[Sandy Reith]

David J, gee whiz you are a stickler.... but oh no! you’ve uncovered a whole new field of CASA rules discrepancies!

Suspect a new Manual Of Standards (MOS) must be in the pipeline, and a new 1000 page manual devoted to EE (Exceptions & Exemptions). For example, are we not required to take a sample of fuel as part of the duties for the Daily Inspection? Could be tricky if the voltage is more than about 30v. Never mind, a taste test would appropriate, a couple of wire probes from the battery to the tongue, making sure the correct tingle (we could get into practice with extremely hot curries). Then we are always cautioned not to simply trust quantity gauges. We are urged to ‘eyeball’ actual fuel levels, the equivalent safety standards here will be satisfied by the degree of eye bulging after the tongue test
for electron quality.

Watt next? There’s no doubt that there’s a battery of new measures which will accumulate and amplify over the next few years as all implications gain currency. Aviation Hearse will be busy for years conducting industry consultations, making up new criminal rules, then exemptions for some.

[Peetwo]

Via Oz Flying:

---

 

CASA extends Flight Rules Start Date
3 March 2020
Comments 0 Comments

CASA has extended the implementation date for nine new flight rules by nine months.
Originally due to commence on 25 March next year, the new rules will now not come into effect until 2 December 2021.

The CASRs impacted are:

• Part 91 General Operating and Flight Rules
  
  
• Part 103 Sport and Recreational Aircraft
  
  
• Part 105 Parachuting from an Aircraft
  
  
• Part 119 Certification and Management for AOC Holders
  
  
• Part 121 Larger Air Transport Aircraft
  
  
• Part 131 Manned Free Balloons
  
  
• Part 133 Rotorcraft Air Transport
  
  
• Part 135 Smaller Air Transport Aeroplanes
  
  
• Part 138 Aerial Work.
  

CASR Part 149 Approved Self-administering Aviation Organisations will remain unchanged with the end of the transition staying at 13 July 2022.

According to CASA, the extension is to give both the aviation industry and the regulator more time to get ready.

"We have taken the time to engage with industry through the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel and its consultative working groups," a CASA statement said.

"Some of the feedback from that process was the need for adequate time. We have listened and have extended the commencement date and are preparing the legislation to enable the change.

"Critical guidance material to support you will be available well ahead of commencement."

More information is on the CASA website.

---

"Some of the feedback from that process was the need for adequate time. We have listened and have extended the commencement date and are preparing the legislation to enable the change..."

Hmm...why do I get the feeling that there is more to this delay than meets the eye??

Ref: https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-a...st10701833 & https://auntypru.com/forum/showthread.ph...7#pid11087

 

Lead Balloon

Back on topic...


For those who suggest “there is no statistical significance in [a] single event that contributes such a large fraction of the sample”, “events like these are stochastic until proven otherwise” and it’s not “appropriate to extrapolate accident stats like that”, I agree. There is that trite saying about lies, damn lies and statistics.


But if you’re going to criticise Dick for implying that there is some causal connection between the specific spate of recent fatalities and ‘something else’ - I note he only asked a question about what that ‘something else’ might be - you should be criticising the others that do precisely the same. For example, look at what CASA and ATSB did to justify the Community Service Flight kneejerk. Wrap your brain around this circular logic:



Let us not entertain the possibility that waiting for “sufficiently robust data” might show that “being prospective” was really just “a kneejerk”. And strange that they don’t apply the same logic to HCRPT operations in and out of aerodromes in G. Apparently we’re going to wait for the collision that kills a a 737 full of fare paying pax before acting.


It seems to me that about the only valid conclusion that can be drawn about the accident and incident rate in Australia is that a few decades and a few hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars lazily sunk into the regulatory reform program have had little causally positive consequence for the accident and incident rate. The program has produced a few millionaires, so I suppose that’s a kind of silver lining.

It seems to me that some people involved in aviation spend a lot of time and money bringing about changes that have, on balance, been generally beneficial for aviation. It seems to me that other people involved in aviation spend a lot of time and money producing little that is beneficial for aviation.

---

Plus:

Vref+5

WRT to the comparison of the Ansett collapse to the current decline in Aviation, specifically the sacking of the crusty old engineers, have you tried to get hold of an inspector recently in the Melbourne office? Carmody et al aren’t replacing any inspectors who resigns, retires or walks out in disgust. And those who are left appear to be on sick leave, or seconded to other projects. Now taking months to get any applications through

---

& in reply:

Sunfish

Vref+5, doesn’t sound good. When TSHTF in an organisation, the scene is as you described. People leave and aren’t replaced, the rest are head down, trying not to get noticed. They know there is big trouble coming, well before senior management does.


The information I thought I saw - about CASA doing some IT based “transformation”, if true, is a desperate attempt to stave off organisational disaster. An IT solution to perceived problems is often proposed by managers trying to buy time and fix serious issues and it always fails.

The reason it fails is that if a business process is paper driven but “broken” then trying to computerise it just makes it worse. If CASA regulations are unclear now, just wait until a software architect tries to turn them into machine logic.

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

Delegates to the 2018 AGAA summit. This year, business and individuals will be able to attend. (Steve Hitchen)
AGAA Summit to focus on Regulation and Airports
6 March 2020
Comments 0 Comments

The Australian General Aviation Alliance (AGAA) summit being planned for this year will focus particularly on the impacts of regulation on the GA community and ongoing issues with airports.

Although the exact date for the summit has not been set, organisers have said the first day will focus on regulation with the second day reserved for discussions on airport matters.

"The first day will focus on how we see regulation is impacting the sustainability of general aviation and the cost of participation," AOPA Australia CEO Ben Morgan told Australian Flying. "We'll look at the issue of airports on the second day."

"We're also hoping to put forward recommendations and proposals of what we'd like to see happen."
AGAA is planning to invite Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and members of the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport (RRAT) to the summit. RRAT has already launched an inquiry into the impacts of regulation on GA, which is due to report at the end of next year.

There is no indication that there is any formal relationship between the summit and the RRAT inquiry.

"We would like the summit to complement the inquiry," Morgan said, "by allowing each of the industry associations to give summaries of their submissions and also to provide an opportunity where senators can speak first-hand with industry bodies and other aviation people.

"This is not a CASA-bashing exercise, but an exercise about what is wrong with the system and what we need to do to get it fixed."

AGAA is also attempting to get delegates from international bodies including International AOPA and the Federal Aviation Administration to address the summit to provide a comparison between the GA environments in Australia and overseas.

Unlike the Wagga Wagga summit of 2018, AGAA will open entry to any association, company or individual person who has an interest in the outcome.

The last AGAA summit was held in Wagga Wagga in July 2018, but for 2020 the location will change to suburban Sydney, with the Bankstown Sports Club touted as a possible venue.

---

Plus: 

AHIA to explore Bushfire Lessons

One of Australia's most respected experts on aerial firefighting will deliver an address at Rotortech.

6 Mar 2020

[Peetwo]

The Last Minute Hitch: 13 March 2020
13 March 2020
Comments 1 Comment


– Steve Hitchen

COVID19 looks set to severely damage the aviation community in Australia by canceling nearly all air shows and exhibitions for at least the medium term. The Australian government is likely to implement a ban on non-essential public gatherings of more than 500 people. Some outlets are saying that this ban has already been implemented from Monday onward. This probably has to happen, but that makes it no less devastating. The Australian Grand Prix was canceled today costing absolutely millions of dollars, indicating that authorities are pretty serious about the issue of public gatherings. In Europe, AERO 2020 has fallen and eyes are being nervously cast towards Oshkosh in July. Even so, both Wings over Illawarra and Rotortech are adopting a stiff-upper-lip attitude and cautiously pressing on.  Other imminent air displays like the Latrobe Valley Air Show on 5 April; Mudgee Wings, Wheels and Wine on 26 April and most Anzac Day fly-overs are most likely going to be canceled, although currently there is no official word on anything. Longer-term plans for the likes of Warbirds over Scone and Ausfly have more wax left on their candles of hope because the COVID19 pandemic still has a chance of abating before September-October. Right now I am feeling for all those people who have put their time into air shows and events whose efforts are likely to come to nothing.

