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The Last Minute Hitch: 21 November 2025

21 November 2025

– Steve Hitchen

Bankstown operators, pilots and aircraft owners will need to wait until the year has turned before they learn if the OAR has managed to craft a plan that breathes optimism back into their airport. OAR's revised proposal for a VFR corridor linking their airport to a practical training area has already been torpedoed once, which has left Bankstown on wood when it comes to the future of the training industry there. CASA has held some closed-door consultations with operators, and it looks like the new concept will be a one-way corridor. There aren't too many parallels for this in Australia without an accompanying contra-directional route somewhere, so I expect the design is more complex than that. But now I feel there is a need to put some pressure on CASA over this. Within the GA community there is an adage (and GA has plenty of those) that says "There is no Plan C". What this means is that if Plan A fails, Plan B must be fail-safe. This is where OAR is at right now: under an imposed demand for a corridor that the GA community can endorse as safe and use practically. Yes, this is totally unfair considering that OAR is not under any legal obligation to do anything. The demon in this drama is the Federal Government that gave absolute priority to Western Sydney International even though they were told repeatedly and forcefully what the impact on Bankstown would be.

"..All it does is redirect money from a struggling GA pool to government coffers.."

It was predictable that the Department of Home Affairs would quietly euthanise the idea of a single-issuing body (SIB) for ASICs and MSICs. Although it was the best and easiest solution for many issues extant in the ASIC process, it stood to put private companies out of business, and that fact that only Canberra and Adelaide Airports transitioned demonstrates what the aviation industry thought of the idea. Putting the SIB to permanent rest throws the obligation back onto Home Affairs to reform the application and issuing process to correct some glaring problems, one of which is to direct government effort to the areas of highest risk. Time to get real: if they want that outcome they could achieve it by removing the ASIC requirement for air crew, which has never since the ASIC scheme was spawned ensured any form of extra security. All it does is redirect money from a struggling GA pool to government coffers. The Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR) of 2014 took the extraordinary step of recommending a review of ASIC demands even though it was outside the ASRR's scope, so strong was the swell of industry opinion against it. We should also not be ignoring that other jurisdictions around the world, including those who have been targeted, do not require an ASIC equivalent. The ASIC was born in the post-2001 crucible of fear over aircraft being used in terrorist attacks, and a review in a reasonable light of day is probably well overdue. However, governments tend to get drunk on income streams, so don't hold your breath.

Nominations for the 2025 CASA Wings Awards closed a week ago, which means that you have all done your bit and now its up to the judging panel to get to work. Over the next few weeks those of us on the panel will be reading, review, comparing, analysing and proselytising nominations in all categories until we come up some level of consensus over the winners. And if you think nominating is hard, you should try judging. Winners will be formally announced in the March-April issue of Australian Flying, which is due in your letter box mid February. And if you put in a submission to one of the categories, thank you. It doesn't really need to be said that without your contribution there would be no CASA Wings Awards.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

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Oz Flying had a good week on the boards...

McDermott C160s to provide Sovereign LAT Capability

20 November 2025



Reproduced with permission from the Aerial Application Association of Australia AAAA Quarterly Issue 3 2025 www.aaaa.org.au.
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Recognised as one of Australia’s pioneers in firefighting helicopters, AAAA member McDermott Aviation Pty Ltd is now the world’s largest operator of the Bell 214B and 214ST aircraft. Founded by John McDermott in 1982, McDermott started as an aerial application specialist company before evolving into the multi-faceted aviation powerhouse it is today.

John told the AAAA’s Quarterly that in October 2022, he had the opportunity to enter the fixed-wing large air tanker (LAT) arena, when he was offered three Transall C-160s. The aircraft John said, had "one careful owner – the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) – were in absolutely immaculate condition, and only had about 13,000 hours." The type is well proven, having flown thousands of hours for the French, German, Turkish and South African military.

McDermott purchased the aircraft, but one of the problems was only having until December that year to move them off the airport base. However, that was achieved with receiving a special flight permit allowing them to be flown to Australia.

John believes that the C-160, used by the Luftwaffe’s now-disbanded 63rd Air Transport Wing for its strategic and tactical transport capability, could have "almost been designed and built for aerial firefighting. It is perfect for flying low and slow, can carry a 16,000-kg payload, and was designed specifically to operate on short semi-prepared airfields."

John has worked with Queensland company Helitak Aerial Firefighting Equipment to fit the aircraft they would like to use as a tanker, VH-TIT, with a custom-made firefighting tank, designed and manufactured in Queensland.

"The tank is really easy to roll on and off," John said, "and takes only about 45 minutes to remove."

Helitak said in an interview with Australian Aviation in June 2025 that "the FT-series tank developed for the C-160s is the first of its kind for fixed-wing aircraft, providing 'rapid-fill, high-volume water and retardant delivery, tailored for Australian firefighting conditions."

Testing, dropping water out of the aircraft [was scheduled to] take place in late September, and John said, "the conversion has had no airframe or flight characteristic impact – our highly experienced international test pilot is very happy with its performance."

