[Peetwo]

The Iron Ring & the Hooded canary -   

Quote from this week's SBG: Speak softly; yonder, as I think, he walks.

 "...The opening gambit is readily seen in the media – see: there’s Hood, doing a Geoffrey Thomas (he of Sunrise fame). This is not a top quality act, but ‘twill suffice. Firstly, we must examine the ‘props’ used, the title for a start will impress – ‘top dog in the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and a natural performer. Always seen looking ‘windswept’ and interesting, dressed in his canary yellow vest, wearing his ‘courage’ wrist band. The ‘shrinks’ would have a field day with that little lot, no matter. The long suffering public will not know the lack of qualification, or the association with some of the most disgusting ‘Acts of bastardy’ which hover about the ‘windswept’ visage. They will have no concept of conflicted interest or even ‘departmental’  manipulations. No; they just see the ‘fluff’ and hear the soothing words, reassured; they happily hop on the cheapest flight and toddle off to booze in Bali..."

 &.. from SBG post #95:

"...The main reason being that while HVH was the CASA Executive Officer ultimately overseeing the enforcement actions against both PelAir and Dominic James I also have, on good authority, information that HVH was the designated co-ordinator/liaison officer dealing with the FAA audit team and therefore the consequential cover-up of the actual FAA findings that could have led to the possible Cat II IASA rating..." 

So with interest piqued the BRB have tasked me to re-examine the HVH crumb trail with the intent to join some further chronological dots & dashes on the PelAir cover-up timeline (i.e Pel-Air: A coverup: a litany of lies?)...

To begin let's revisit the HVH CV up till the time he started with CASA:

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Air Traffic Controller


Company Name
Royal Australian Air Force  

Dates Employed
1980 – 1990  

Employment Duration
•10 yrs  

Location
East Sale, Sinai Desert, Darwin, Townsville

---

Air Traffic Controller


Company Name
Airservices Australia  

Dates Employed
Jan 1990 – Apr 1993  

Employment Duration
•3 yrs 4 mos  

Location
Melbourne Adelaide Alice Springs

---

Instructor - Centre for Air Traffic Services - University of Tasmania (Launceston)


Company Name
Airservices Australia  

Dates Employed
Apr 1993 – Dec 1994  

Employment Duration
•1 yr 9 mos  

Location
Launceston

---

Team Leader, Group Leader, FIR Manager


Company Name
Airservices Australia  

Dates Employed
Jan 1995 – Mar 2002  

Employment Duration
•7 yrs 3 mos  

Location
Brisbane ATC Centre

---

Manager Melbourne Centre


Company Name
Airservices Australia  

Dates Employed
Apr 2002 – Dec 2005  

Employment Duration
•3 yrs 9 mos  

---

Manager National Towers and Regional Services


Company Name
Airservices Australia  

Dates Employed
2006 – 2008  

Employment Duration
•2 yrs  

Location
Canberra, Australia

---

As can be seen HVH had all the right pedigree and Quals to continue a long career with progression up the gravy train at ASA. However inexplicably HVH leaves ASA to take up a lesser/nothing position at CASA :

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Group General Manager Personnel Licensing Education and Training


Company Name
Civil Aviation Safety Authority  

Dates Employed
2008 – 2009  

Employment Duration
•1 yr  

Location
Canberra, Australia

---

However with the arrival of McComic in 2009, it would seem HVH's obvious talents (??) were noted by the new DAS and once again Hoody's star was on the rise.

Extract from CASA Corporate Governance webpage 2013: https://www.casa.gov.au/standard-page/co...vernance-4
 

Operations Regulations Implementation

Greg Hood
Executive Manager (Program Director)
Phone: 02 6217 1118
Email: greg.hood@casa.gov.au

Profile
Mr Greg Hood is a glider and fixed-wing private pilot. He commenced his career as an air traffic controller in the Royal Australian Air Force. His nine years in the military included postings across Australia, and he served with the Australian contingent to the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai Desert.

From 1990, Mr Hood spent 17 years with Airservices Australia, in roles including Manager of the Melbourne Air Traffic Control Centre, Manager National Towers and Manager Regional Services.