Getting the public to sign a piece of paper has no merit

The aviation community has been expected action over the stall/spin characteristics of the Bristell LSA, and this week it came through: CASA issued a notice of intention to ban stalls, both intentional and unintentional. The problem, our regulator says, is that there is evidence that the type doesn't recover well from a spin and that BRM Aero, who certified the aircraft to ASTM LSA standards, can't show satisfactory evidence that they were properly tested. In sum: CASA isn't taking this action because they believe the Bristell is unsafe, they're doing it because they believe it might be unsafe. In the world of regulation, there is probably no distinction between the two. "Safe" is safe; "might be" is unsafe. Most annoying is the need in the ban to not only inform your passenger that stalls in the aircraft are banned, but also get them to sign a piece of paper to say that they have been told. CASA is worried about the uninformed public again; as ever, their priority. But it makes no sense. CASA will issue the ban and pilots will comply with the ban. Regulation done; public protected. Getting the public to sign a piece of paper has no merit; it does not inform the public about anything given that most of them don't understand the concept of stalling anyway. We don't have to do this with any other regulation. But we can still have a laugh at this, particularly CASA's statement that they are banning unintentional stalls as well. Unintentional stalls have been banned for years under a regime called "airmanship" and another one called "good training".

Meanwhile at Camden, stones are being asked to shed blood or cease to be stones. Sydney Metro Airports, operators of both Bankstown and Camden, has presented Southern Cross Gliding Club with rent increases of between 225 and 550%. SMA runs both airports on behalf of First State Super, which is in the money-making industry and is not apologising for it. Hikes like this are to be expected; the owners want their returns. However, the aviation community just can't accommodate their needs. The pool of available money in general aviation has been slowly shrinking, which has caused many schools and small operators to close. That's important to us, but not to the leaseholders, who got into the aviation game expecting to make money out of it. Operators on leased airports have to live with monopoly conditions (they have nowhere else to go) so the position of power in negotiations is firmly in the airport operator's hands. That position is worse in Sydney because the same entity operates both airports. There is no competition; no controls to make the system fair. There are very few instances in aviation where a company has been handed unrealistic lease conditions and been able to relocate to greener pastures, as is their right under competition rules. Some have done it, but the fate of most has been closure. Business practice says that you can't demand more for your product than the market is willing to pay. That rule still applies in aviation, but instead of the customer buying someone else's product, they go out of business. The question is, does anyone with the power to do anything actually care?

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

Martin Hone • 16 hours ago

So rents go through the roof at Camden?

What are the odds that a developer is lurking in the wings. Excuse the pun ....

Ventus45 on twitter, in response to Scotty's comment...

Scotty

Gliding Leases soar at Camden Airport

No doubt the land is worth so much more with houses on it than aircraft..... Pure greed and dishonesty to buy it as an airport then look to cash in on the land value...

disq.us

12:00 AM · Mar 14, 2020·Twitter Web Client

...kindly reminded me that he did predict the demise of Bankstown and Camden airports -   

Ventus_45
@Ventus_45

Replying to @PAIN_NET1

Well, I did predict it, 28th October 2015, did I not ?  (2/3 of the way down).

Ref: https://auntypru.com/forum/showthread.ph...45#pid2545 &/or https://auntypru.com/ap-forum-potm-ventus45/

I was never Luke Skywalker - but I was young once .....................


I joined the AAL (Australian Air League) in 1964, at the tender age of ten.
Side note 1:  I was a founding member of the Clemton Park AAL Squadron in fact - establishd by Mr Bell and the Russell brothers (big kids - sixteen, seventeen or so).  
Side note 2: We were later amalgamated with Marrickville Squadron.

So what - you ask - or perhaps don't ?

well, our first "outing", a small group of 12 of us, with a couple of "father officers", was a trip to YSBK, in it's hey-day.  

I had been looking forward to it for weeks.  Keen as mustard, as excited as hell.

I had my Kodak instamatic camera, two flash cubes, two fresh AAA's, and, two vp-126 cartridges of, wait for it, not just B&W film, but Kodak Ektachrome slide film, that had cost me a WHOLE month's pocket money, plus a "secret suplement from mum" - don't tell your father !!).

The day finally came, I awoke, I jumped out of bed like an olympic high-jumper, I looked out the window, and then I felt instantly depressed.

It was a filthy day weather wise, rain, low cloud, and windy, and I mean real windy !!

But I was not deterred.

Mum had her doubts, but she let me go anyway.
After all, I wouldn't disolve in the rain, nor run the "unacceptable" risk of getting one or more of a possible zillion imaginary ailments, not like modern kids.
Modern mums would not have let me go, no way.
But back then, we kids didn't mind getting wet, or dirty, nor did our mums, really.
It was "normal" then - wasn't it ?

I walked the well worn path to the Clemton Park Public Primary School (the assembly point), of 400 metres (it was "yards" back then, bloody yards !! - OK !!), in uniform, in the rain.
As I walked, hopped, skipped and part jogged off on my way, the neighbours waved, and I waved back.
That was normal then too.

One by one, the others arrived, all excited and rearing to go.

Eventually, two cars pulled up, and we all pilled in.
Two car loads - we held the record for the number of kids squeezed into Mr Bell's beetle !!)
No seat belts, no air-bags. (air-what's ?).
None of that stuff then.
Me and my mate, being the two yougest and smallest, were prone in the boot, with the lid cocked up about a foot by two bits of four-b-two and secured with two "belt-straps", and off we went !!
(For those who don't know where the boot is in a beetle, do a google.)
"Ops Normal Officer" !!

Could you just imagine what would happen today, if a Highway Patrol Copper saw that ?

Assuming he recovered from his heart attack, he would have to "call it in" to Highway Patrol Command.
Such a situation is way, way, way, way beyond a senior constable's discretionary decision matrix today.
It would require a deputy commissioner level decision - minimum.
Far too risky for a "pull over - stop" - what if the driver bolted ?
Any pursuit would be out of the question - career ended.
Even a "follow at a discrete distance and report" would be way too risky in a lolly-pop-car.
He would have to call in an unmarked job for the "trail".
Mean time, Central Command you would have Polair one, two, three and four all scrambled, (ironically out of YSBK), the Commissioner would be informed, the TRG called out, the Police Minister and Premier informed (there will be one hell of a media storm to weather once the nine and seven and ten news helos get wind of it) road blocks will be set up, Ambo's put on alert, local hospitals alerted, DOCS informed, negotiators called out...........
God, I am getting sick just thinking about it.
You know it would happen.
If we could still scan the airwaves like in the old days (all the services have encryped radios now) we could laugh our guts up, and maybe, be motivated to do something about the lunacy of operations in the "PC" world of today, but it is hidden, few people know, or care, and none act, effectively.

I  digress - sorry ..........

Just one barb: CASA - eat you heart out !!

Now, where was I ?

Oh yes, I remember ......

We started off at 8am and arrived (safely) at YSBK by 8:30am.

We did the rounds of the hangars.
It seemed like dozens of them.
All hives of activity, mechanics, pilots (real ones - with wings on their shirts - and a "huge" Dakota - with Masling - on it), and lots of student pilots and instructors.
We were shown everything, climbed in and out of aircraft (they were "aircraft" - not "planes" - we knew that !) lots of aircraft, big and small, tail dragers and "tri-cycles".
We sat at the controls, had all the dials (instruments) explained ( most of it in one ear out the other - you understand ) red levers, blue levers, white levers, switches, lots and lots of switches, and head sets, and microphones - it was amazing.

People everywhere, all anxious to fly !!
But the lousy weather was unkind, everyone was grounded, waiting for the weather to break.
Would it, or wouldn't it ?
No one knew.
Everyone had forecasts and weather maps.  
I had never seen one before.  
It had highs and lows, and a real big nasty line on it, with little triangles on the right side.
I was told it was a "cold front" and the reason the weather was so crappy.  
I (innocently) asked why it did not just "bugger-off" and let us go fly, and all the "grown-ups" just started laughing.  
Anyway, we moved on, more hangars, more aircraft (NOT planes), and more people, lots of people.

I Used up my two flash cubes too quickly !! ( only eight shots mind - bugga).