Certification, as a European derivative, was never going to be easy, but John concluded, "We are working towards the certification process: the aircraft is ready for use, pending certification."

The development of an Australian owned, managed and crewed fleet has been the subject of many reports since the early 1990s, when, following the 1993 Sydney bushfires, the proponents of the CL415 "Superscooper" brought an aircraft to Australia for a series of demonstration flights.

Most recently the Bushfire Royal Commission into the 2019-20 fires identified the issues around Australia not having a domestic LAT fleet, while highlighting the challenges of Australia being over-reliant on northern hemisphere aircraft.

The increasing duration of fire seasons in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and the increasing duration and severity of fire seasons in Australia, will make it increasingly difficult to share aircraft domestically, and to acquire aviation services when we need them, particularly at short notice.

"We, therefore, believe that there is merit in the Australian, state and territory governments together ensuring the development of a sovereign aerial firefighting capability of sufficient size and versatility to better meet national needs.

"This sovereign fleet," the report went on to state, "should focus on the development of a modest Australian-based and registered national fleet of VLAT/LAT aircraft and Type-1 helicopters, jointly funded by the Australian, state and territory governments, (which) will enhance Australia’s bushfire resilience."

AAAA CEO Matt Harper outlined the AAAA position on an Australian sovereign fleet.

"This is an excellent example of where the private sector, and in particular companies like McDermotts, have moved to fill the gap to develop a LAT sovereign fleet. AAAA members have already established one of the world’s premier sovereign capabilities in firefighting – fixed and rotary-wing aircraft operated and managed by Australian companies with locally based pilots having a great understanding of the Australian situation, our terrain, our weather and our fire management.

"We look forward to McDermotts bringing the C-160 online and making it available to Australian fire agencies."

&..

Home Affairs abandons Single-Issuing Body for ASICs

20 November 2025



The Department of Home Affairs has quietly abandoned the project to create a single-issuing body (SIB) for Aviation Security Identification Cards (ASIC), but has said it will continue with some reforms. 

In a statement posted to the departmental website, Home Affairs said that multiple issuing bodies would remain part of the ASIC processes, but that reforms were underway to make the procedure more efficient.

"The transition to a SIB will no longer continue in its original form," the department said. "Instead, we will progress a broader reform of the background checking framework, with a focus on increasing efficiency, streamlining processes and enhancing security outcomes.

"Issuing bodies will remain important partners in the development and implementation of reforms. AusCheck will continue to coordinate background checks for ASIC and MSIC applicants, while working with issuing bodies to implement interim enhancements.

"Lessons learned from the SIB transitions at Canberra and Adelaide Airports, and feedback from industry consultations, will shape these improvements.

"Longer-term, we will continue working with issuing bodies to define a future-state operating model that delivers an efficient, secure and modern background checking framework.

"We remain committed to early and transparent engagement, and we will consult with issuing bodies throughout the reform process."
According to a discussion paper published in November 2022, a SIB was needed because the existing regulatory model required government intervention and regulatory oversight, and had "inherent vulnerabilities in the current arrangements that are undermining the integrity of the schemes."

The department has not given a reason for discontinuing the SIB project, but with only Canberra and Adelaide Airports joining the program by the transition deadline, it was clear the aviation industry had not embraced the idea.

&..

ATSB sounds Corrosion Warning after Brake Disc Fracture

18 November 2025



The ATSB this week warned aircraft operators to consider their environment and take steps to combat corrosion after a brake disc on a Sling LSA fractured earlier this year.

VH-PPY was returning from a dual training flight at Moorabbin in February when the student and instructor heard a unusual sound coming from the right side of the aeroplane, and the brake effectiveness was reduced.

On inspection after parking, the instructor saw that the right-hand brake disc had fractured.

ATSB investigators attributed the fracture to corrosion, most likely caused by the aeroplane being parked outside at Moorabbin, which is only 3 km away from the salt-heavy environment of Port Phillip Bay.

“The ATSB’s examination of the brake disc identified severe corrosion had compromised its structural integrity to the point where it failed during normal braking after landing,” ATSB Director of Transport Safety Dr Stuart Godley said.

“This corrosion was not identified by those maintaining and operating the aircraft as having progressed to a point where failure of the brake disc was possible.”

Godley also said that corrosion was found on the brake discs of all seven of the operator's aircraft.

“Being parked outside and operated in the vicinity of a saltwater environment would have contributed to the corrosion development,” he noted.
“The effect of the environment was also demonstrated by the extent of corrosion observed on the brake disc assemblies of the other six aircraft in the operator's fleet.”

Investigators also found that VH-PPY had been fitted with unapproved aftermarket brake discs, which the operator has since replaced on all aircraft.

Godley said that the operator had had plenty of opportunity to detect the corrosion because the aircraft was inspected daily and about every two months by a maintenance organisation.

“As such aircraft operators and maintainers should take timely action to prevent the progression of corrosion, and replace parts before the serviceability of an aircraft is affected,” he said.

“Operators should also give consideration to their aircraft operating environments, and whether additional maintenance can be undertaken to limit corrosion development.”

The full Short Investigation report is on the ATSB website.

MTF...P2