[Peetwo]

Aviation –to be seen, but not heard?

By and large the latest Hitch offering, (courtesy of Australian flying) – HERE - is balanced and makes several good points, especially about perception; glass half full or half empty.  But the claims of small progress, advances if you will, being made are barely substantiated and certainly not credible.  Even the good Rev. Forsyth admits he is being ‘generous’ on his score card.

But serious expert people, like Cannane and many of the other voices pleading (lobbying, shouting, ranting or demanding) real reform, in our time, have a very valid argument that zero real progress is being made.  Operators like Alliance don’t decide on a whim to up sticks and leave Australia; major aircraft brokers don’t produce gloom and doom forecasts just for the hell of it; existing lighter operators don’t get into huddles and begin to kick up a stink without real provocation.  All have valid arguments; all are pretty much singing from the same hymn book.

Whether Australia landed in the current swamp by accident or history is irrelevant.  The real point is it has fetched up in very messy place; after spending hundreds of millions to get there.  In the process industry has allowed it’s self to become an almost nugatory voice, lost in the white noise of politics, baffled by the mystique of ‘safety’ and intimidated into dumb acceptance.

Passive resistance has failed, cooperation has failed, time to bang the big drum and speak out; that or go walkabout. Well, they are good and cranky now; Chester has inherited the portfolio, warts and all.  Aviation employs many and has the potential to employ many more.  Aviation contributes to GDP and has the potential to provide more again.  Aviation prestige is an important factor in international affairs, Australia is heading to the bottom of the prestige stakes at a rapid pace.  The question is, for mine, can Chester put the brakes on?  His options are simple enough to understand.  He can accept the smiling ‘not on my watch’ excuse and be assured that things are improving or; he can get off his arse, realise we do have some serious problems and make the necessary orders to change things.  Then have the balls to push through the fear the mystique generates and make it happen.

Solution? Simple as falling off the pot, give industry a regulator it can trust, laws it can comply with, without fear of retribution or prosecution; return to the rule of law, not bureaucratic whimsy.  How to reach that solution?  That’s even easier get some real expertise in there rather than hand picked flower girls and left overs.  Industry can and will, given the opportunity, provide that expertise.  CASA have proven, time and time again, that they simply do not have the expertise and worse, are quite happy to eradicate those that do.  Hells bells, my Grand Mama could turn it around in half year with the right crew just using plain, old fashioned common sense.

I wish Chester the best of luck with the new job and am quite happy to give him a fortnight to prove his credentials; after that, he’s fair game and in season; election or not.

Toot toot.

In support of the "K" Sunday offering here are some stats of interest courtesy the Transport & Logistics Industry Skills Council (TLISC) via A/AA web link (pg 4) : TLISC Key Issues Paper – Aviation Workforce Skills Study 

5. Regional Aviation Summary


5.1 Regional Aviation infrastructure remains an issue, principally around meeting regulatory requirements and ensuring that sufficient staff have access to affordable and necessary training to meet regulatory compliance. This is compounded by a rapidly ageing workforce in many key occupations.

5.2 Many stakeholders reported that access to high quality aviation maintenance for General Aviation operations is often problematic.

5.3 Business management issues including higher operation and construction costs, and access to skilled and potentially trainable workforce within regional areas are issues of considerable concern. The impact of workforce retention was cited by many as an ongoing challenge to recruit and then keep capable employees.

5.4 A lack of access to training and/or other funding available to the agricultural sector is a problem for businesses offering aerial agricultural services.