Then, we went outside to watch an engine "run up" on a biplane.  
It was a DeHavilland Rapide.  
Fascinating.

Time moved on.
By early afternoon the rain had stopped mostly, just occasional showers, but the wind had got worse.
Lots of people were giving up any thought of a chance to fly that day, and were starting to go home, but not all.

Around this time, we kids got a real treat.

You must understand that we had been told in no uncertain terms weeks before, that the one thing we WOULD NOT be able to do was visit the tower, because it was so busy and there were RULES about such things, so don't ask, in fact, don't even think about it !!

Mr Bell suddenly anounced that he had got a message from the control tower.

Long story short.
The guys in the tower had observed us kids doing the rounds during the day, and since there was no flying, they rang up the hangar we were in at the time, and invited us up to the tower !!

We could not beleive it, but down to the tower we went.  The door opened and after a few "rules" were laid out by the controller, up the stairs we went, in leaps and bounds !
The head controller (there were four from memory) then showed us around and explained how everything worked, but nothing was actually happening.

Then, a radio call came in.  
It was on the speaker, so we all heard it.
It was the chief pilot of the aero club asking what the winds currently were.
one of the controllers spoke to him and said something like 45 gusting 60 or similar.
(As I mentioned above, it had been bloody windy all day, and was now even stronger than in the morning).

To everyone's amasement, including the controllers, he said he was going to fly !

He taxi'd out in the Chipmunk, very slowly and very carefully, with a man sitting on the front of each wing near the tips.
Eventually he got to the runway, and lined up, into wind, obviously.
The two guys on the wings got off and ran away.
The Chipmunk just sat there for a while, with the tower now giving the wind almost continuously.
We were all watching, and there were lots of people outside watching too !!
Finally, he decided to take off and requested clearance.
The tower said ok, and he started to move forward.
Almost instantly, the tail came up and he was level, at walking pace !
He went a little faster and took off and climbed.
Forward speed was bugger all.
It almost looked like a helicopter.
we were all transfixed.
He got to about 100 feet.
Then he put the flaps down. We saw him suddenly put them down.
Then, to our utter disbeleif, he slowly started moving backwards !!
He "reversed" in the air, about 100 yards or so, then pitched down and landed, and stopped, BEHIND where he had started from !!
The two guys then ran over and got on the wings again, and then he slowly and carefully taxi'd back in again.
Everyone cheered, and I for one was stoked and hooked.
I decided I was going to fly one day, even though we were poor, come hell or high water or both !!

Now, that is how it happened, whether you beleive it or not.
It is as clear in my mind as yesterday.

Could you imagine what CASA would do, if anyone even thought of doing that today ?
I gave the police example above for a reason.
Now you know why.

I went to YSBK often in subsequent years, both with the AAL and ATC-RAAF, and made a few "contacts".
As a result, I got a few "free flights" by flying as "ballast" on a number of occasions, when pilots were getting new endorsements from 182's to 206's etc (self loading ballast required for max weight).
I never flew there as a pilot though, since I went for gliders at Camden (a financially driven decision).

Many years later, (January 1978) I faced a serious wind problem in an L-13 Blanik, which had both me in the glider and the tug pilot in a Piper Super Cub in a bit of a spot.
There was a storm many miles away, ten or more, that didn't appear to be an immediate concern.
But it nearly got us.
What I now know to have been a microburst (didn't know then) which was way stronger than anything previously experienced, and much-much stronger than anticipated, came out of the storm, and hit the field, whilst we were on climb !!  
We were  suddenly in unexpected conditions almost as bad as that day at YSBK.
He landed OK, so he said later in the pub, but on the limit.
So did I, BUT way over our wind limit.
If you have ever flown a Blanik, I had 80 kias short final with half to a third brake and 800ft per minute down before "rounding out" for a wheelie at 60 kias full brake estimated ground speed 20 knots, with the pucker factor way up !  Ground roll was "short".
Obviously I could not taxi, nor could I get out.
With 40 to 45 knots IAS, stationary on the ground, with full stick forward to keep the nose on the ground, I had to "fly the ailerons" until help arrived, thankfully, in about 5 minutes, in the form of three guys with a car and a tow rope.  One guy on each wing and one driving the car, slowly, with me still strapped in "flying", all the way to the "tie-down".  Very exciting, too bloody exciting !!  
Flying was cancelled for the rest of the day !!

Last year, 50 years after my first "visit" I drove out to YSBK to buy some charts, as part of my MH-370 work.

I drove around for a while, slowly, down to the control tower (it still looks pretty much the same - from a distance), up and down all the "ways", past the hangars.
All the hangar doors are closed.
Gates, lots of gates, all with security keypads.
There are no people around.
It was 2pm on a wednesday, and the place was deserted.
I worked my way back up the hill towards Marion Street, and come across this car place, a workshop, the dyno-tune car performance place, I forget it's name, and eventually found the "chart shop" nearby.
I parked, got out, and stood, and looked around.
I saw nothing, and I heard nothing, aviation.
No aircraft, no engine sounds, nothing, just the wind.
And then, suddenly, the sound, of ...... I presume, a V8 screaming it's head off, on the dyno.
Not a Gypsie major, or minor, or anything that could ever turn a prop.

It may sound spooky, but it reminded me of a movie I once saw.
I can not remember the name of it, but it was a war movie.
It opened with an old man, standing in a English field, with the remnants of an old control tower to one side, and as the credits rolled up the screen, the camera slowly panned vertically up to the clouds, and as it panned back down slowly, the music and the credits ended, and the scene was now of a vibrant WW2 bomber base - and the movie went on.
At the end, the reverse occured.
As the credits rolled by, the scence went to the clouds, and then back to the old man in the field.
He then slowly walked away, off camera, stage right, and fadeout to black - "The End" - in white.

As I looked around, all I saw, was what is now a toxic aviation wasteland.
Toxic in every way, chemically, commercially, financially, politically, legally, ethically, ........ lots of "lly's".
Too many "lly's".

YSBK is indeed now riddled with those zillion ailments, but unlike years past, they are now real, not imaginary, and, tragically, they are incureable.

Just like the ailments once beatable by antibiotics, like rampant staff infections in our hospitals, that now easily defeat the antibiotics, a situation brought about by the inappropriate and gross overuse of same by an all knowing self richeous and unaccountable medical clique, YSBK as the hospital, and GA as the patients, are being decimated by aviation's plague of inappropriate, illogical, unreasonable, nonsensical  regulations, and worse, the gross, purile, and zealously vindictive overuse of same, by another unaccountable "aviation clique" - CASA.

The prognosis is grave.
GA is at death's door.
YSBK will soon be "condemmed" as an empty graveyard, ripe for redevelopment.

One must ask.
Was that not the "game plan" from the beginning ?
Schoefields, Hoxton, done and dusted.
YSBK soon ?
YSCN next ?
Perfect political subdefuge ?
Who remembers ?
Who sees ?
Who knows ?
Who cares ?
Who will write the epitath ?
Will anyone bother ?
Will anyone read it, even if anyone does bother to write it ?

Senator Fawcett, Heff, or Zeno ?
Perhaps, it should really rank a Ministerial ?

The Miniscule could ask Mrdak to get Beaker to draft it for him.......  perhaps..... ?

Was it not he, before he entered the ATSB, who gleefully weilded the syringe, by his own hand, that injected the infection, correction, the toxic imunisation innoculation, that is so successfully, slowly but surely destroying the hospital and turning it into a graveyard ?

Is it not also he, who as head of the ATSB, has been shown to willingly and deceptively assist the prime "aviation clique" in it's selective and vindictive prosecution and persecution of certain GA targets, by ensuring that his supposedly ICAO compliant "independent" reports have been "spiced" with a certain flavour, most paletable to the "aviation clique" ?

After all, he knows best...... does he not ?

Surely he must ?

He is always telling the good senators he does, does he not ?

Remember his retort to Heff's remark about him climbing his own water tower ?


I am not a patch on Yoda.
I am more of an elephant type.
But reality is, I am now Just an old man, standing on a rise, looking down on an old control tower.

Fade to black.
The End.

