airservices/big developers/ local & state govts) to an identified airport/airspace safety risk issue have completely ignored the proposed risk mitigation proposals/recommendations put forward by either our inept aviation regulator; or the ATSB, State Coroners and even the Australian Senate...

Finally, in response to my rehash of the March 2019 Mick Mack interview by Ben Fordham (see my previous post), Sandy has forwarded the following FB comment to his local member Dan Tehan...  



 

MTF...P2