Buying a Rolls Royce?
What’s the old saying about expensive machinery, something like if you have to ask the cost, you can’t afford it. Well, it’s about time we started to ask the monetary cost of Part 61, because I’m pretty certain we can’t afford it.
I’ve no idea what each ‘exemption’ and ‘instrument’ costs from whoa to go; but each disallowable document must pass through many hands before it is published, so the cost in man hours alone must be impressive. Look over there; a ‘Tiger Team Member’ all spruce and raring to go arrives at one of the special desks, fresh Latte, play lunch, sharp pencil and new rubber in the ‘kit bag’. In strolls OST and dumps a pile of paper on the desk “sort that out for me” says he.
Well, the TTM is not dismayed or overawed by this already expensive pile of paper. Indeed, although the cost of producing the original was massive it’s just another pile of work to unravel, rework, draft exemption to and send down the line; off he goes in fine style. First task, decide what it all means – the purpose of the rule part, the mystery of language, the conundrum of intent and the heady maze of legal speak. With the consummate ease of a master crossword fanatic TTM wrestles the beast and after may phone calls to legal, hours and hours on Google, a dim picture of what it is, emerges from the mists. End day one. Day two is spent refining the image to an acceptable standard which leads to scheduling a meeting day three. The long meeting involves several others and takes a while, because although none could understand the thing in the first place, they all must be consulted now that TTM has got some idea of what it was all about. Eventually, the meeting is over, high fives all around; TTM has a go ahead to work the exemption. Well after three days of work, the TTM needs a break; so day four is toast, which takes TTM to day five and the all day gabfest ‘progress’ meeting. Welcome to the week end.
Eventually, by the end of the next week, TTM has drafted ‘the instrument’ for consideration by ‘other’ departments – after the weekend.
TTM’s draft spends the next week on various desks and by the Friday gabfest, covered in red pencil and traces of McDonalds sauce the tattered original is centre stage. The resolution is carried and the draft is on it’s way to be typed up and printed for the ‘big-wigs’ gabfest. Of course the top table boys are busy; so our instrument, now a tidy package must wait it’s turn. Towards the end of the week, the rubber stamp is used and our ‘instrument’ goes into the system, legal vet it, operations vet it; even the tea lady gets a peep, just to make sure all’s well. Next stop, parliament. Oh yes, this is now a disallowable document and it must be seen at least to go through the entire process before emerging for publication and distribution. How many hours of work, for how many people are involved there?
It’s said many hands make light work; that may be true, however I just wonder why so many hands are needed. Had the ducking rule been done properly, the first time, we would not have needed so many for the repair and patch up job. Of course the reversal process will need as much time, money and effort as the temporary patch up; then there is the cost of redrafting 61 all over again. Work for a lifetime, right there. Don’t forget, we’d spent a squillion manufacturing this cripple, before they set about repairing and patching. It may not be the best rule set in history, but it’s up there with one the most expensive. Only CASA could duck it up so completely, then try to patch it up and flog off as an exemplar. Gods spare us.
Why? Well you can’t expect CASA to admit the rule is a complete and utter disaster and start again. Measure twice, cut once and be cussed less, should be tattooed, in mirror writing, on every TTM forehead, as a reminder of folly.
Toot toot.
What’s the old saying about expensive machinery, something like if you have to ask the cost, you can’t afford it. Well, it’s about time we started to ask the monetary cost of Part 61, because I’m pretty certain we can’t afford it.
I’ve no idea what each ‘exemption’ and ‘instrument’ costs from whoa to go; but each disallowable document must pass through many hands before it is published, so the cost in man hours alone must be impressive. Look over there; a ‘Tiger Team Member’ all spruce and raring to go arrives at one of the special desks, fresh Latte, play lunch, sharp pencil and new rubber in the ‘kit bag’. In strolls OST and dumps a pile of paper on the desk “sort that out for me” says he.
Well, the TTM is not dismayed or overawed by this already expensive pile of paper. Indeed, although the cost of producing the original was massive it’s just another pile of work to unravel, rework, draft exemption to and send down the line; off he goes in fine style. First task, decide what it all means – the purpose of the rule part, the mystery of language, the conundrum of intent and the heady maze of legal speak. With the consummate ease of a master crossword fanatic TTM wrestles the beast and after may phone calls to legal, hours and hours on Google, a dim picture of what it is, emerges from the mists. End day one. Day two is spent refining the image to an acceptable standard which leads to scheduling a meeting day three. The long meeting involves several others and takes a while, because although none could understand the thing in the first place, they all must be consulted now that TTM has got some idea of what it was all about. Eventually, the meeting is over, high fives all around; TTM has a go ahead to work the exemption. Well after three days of work, the TTM needs a break; so day four is toast, which takes TTM to day five and the all day gabfest ‘progress’ meeting. Welcome to the week end.
Eventually, by the end of the next week, TTM has drafted ‘the instrument’ for consideration by ‘other’ departments – after the weekend.
TTM’s draft spends the next week on various desks and by the Friday gabfest, covered in red pencil and traces of McDonalds sauce the tattered original is centre stage. The resolution is carried and the draft is on it’s way to be typed up and printed for the ‘big-wigs’ gabfest. Of course the top table boys are busy; so our instrument, now a tidy package must wait it’s turn. Towards the end of the week, the rubber stamp is used and our ‘instrument’ goes into the system, legal vet it, operations vet it; even the tea lady gets a peep, just to make sure all’s well. Next stop, parliament. Oh yes, this is now a disallowable document and it must be seen at least to go through the entire process before emerging for publication and distribution. How many hours of work, for how many people are involved there?
It’s said many hands make light work; that may be true, however I just wonder why so many hands are needed. Had the ducking rule been done properly, the first time, we would not have needed so many for the repair and patch up job. Of course the reversal process will need as much time, money and effort as the temporary patch up; then there is the cost of redrafting 61 all over again. Work for a lifetime, right there. Don’t forget, we’d spent a squillion manufacturing this cripple, before they set about repairing and patching. It may not be the best rule set in history, but it’s up there with one the most expensive. Only CASA could duck it up so completely, then try to patch it up and flog off as an exemplar. Gods spare us.
Why? Well you can’t expect CASA to admit the rule is a complete and utter disaster and start again. Measure twice, cut once and be cussed less, should be tattooed, in mirror writing, on every TTM forehead, as a reminder of folly.
Toot toot.