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

Bristell bemused by CASA ineptitude -  

---

 

BRM hits back over CASA Stall Ban
16 March 2020
Comments 0 Comments

Czech manufacturer BRM Aero responded late last week to CASA's intention to ban stall training in the Bristell LSA.
In a letter to all Australian owners of the type dated 14 March, BRM "strongly refuted" the claims that the aircraft had not been spin tested properly and included the test results.


"Contrary to CASA’s assertions, the Bristell LSA aircraft have undergone extensive spin testing and have been demonstrated to be compliant with the ASTM F2245, section 4.5.9 standard," BRM says in the letter. "This spin testing was carried out by a professional Russian test pilot Mr Yury Vashchuk.

"Our understanding is that CASA has rejected these declarations and apparently consider that Mr Yury Vashchuk is not sufficiently qualified to carry out this testing and make determinations of compliance against the regulations.

"For information Yury is not only a graduate engineer but he also graduated from the Russian Test Pilots School in 1993. As a professional test pilot since 1993, he actively participates in the creation of new models of military and sports aircraft including those aircraft types intended for agricultural use and other civilian applications."

BRM notes that the spin testing was done in Russia because spinning of any sort is banned in the Czech Republic in aircraft of the Bristell type.

BRM also took issue with CASA's procedures, saying that the Australian regulator failed to provide reasons for rejecting the evidence of testing and issued its notice of intention to ban stalls before a seven-day submission period expired. - Why? - "Because it's easy..."



"Although the spin testing data had been previously supplied to CASA it was agreed that the data would be compiled into a more readable format, together with videos taken by on-board cameras, and would include digital data recorded by on-board data recorders. This was supplied to CASA by the agreed deadline of 26 February 2020.

"Once again CASA rejected the report, videos and the data supplied, with no reason given whatsoever!
"On the 11 March 2020 CASA issued a BRM a Notice of Intention allowing BRM 7 days from the date of that notice to provide CASA with further written submissions or evidence as why CASA should not impose any operational restrictions on Bristell aircraft – 7 days!

"Despite this 7 day window of opportunity, and without any notification to BRM, Anderson Aviation [Australian Bristell distributor] or their legal representatives, less than 24 hours later CASA released an email with a Notice of Intention to impose operational restrictions on Bristell aircraft. Typical 'law unto itself', CYA reaction by CASA Legal (read DR A -   ).



"As far as we can assertain this notice was distributed to an undisclosed list of owners and operators of Bristell aircraft, including those registered with Recreational Aviation Australia. Why did CASA not wait at least the 7 days they allowed in their 11 March 2020 notification? Only they know!" (see above comment -   )

BRM also moved to reassure owners that the aircraft is safe, and reinforced that intentional spinning was banned.

Despite CASA’s assertions, BRM maintains that your aircraft is completely safe to continue all flight operations provided the aircraft is flown within the aircraft operating limitations.

A spokesperson for CASA said that it would take into account the spin test data in its deliberations over the Bristell.

"CASA has issued notices of intent to impose operational limitations on Bristell Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) to both BRM Aero, as the aircraft manufacturer, and also to the Certificate of Airworthiness holders of the four design variants of the Bristell LSA operating in Australia," the spokesperson told Australian Flying.

"CASA will take into account the spin testing data supplied by BRM Aero, as well as any other submissions or evidence supplied by other interested parties, before reaching a final decision about whether operational restrictions are necessary in the interests of safety.

"Further information will be made available to BRM Aero, to affected Bristell LSA operators and to the general public, once a decision is made in that regard."

---

MTF...P2 

[Kharon]

Oh, we got both – Country and Western.

"Contrary to CASA’s assertions, the Bristell LSA aircraft have undergone extensive spin testing and have been demonstrated to be compliant with the ASTM F2245, section 4.5.9 standard," BRM says in the letter. "This spin testing was carried out by a professional Russian test pilot Mr Yury Vashchuk”.

Remarkable, that CASA do not have a 'qualified' test pilot on staff, one with a commensurate engineering degree to refute the 'test program'. Test flights (the real certification deal) are a legal and technical nightmare; test pilots understand this – completely. They also understand the manufacturers 'need' to meet those requirements (financial and operational). However, they also understand 'aircraft' and flight envelopes; not to mention the legal ramifications of telling faerie stories.

"Our understanding is that CASA has rejected these declarations and apparently consider that Mr Yury Vashchuk is not sufficiently qualified to carry out this testing and make determinations of compliance against the regulations.

I would, very much, like to know who, in CASA made this decision. What the qualifications of that person are; and, in writing, the reasons for the decisions made. 

"For information Yury is not only a graduate engineer but he also graduated from the Russian Test Pilots School in 1993. As a professional test pilot since 1993, he actively participates in the creation of new models of military and sports aircraft including those aircraft types intended for agricultural use and other civilian applications.".

Seriously - CASA?

“Despite CASA’s assertions, BRM maintains that your aircraft is completely safe to continue all flight operations provided the aircraft is flown within the aircraft operating limitations.”

A qualified test pilot (which you don't have), a company which provide data under a stringent flight test regime (which you've made a pigs ear of) ; a manual which clearly defines 'operational limitations' and yet – unqualified 'opinion' rules because why – exactly? Produce your expert, qualified test pilots – Yeah right, lot's of clerical pole climbers, but nary a real pilot to bless yourselves with. You shame this nation.

State your case – provide evidence – provide your 'qualified' expert. No: well consider this. The aircraft in clumsy, trainee hands is 'difficult' to manage – fair enough. A student or low hour PPL will have difficulty understanding the limitations in the aircraft operational manual, without 'training'. CASA have allowed junior flight instructors to teach basic flying to students in this aircraft. I'd say the 'blame' rest fairly and squarely with 'the Authority' for allowing this aircraft to be operated without a specialised training program. Same as many of the other LSA – it is a specialist tool.

Aye, well;  Toot – bloody Toot.

[Peetwo]

The Last Minute Hitch: 20 March 2020
20 March 2020

– Steve Hitchen

Right now it's almost impossible to determine accurately if general aviation is facing a down-turn or complete armageddon. Three of the five headlines in this week's newsletter are related to COVID-19, which you can take as an indicator of where the industry's focus is right now. Tourism operators have a lot of aeroplanes doing nothing at the moment as international visitors are stopped at our borders and bookings are increasingly having lines drawn through them. For many, charter operations are the smallest part of their revenue, and not enough to keep them afloat until the COVID calamity peters out some time in around three-four months. Perhaps longer. We knew it was going to be bad last week when the news feeds were dominated by the cancelation and postponement of air shows to comply with government policy, but only this week did the impact on commercial ops become clear. But there is an interesting paradox: some charter companies are saying the impact has been neutralised by an increase in charter inquiries. Although the environment in heavy jets is generally fine, people are starting to think about chartering their own plane as a safer option.

 GA will have to fight to get share large enough to be a saving impact

Just as frustrating right now is the government's response, particularly the aviation package, which looked to any reader to be exclusive to the airlines, i.e. Qantas, Virgin and Rex in the main. The Department has since stated verbally that it was supposed to include GA, but officially nothing has been put out, and won't be, apparently, until next week when the measures go before parliament. Then we'll know for sure. But is $715 million enough? When you take into account the fixed costs of the major airlines, there won't be a generous amount left in the kitty to support GA operators. In a nation that so often doesn't see aviation past the airlines, GA will have to fight to get share large enough to be a saving impact. In the meantime, perennial black-hats, the banks, have announced a six-month moratorium on loan repayments for small businesses. This is no minor measure, and was almost compulsory if many companies were ever going to emerge from this crisis intact; government hand-outs weren't ever going to do much if that money then had to be handed to a bank. CASA's promise to be flexible is encouraging, but it may come to pass that there is a big difference between their definition of "flexible" and the industry's. No-one wants safety compromised, but right now operators are under such intense pressure that genuine mistakes are more likely to be the case than intentional transgression.

 

CASA promises Flexibility in the Face of Virus
20 March 2020
Comments 0 Comments

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has promised flexibility in dealing with the aviation community as the industry stuggles to adapt to its new virus-induced reality.

In a statement issued this week, CASA Director of Aviation Safety and CEO Shane Carmody said the regulator recognised the need to adapt their approach to support operators.