In 2007, Mr Hood joined CASA as Group General Manager for Personnel Licensing Education and Training, prior to moving to Brisbane to lead the General Aviation Group. In 2009, he was appointed Executive Manager of the Operations Division. In April 2012, he took on the role of Program Director for the newly established Operations Regulations Implementation Division.

Role
Operations Regulations Implementation is responsible for the development, planning and oversight of the regulatory implementation program.

Now remembering that HVH was both the ultimate executioner in the DJ embuggerance case while at the same time the designated liaison officer schmoozing the FAA IASA audit team (till their return in April 2010), the following Oz Flying article on McComic's 1st deckchair shuffle in April 2010 provides some intriguing dots begging to be joined:

...The restructure stems from organisational improvements the regulator commenced in 2009.

At the top of the list, Terry Farquharson has been appointed acting Deputy Director of Aviation Safety, where he’ll support Director of Aviation Safety, John McCormick, in a range of strategic and executive functions. Farquharson will also be directly responsible for a number of areas including accident investigation liaison, the CASA safety management system and Australia’s state safety program.

As part of the restructure, CASA has created the new position of Associate Director of Aviation Safety, which has been given to CASA’s former executive manager, legal services, Jonathan Aleck. Aleck will work with Deputy Director Farquharson to oversee the further development of regulatory and governance policies and practices.

The final changes see Greg Hood appointed as executive manager, operations; Peter Fereday as executive manager, industry permissions; and Gary Harbor as executive manager, corporate services.

McCormick said the changes will form the basis for the further enhancement of safety and regulatory capabilities into the future.

“We now have a strong and focussed leadership team in place which is committed to the goals and priorities which have been established for CASA and its workforce,” said the CASA boss.  “Senior managers and staff alike understand the need to deliver on CASA’s core activity of regulating aviation safety, while strengthening safety oversight and surveillance and completing regulatory reform.  

“At the same time we are continuing to work on developing more robust governance procedures and practices.”

On another note, CASA has released its latest corporate plan, setting out priorities and initiatives for the next three years.

Goals established in the plan include:
* An enhanced focus on regulating aviation safety;
* Enhanced governance and operational efficiency; and
* Enhanced relationships with key aviation participants.

In realising these goals the regulator says it will strengthen its specialist surveillance staff, determine key safety risks through analysis of data, actively manage delegates and authorised persons to ensure ongoing competence and compliance, take a proactive approach to the shortage of skilled aviation staff, review new regulations and develop and refine appropriate enforcement strategies. Other initiatives cover continuing airspace reform and safer management of flight approaches to aerodromes.

Say what you will about McCormick, but he's clearly keeping busy in the job.

Read the full CASA corporate plan here

Read more at http://www.australianflying.com.au/news/...6wK8Q0d.99

   
Now fast forward to April 2012 where apparently HVH's job description changed and he became the.. 

..Program Director for the newly established Operations Regulations Implementation Division..

At the same time he mysteriously departed the scene (MIA) as the ultimate executioner/decision-maker in the DJ embuggerance case:

---

  
Less than 12 months later (again seemingly inexplicably) HVH leaves CASA to return to ASA...

Via Oz Flying:

Greg Hood has left CASA for a position at Airservices Australia, (CASA)

Greg Hood Resigns from CASA
31 January 2013

A key member of the CASA executive team, Executive Manager Greg Hood, is to leave CASA and return to Airservices Australia.

No date has been set for Hood's departure, but CASA has described it as "imminent". His new position at AsA will be as General Manager, Demand and Capacity Management.

In announcing the move, CASA Director of Aviation Safety John McCormick said: "Greg has been an integral part of CASA’s Executive Team over the last six years and I have personally valued his contribution, energy and enthusiasm and I know his management and leadership capabilities have significantly benefited CASA."

Greg Hood is highly thought-of within the general aviation community as a champion for GA, and it is expected his expertise will be missed at the regulator.

Read more at http://www.australianflying.com.au/news/...7IhhbIh.99

MTF...P2