"Since early January we have been closely tracking the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and the effects it is having," Carmody said.
"In light of the most recent developments, I want to offer my support to you and your organisation, as you too come to grips with this unprecedented challenge.

"COVID-19 is expected to continue to disrupt business and flying operations for some time. It will also impact many of your staff in some way.

"I want to assure you that all of us at CASA are actively monitoring the situation in respect of the broader impacts on aviation safety.
"It is clear that during the next few months we will need to be flexible in the regulatory approach we take in order to support you. For that reason I urge you to review your permissions, authorisations, or authorised person details as soon as possible and reach out to your regional office directly to discuss any changes you may require. This will enable us to anticipate and effectively manage those requirements.

"You can expect the regional managers will respond by seeking information on the safety impacts of the proposed changes and measures you have in mind to mitigate any risks.

"We will work as closely as possible with you during this time to ensure aviation safety is maintained."

Many GA operators believe the industry is facing its greatest ever fight for survival, with tourist and charter operators around the country grounding aeroplanes and laying off staff as the impact of COVID-19 begins to bite.

AOPA Australia has called for government assistance to keep the GA industry viable until the situation can return to normal.

Hmm...and why exactly should industry trust the St Commode, the smiling Cheshire Cat of aviation safety bureaucratic embuggerance...

Ps Rudders nails it here: http://disq.us/p/281pak9 

Richard RUDD • 16 hours ago

Why did CAsA reject the Bristell test data..? "Because its easy". "We have the power."

 


But GA has one major advantage: we can still operate! People can still fly their own planes, hire planes, buy fuel and buy pilot supplies. Unless ScoMo puts us all into lockdown Italian-style, we can get still get out there and be what we are: aviators. Right now, the general aviation industry could do with some serious panic-buying and it's up to us to supply that. Aero clubs can still organise fly-aways to little remote cafes to inject money not only into aviation, but also into the regional areas, some of which are still labouring under the damage of the summer bushfires and don't need an added burden of no visitors. Provided we are smart about this and comply with all government health guidelines and rules, there's no reason why the fun aspect of aviation has to stop. I don't even have to remind you to not fly if you are feeling unwell; that's something airmanship demands from us on every flight. There's still so much we can do at this time, so let's do it.

One sparkly gem amongst the festering fen is that Wings over Illawarra is back on ... just a lot later in the year than we thought it was going to be. Postponed from the early May date, WOI will now go ahead 7-8 November. This is truly great news for the industry, Bright Events and the wider Shellharbour community. WOI is such a great event and without doubt the largest and most successful annual air show in the country; a staple of our aviation calendar and a brilliant showcase for aviation right on Sydney's doorstep.

Congratulations are due to Lea Vesic, who has moved from RAAus to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport as the minister's newest aviation advisor. She has replaced Steven Campbell, who has found a new home as the Government Relations Manager at Airservices. Good luck to both these people in their new roles ... and please keep taking Australian Flying's phone calls.

Cirrus owners! If you're thinking of going nuts with disinfectant as a plan of COVID-proofing your aeroplane, you need to put down the spray bottle and read this. The company has warned against using some types of cleaners on any part of your aeroplane. Go to the Cirrus website and get the good oil on what you can and can't do before a wayward swipe costs you big bucks.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

---

MTF...P2 

Ps  "..Congratulations are due to Lea Vesic, who has moved from RAAus to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport as the minister's newest aviation advisor. She has replaced Steven Campbell, who has found a new home as the Government Relations Manager at Airservices..."  - From BAD to ??? 

Confirmed here: 

Aviation Advisor
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia - The Hon. Michael McCormack MP
Mar 2020 – Present 1 month

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Good luck to the young lady but you gotta wonder if there is anything between our useless Miniscule's ears...

Pps Hmm...no guesses to who put together this load of bollocks??

Ref: https://auntypru.com/forum/showthread.ph...9#pid11129 + 36 pages –

...This policy work will form part of a number of initiatives we will be working on over the coming year, to help prepare Australia for the aviation opportunities that are already with us or not that far away.

Think ridesharing apps in the sky, autonomous aircraft, biofuel, electric aircraft and so much more. The days of the Jetsons are here. 

As we look to the next 10 years, the 10 after that and the 10 after that, we want Australians to be at the front of the queue when it comes to benefiting from innovation and new technology.

The government is doing a lot and the industry has come a long way but we need to be even more ambitious and fly even higher.

So next time you board a plane, whether it's to a major city, a regional hub or even a small charter aircraft, pause for a moment to consider how you think the experience could be better - because your government is listening.

The sky is (NOT) the limit! 

[Peetwo]

The Last Minute Hitch: 27 March 2020

27 March 2020
Comments 1 Comment

– Steve Hitchen

Flying schools are charter operators Australia-wide are starting to grapple with the inevitability that most of our industry may be shut down in the days or weeks ahead. Whilst at first it seems that GA doesn't fall under any of the current government-mandated restrictions, some flying schools have abandoned dual flights to protect staff from potentially being exposed to coronavirus. It's the right thing to do, but the impact on cash flows and instructor incomes has been devastating. It could get far worse. The Victorian and NSW governments seem determined to go into lockdown if need be. That means staying at home and not making trips out to the airport even if it is safe to fly. The industry responses to this potential have been varied, from "reduce to turbulence penetration speed and see out the storm", to "it's Airmageddon!" Both positions are right. Some companies have the resources behind them to tame this tempest, whilst others will have to hand back their AOC, their aeroplanes and their house. With unemployment charts looking like the trajectory of a space shuttle launch, our lawmakers are completely overwhelmed and will be picking and choosing where to place money. Most interesting, at this stage, the Regional Airports grant program announced last year is still going ahead. Could those funds be better placed within the industry at the moment? With the wall looming for many GA companies, perhaps re-directing the cash to a fighting fund might be greeted with applause. Expanding airports can wait.

that will be welcomed like a dose of COVID-19 at a hairdresser

One of the great mysteries right now is the impact on the federally-leased airports such as the metropolitan Class Ds. The indications I am getting show that stressed operators are, at the very least, going to ask the airports for relief from leases that are already significant burdens. With movements likely to nose-dive in the event of a total lockdown, the airports will already be facing revenue losses. Where the airports are leased to development or investment companies, that will be welcomed like a dose of COVID-19 at a hairdresser. The point of owning the leases is that the property puts money into the parent company's coffers, not the other way around, which may encourage the owners to seek their own relief from the government. The US government, perhaps the most under-siege administration in the world at the moment, has created a $US100 million war chest for GA airports and you can bet the Morrison government will be under pressure from all quarters to do the same thing here.

CASA's initiatives are being widely applauded, even moreso than the Coalition's $715 million package. The measures CASA has taken will have positive benefits in real terms, whereas the aviation industry's package is based on variable costs; savings in fuel excise and airways charges that weren't going to be incurred anyway. Parked aeroplanes use no fuel and flights not made don't have to pay airways charges. And whether or not GA was included in the scheme has still not been answered at the time of typing. In effect, not a lot has been done for any sector of aviation so far. The immediate future of GA depends largely on what the government does next with both relief packages and lockdown measures.

But we need to remember this: there is going to be a general aviation industry and community once the COVID-19 crisis is over because the passion that underpins GA will still be there. It's that passion that has constantly sent us all back to the regulatory wall to bang our heads against it, and it will drive us to revive our industry in the second half of this year. The sad thing is that we are likely to lose some soldiers along the way as inevitably not every company, aero club or organisation will be able to make it to GA's brave new world. When the shackles are off, we'll all be busting for a good long fly to a distant cafe somewhere and activity within the community will leap. Demand for avgas, headsets, books, whiz-wheels, EFBs, flying instructors and everything else that makes up our industry will return with a vengeance and as an industry we need to be ready for that to happen. It might be in two months; it might be in four months. The important thing is that we need to hang on to as much as we can to carry it forward not only for the rest of 2020, but for the years immediately ahead.

Australian Flying is preparing to do just that. We're setting in place measures to make sure we're there for all readers throughout whatever the immediate future brings. The magazine will continue to come out on time every two months as it has for decades. One concession that we've needed to make is the E-newsletter. Rather than coming out every Friday, the news feed will now arrive in your inbox once a fortnight staring mid April. News will, however, still reach the website as soon as it happens and we'll keep you connected through our Facebook page. The industry will go on and Australian Flying has long been a part of that industry.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

---

And:

RAAus to seek Regulatory Relief
26 March 2020
Comments 1 Comment

Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) has announced it will seek exemptions from CASA similar to those extended to the aviation industry this week.

"RAAus has been working on ways to support our Instructors, CFIs and members in these challenging times," the announcement states. "We are aware and supportive of the recent CASA initiative to extend flight reviews and medical validity for licence holders.

"These initiatives provide some certainty during the current crisis and where the regulations permit, RAAus is working with CASA as a matter of urgency to extend similar initiatives to its members for biennial flight reviews, rating and approval holder renewals and medical validity."

The relief packages announced on Tuesday included a six-month extension on Part 141/142 certificates, licences to remain valid for six months after a medical expires, licences to remain valid for three months after a flight review or proficiency check expires and relief from Part 61 proficiency checks.

---

Plus:




The COVID Effect
27 March 2020
Comments 0 Comments


General aviation companies around the globe have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with some manufacturers slashing workforces and others ceasing production completely.

With the GA industry plagued by uncertainty ahead of potential catastrophic lock downs, companies are reconfiguring to survive what is looming to be a greater challenge the industry's viability than the Global Financial Crisis.

Flying schools are assessing their ability to continue operating and still comply with government-mandated measures, whilst some airports around Australia are gearing-up for significantly reduced movement levels.

One of the largest GA company's in the world, Textron Aviation, will stand down around 7000 workers for four weeks in the 23 March – 31 May period. Textron makes the Cessna and Beechcraft range of aeroplanes as well as Bell helicopters.

Bell Helicopter is also offering flexible working arrangements including working remote and staggered work schedules to employees.
Canada's Viking Aircraft, manufacturer of the 400 series Twin Otter, has stopped production at its plant in Victoria, BC, and Calgary, Alberta. Around 40% of the company's workforce will be impacted.

"This is a period of considerable challenge for our industry and for our customers, and we must adapt to this new–hopefully temporary – reality,” said David Curtis, Executive Chairman, Longview Aviation Capital Corp, which owns Viking and De Havilland Canada.

“In this context, we will focus our efforts on supporting our customers’ existing in-service fleets and delivering the other services our companies provide to the global aviation industry. We will remain in close contact with our customers and continue to monitor the evolving situation. We will make further adjustments to our operations as required.”

De Havilland Canada has also stopped production of the Dash-8 400, impacting 800 employees.

Engine manufacturer General Electric, which builds engines for the Honda HA-420 and is behind the new turbo-prop engine to be fitted to the Cessna Denali, will stand down 10% of its workforce for three months, equating to 2500 employees.

"The aviation industry is feeling the impact of this global pandemic most acutely," said CEO Larry Culp. "The rapid contraction of air travel has resulted in a significant reduction in demand as commercial airlines suspend routes and ground large percentages of their fleets.

"As a result, GE Aviation is announcing several steps that, while painful, preserve our ability to adapt as the environment continues to evolve."

At Vero Beach, Florida, Piper Aircraft has taken the step of dedicating part of its workforce to making medical face masks to ease the shortage of critical medical supplies needed to fight COVID-19.

"This is a critical time for our community, our country and the world," said James Funk, Piper’s Chief Operations Officer. "It is a time for action, cooperation and collaboration. As a team, we can make a difference for people in need and directly support those fighting the battle on the front lines of this unprecedented crisis.

"This is just one small way that we are trying to help. We want healthcare providers, especially, and patients to be safe, therefore it’s vital that we all pull together to help our community, weather this crisis and come out the other side stronger than ever.”

Brazilian jet manufacturer Embraer has announced a program to produce parts for ventilators and respirators, replace imported components for ventilators, develop high-efficiency filtration systems for transforming regular hospital beds into intensive care beds and study methods of developing portable respirators aimed at rapid availability.

In Italy, one of the nations hardest hit by coronavirus, Leonardo Helicopters still has 70% of its employees showing up for work amidst on-going negotiations with unions.

"Leonardo is aware of the difficult moment that the country is experiencing," a statement released this week says. "We reaffirm our utmost commitment to guarantee all our workers the highest safety standard by fully respecting the prescriptions established by the government and also the further measures agreed with the trade unions through the protocol recently signed.

"Our sector is highly strategic and our aim is to ensure the production continuity but without any compromise on safety and health."

[Peetwo]

Oz Flying latest - :

---

 

RAAA praises Government Action on Regional Airlines
31 March 2020
Comments 0 Comments

Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) president Jim Davis has heaped praise on the Federal Government over its $198 million package for regional airlines.

The support package is for route subsidies designed to provide a reduced service for those regional communities that are in danger of losing their current scheduled air service, plus an additional $100m in direct financial support for smaller airlines.

The funding was announced late last week by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack.

"This package guarantees core routes for domestic air freight will remain open and essential workers remain employed, while providing vital financial support for airlines servicing regional and remote locations,” McCormack said.

“More than 100 regional and remote airports received a scheduled passenger service last month and this funding will be welcome news for the aviation workforce and the broader communities these services support.

“The funding will ensure regional communities benefit from an ongoing airline service by underwriting airlines’ operating costs on selected routes.

In a statement made this week, Davis said the initiative could save regional airline services in Australia.

“[the] announcement from the Deputy Prime Minister means a lifeline has been given to regional operators and the essential air services that they provide.

“The damage caused by the COVID-19 virus to a fragile industry is extraordinary and many important regional aviation businesses including tourist operators and flying schools that provide essential services will not survive.

"However it is highly gratifying that the government has listened carefully to the industry’s concerns and has moved to ensure that a nucleus of regional air services will remain to rebuild with once this crisis has passed.

"Without that timely action many essential regional air services would have been lost forever."

Australia currently has 12 independent regional airlines that stand to benefit from the grants. Airlines, contracted aero-medical providers and a range of other essential service providers can apply for for assistance on a month-by-month basis through to 30 September 2020.

---

Plus:

---

 

CASA extends Exemptions to MROs
31 March 2020
Comments 0 Comments

CASA has introduced a set of exemptions for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry to support businesses affected by the coronavirus restrictions in Australia.

MROs are expected to be impacted by the industry slow-down as the aviation industry gradually shuts down to comply with ever-tightening government rules designed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In an announcement released today, CASA CEO and Director of Aviation Safety Shane Carmody said the new exemptions were intended to help MROs through difficult times.

"CASA has been phasing in the introduction of various general exemptions for a number of authorisations or permissions related to the continuing airworthiness of aircraft," Carmody said. "These are designed to proportionally manage safety risks while providing relief."

Among the exemptions are:

• if you are a CASR Part 42.G continuing airworthiness management organisation (CAMO), CASA will extend your certificate by six months
  
  
• if you managed the continuing airworthiness of an aircraft since the last airworthiness review, CASA will allow you to extend the due date of the next airworthiness review for the aircraft by six months
  
  
• if you have a CASR Part 145 approved maintenance organisation certificate or a CAR 30 certificate of approval, CASA will extend it by six months. There is no change to certificates that do not have an expiry date.
  
  
• if you are a CASR Part 147 maintenance training organisation, CASA will extend your certificate by six months.
  

CASA has hinted that it is also exploring options to help Part 66 licence holders and those studying for that qualification with respect to time limits on type and category training.

"CASA continues to be as flexible as possible in these difficult times to assist the industry to maintain operations and to seek new business opportunities," Carmody said.

Last week, CASA brought in a series of exemptions for air operators that have been roundly applauded by the general aviation community.

---

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

The Last Minute Hitch: 3 April 2020
3 April 2020
Comments 0 Comments

– Steve Hitchen

We finally have answer in writing about whether or not the government's $715 million aviation largesse included general aviation. It took nearly two weeks to find out, but charter and aerial ag will benefit. The actual value is still a mystery because it's based on variable costs; the more activity levels drop the less money saved. If you're a tourist operator who has no customers, you won't be flying, therefore not burning fuel and your excise rebate is approximately nothing. The government has recognised this in the regional airlines package, setting aside $100 million to inject directly into airlines. That is the sort of thing that is needed for charter companies and tourist operators: cash not cuts. Excise rebates and waivers from Airservices fees will free-up money to help with fixed costs, if flying continues. If flying ceases, the package actually diminshes to nothing. Paradoxically, the more a company gets in financial strife, the less and less the value of the rebates and waivers, at just the time when help is needed the most.

Can you be further away from any other person than cruising alone at 8500 feet?

And that is a question that continues to vex flying schools all around Australia. Do we shut our doors or keep flying? Some schools made an early call to close because social distancing is impossible in the cockpit of C172 and a laughable concept inside most LSAs. Dual flying stopped at seveal schools to rescue instructors from the risk of infection. However, flight training can be considered education, especially if you're doing a CPL and AOPA Australia has advice from the Federal Government that flight training can continue for the time being. Other schools have stayed open, appearing to continue on as if COVID-19 was nothing more than a novel by Robin Cook. Measures are taken in some places, like disinfecting aircraft after every flight and hand sanitiser on the desks. They're all simple, smart measures. When it comes to private flying, the issue is less clear. Private, solo flight is a great social distancer! Can you be further away from any other person than cruising alone at 8500 feet? We can keep 1.5 km away from others, not a measly 1.5 m! However, unless you live at the airport, the journey to the aeroplane is problematic. In a country that just fined a bloke for eating a kebab on a park bench, reasonable excuses for being outside your home are very limited and the police are unlikey to consider a need to play aeries a reasonable excuse. Certainly it's not listed among the "big four" reasons to stray from home. Then there is the simple question of ethics. Should we just stay home as urged by the medicos that man the front lines of this war? Conversely do we go out and support the flying schools that need us to right now? Everyone, it seems, has their own answer.


CASA this week continued their industry support package with more exemptions, this time for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies. They've also flagged a potential extension of six months on the time limit for sitting exams for CPL, ATPL and AME. Every little bit helps, and there is so much that CASA can do. These exemptions stand to make a real difference to our industry in the most challenging environment that we've ever faced. Regarded most of the year round as the Fortress of Evil, CASA is instead displaying an understanding of the sorts of things needed to relieve the burden. Maybe now they will also understand how much of a burden a lot of this regulation always was. Keep going, CASA, the job you are doing now is vital to the survival of our industry.

In a piece of bold optimism, the Experimental Aircraft Association said this week that they are still planning for Airventure 2020 at Oshkosh to go ahead on 20 July. Most of Australia's air shows have been postponed to at least the southern Spring and others put back by a full 12 months. It's gutsy of the EAA to forge ahead given the state of play in the USA, but unless international travel can return to normal, I suspect Oshkosh this year will be a mere shadow of its usual self. That presumes that it goes ahead at all. I wouldn't be booking tickets just yet.

Have you had a good look at the Australian Flying Easter subscription special? We're offering up four issues of Australia's best GA mag for only $24.00. I'll do the maths for you; that's a 40% saving off the normal price. At a time when wallets are getting tighter, this is a fantastic bargain. Get on board at Great Magazines and have very good Easter indeed! Despite the challenging times, Australian Flying is still up and about, social distancing ourselves at our desk chasing down really good stories that you'll read about in upcoming issues. We do that for every issue, but now you get it all at 40% off!

When the world goes through international upheavals such as it is at the moment, everything changes. As human beings, we generally like to change, but hate to have change forced upon us ... we're fickle things. The best we can do is limit forced changes, but they are inevitable. Here at Australian Flying, we're having to make a change to ride out the storm as best we can and make sure we can still present the best product for our readers. This change is to the newsletter and this column. Beginning today, the Friday E-newsletter and The Last Minute Hitch will be going to a fortnightly cycle. The next E-news will appear on Friday 17 April. We'll still be putting up news ever time it breaks and we'll spread the word via our Facebook page when something new goes up, so you can still maintain touch in the off weeks. If you don't follow us on Facebook, go to the Australian Flying page now and connect. Of course, we'll still be there every second Friday and I will still have things to say about what's happening, so the change is a small one that stands to make a large impact. When the time comes, we'll be ready to resume our normal services.

May your gauges always test negative for COVID-19,

Hitch

---

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

From Hitch in isolation, on behalf of AOPA Oz - 

---

 

AOPA petitions the PM over Engine Runs
9 April 2020
Comments 0 Comments

AOPA Australia CEO Ben Morgan yesterday wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison seeking an approval for recreational and private pilots to conduct flights for the purpose of running aircraft engines during the COVID-19 restrictions period.

The letter outlines the need for aircraft engines to be run regularly in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations to reduce the chances of internal corrosion.

"During periods of inactivity, aircraft engines are susceptible to internal component corrosion as a result of humidity and air temperatures day/night cycles," Morgan points out. "Aircraft engines with internal corrosion damage are required by Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulation to undergo significant inspection and component overhaul maintenance that can run into the many tens of thousands of dollars.

"To prevent internal engine corrosion aircraft owners are encouraged by engine manufacturers to regularly exercise engines, which requires owners to fly their aircraft, ensuring the engine has been brought up to full operating temperatures and operating loads.

"Under restrictions imposed by the various state and territory governments, pilots face fines up to $13,000 should they conduct a flight for engine maintenance purposes.

"AOPA Australia recommends that essential engine maintenance flights be permitted in accordance with engine manufacturers requirements, with flights taking off and landing at the same airfield."

COVID-19 restrictions are recommended by a National Cabinet made up of both the federal and state governments, but each state government is free to mandate and enforce the guidance as they see fit. AOPA has requested that the Federal Government advise the state governments that engine maintenance flights should be permitted.

---

See AOPA FB page here for a copy of BM's letter to Mick Mack and some of the interesting comments in reply...

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

 

The Last Minute Hitch: 17 April 2020
17 April 2020

– Steve Hitchen

Aviation has lost a piece of its soul with the death this week of Senja Robey. A classic character that contributed so much to aviation, Senja launched the careers of countless pilots and probably contributed in some way to hundreds more. Senja was a foundation member of the AWPA, and the organisation they built in 1950 is today arguably the strongest aviation association in this country in terms of unity, participation and passion. Much of that is owed to the women that forged the path so many others coming after them would find a smoother road ahead. When it comes to memories of Senja, the constant from everyone seems to be one of a passionate, empathetic person who was always ready with a helping hand, especially when it came to fostering younger women in aviation. Her impact on general aviation can't really be measured except to say that women's aviation in Australia would look very different today had Senja Robey not caught the aviation disease over 70 years ago. Australian Flying extends its condolences to Senja's family and all her flying mates at the AWPA.

 it's unlikely that there is any other course of action that will result in a different outcome

Another chapter has been written in the controversial story of Tallawarra B power station. CASA has now approved the aviation impact assessment put forward by Energy Australia, which outlines an engineering solution to keep the critical gas plume velocity below 6.1 m/s at 700 feet. This has not impressed AOPA Australia, which made calculations that arrived at a figure of 4.3 m/s to be safe. Naturally, AOPA has asked CASA to show their working. The issue is that the gas plume will rise into the circuit area of Shellharbour Airport (Albion Park) and has the potential to disturb the stability of light aircraft that encounter the plume. AOPA is also concerned that there seems to be no plan for auditing the actual plume velocity once the power station has been commissioned. As the NSW government has now issued the planning approval for Tallawarra B, it's unlikely that there is any other course of action that will result in a different outcome. GA, we're going to have to live with this plume and the man-made wind shear it may be capable of producing. Mathematical calculations are all well and good, but it's what really happens in the air that will show whether or not the situation is actually safe.

COVID-19 has introduced to our lives a great contradiction: amorphic rules. These are rules that are so broad that the people who decided upon them really don't know the extent of the rule, leaving them open to almost limitless interpretation. You can think you're operating within the rule and not understand that you're in breach until you meet someone who tells you that. In ways, aviation should be coping with this situation better than any other industry or community because that's the way the CASRs have been working for years! A case in point has arisen with the issue of running engines. Leave an aeroplane engine for any length of time–especially tied-down in the open–and all sort of evils can befall it. Naturally, we want to get out there and run the donk to banish any form of moisture that can creep in, and to keep other bits lubricated. In our world, that's necessary. But will the police officer that pulls you over on the drive to the airport see it that way? They have the power of interpretation at the moment because the restriction laws were put in place so quickly that there wasn't even time to set boundaries. AOPA has done exactly the right thing by asking the Prime Minister for a ruling on the engines, but there is so much else, and each state is permitted to apply the restrictions as they see fit, creating even greater confusion. So, to fly or not to fly? Who decides what's "necessary"? There is clearly some GA still going on out there, which in itself if attracting commentary. That only proves the problem with interpretation: what chance the police when we can't even work it out for ourselves? And there's still quite a ways to go yet.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

---

Plus: Passing Strange? But I note that Hitch has moderated/deleted thread comments from a more than month old Oz Flying post - 

Hitch explanatory post:

SteveHitchen Mod • 3 days ago

Sorry, but this thread strayed into defamatory areas despite the fact that the person's name was removed. This is because defamation laws are such that it need only be possible to identify the person for the statements to be considered defamatory. See the Peter Fitzsimmons boxing match case.I don't want to deter people from posting here, but you need to understand that an internet moniker does not protect you from legal action against you. I believe I have a responsibility to make sure we don't publish anything that can get you sued as well. The original post was OK with the name removed, but additional information in subsequent posts made it possible to identify the person even with the name redacted. Also, the thread failed to play the ball and targeted the man instead. This adds nothing to any argument and is never constructive. Anger and passion are good, but if you want to direct it at an individual, either ring that person or contact the Industry Complaints Commissioner. I have left Pilko's post here because it is a good argument that attacks the reasoning rather than the man.

Here was my version (with comments - post #25 above) of the Oz Flying article: Bristell bemused by CASA ineptitude

I also know that Rudders was the 1st to comment on that post. This was his now deleted comment:

Richard RUDD16 hours ago

Why did CAsA reject the Bristell test data..? "Because its easy". "We have the power."

Hmm...interesting - 



MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

The Last Minute Hitch: 1 May 2020
1 May 2020
Comments 0 Comments

– Steve Hitchen


Most of the GA industry were shocked three years ago when three very skilled pilots died in the crash of a Conquest at Renmark. Almost immediately, people began to talk about practising engine failure after take-off (EFATO) in twins and the recognised dangers. Too many times in Australia have practise emergencies turned real with the attendant consequences. This week the ATSB confirmed that the crash was indeed an issue of not maintaining a safe airspeed during an EFATO exercise. The scary thing is that if pilots of this calibre can get it wrong, what chance the average twin driver? CASA recognised the dangers back in 2010 after a hauntingly similar crash out of Darwin involving a Brasilia and opened up the possibility of doing twin-engine EFATO in a simulator, if one is available. Sadly, the ATSB notes that there is no Conquest sim in Australia, so it had to be done for real. Sadder, perhaps, is that this won't be the last time. Most twin-engined aircraft in Australia don't have suitable simulators, condemning pilots to continue with real practise EFATO, an exercise that has been shown to introduce danger to a flight. There's still so much more work that needs doing in this area, and I believe it should be high on CASA's list.

no-one has ever been hurt by an accident that didn't happen

Statistics tell stories, but the story told is often dependent on who's doing the reading. This week the ATSB released their 10-year occurrence analysis, concluding that fatalities in GA decreased over the course of the decade. However, stats extracted from their very own database show that accident numbers have been trending steadily upwards. More accidents, but fewer deaths. Does that mean GA is getting safer or not? That depends on the reader's definition of safety. When I do stats analysis on accidents, I take no notice of the injury levels. An injury is the consequence of the accident and not the cause of the accident. Eliminate the causes and the injuries are eliminated by default; no-one has ever been hurt by an accident that didn't happen. Fatalities, however, can give some guide as to the severity of the accident once it has occurred. By counting only accidents, we put a simple folded nosewheel on landing into the same stat column as the Renmark incident above. Are they comparable? Not likely. Conversely, counting fatalities can make it all sound so much worse. Ten accidents resulting in one fatality gives a one-to-10 ratio. Three accidents of which one was a triple fatality gives you a one-to-one ratio, a worse figure despite the number of accidents going down. That's one of the reasons why the ATSB hammers us with stats from every angle: numbers alone tell only part of the story. By the time you've read through the ATSB report, you'll probably come up with a story all of your own as well. That's the nature of statistics.

If you've been monitoring our Facebook page, you'll note that we've been posting links to a podcast series called Grounded. Produced by Angela Stevenson (aka Angela at Avalon), the series interviews several GA people to find out how the COVID-19 restrictions have impacted their businesses and operations. Real aviation people telling real aviation stories. The society we are trying to operate in at the moment has very different norms from those that general aviation grew out of and at the moment it's very clear that the industry and the community is under serious siege. Mostly what we have to go on now is anecdotal, so we've devised a very short sampling survey to try to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions. If you get the chance, go in and complete this simple 10-question survey to give us all an idea of the new norm we are trying to work with. The survey is limited to 100 responses and will close as soon as the limit is reached. Also, if you'd like to tell us your story as it has evolved, you can always e-mail me at stevehitchen@yaffa.com.au and give me your thoughts directly.

In much better news, the May-June print issue of Australian Flying is on the loose! This is the last of the pre-COVID issues when writers could get out and about flying things, photographing things and talking to people face-to-face. It was built in a happier time for GA. Covered with a great shot of a couple of Twotters in the air, this issue contains a flight test on Tecnam's beefed-up P Twenty-ten, an examination of the influence of LSAs on GA, a fantastic interview with the great Burt Rutan and we look back on 10 years of Class D metro GA airports and ask if it was all worth it. There's a heap more that you can peruse here, but these are just samples of what's in store when you get your hands on the whole mag.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

[Peetwo]

Oz Flying's Friday Flying video - 

A strangely eerie pooh-tube vid of a Cessna lighty overflying YMML airport...

Ref: http://www.australianflying.com.au/video...ance-at-ml

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

Operation Tulla Bucket: the Inside Story

A follow on to the last video another into Tulla, this time in formation -

MTF...P2

[Peetwo]

 

The Last Minute Hitch: 29 May 2020
29 May 2020
Comments 1 Comment

– Steve Hitchen
Whatever happened to biofuels? Not that long ago, aviation jet fuel made from products such as sugar cane and algae were the rising stars of the alternate fuel industry. Now it seems their positions have been usurped as hydrogen and electricity take over the mantles of the industry leaders. In recent news we hear that Pipistrel is working with other European companies to develop a hydrogen-powered shuttle and only yesterday a Cessna Caravan fitted with a 560-kW electric motor flew in the USA. Both of these technologies mean creating new power trains, whereas biofuels were looking to keep engines as regular as possible and have them burning new fuels. The problem biofuels had was that a lot of plant matter had to be grown and processed, which meant competing with food plants for growing space. The energy seems to have petered out in that industry at the moment as aviation corporations now look to other sources of power to fuel aviation into the future. In the next issue of Australian Flying–which should be out around mid June–we'll present you with a complete rundown on several future fuels and the state of play.

opportunities like this are too good to reject

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced airlines to hibernate their heavy jets, opening the way for general aviation to operate into and out of the major airports. This gives a never-to-be-repeated (hopefully, the industry couldn't cope with this again) opportunity for GA pilots to experience landing at a capital city international airport. I indulged in this myself a couple of weeks ago as part of The Wedgetails formation out of Lilydale, and the following day, air show favourites The Stooges grabbed their chance at Sydney. Back in the days when we had to share the skies with pterodactyls, you had to fly into a primary controlled airport to get your PPL and for some reason Essendon wasn't considered acceptable. Consequently, Melbourne International was plagued with Warriors and C172s wanting to play in their airspace just to qualify. I did this myself back then, although admittedly ML is a very different airport today. My point being is that opportunities like this are too good to reject and I would encourage everyone to have a go whilst they can. It will be a jewel in your logbook. Expensive? Yes; the landing fees are horrendous, but it's worth every cent to say that you did it. Hint: prepare well. My thanks to Melbourne Airport Corporation and Airservices Australia for giving this project the nod.


The 2020 CASA Wings Awards are now open and looking for nominations. Every year since 2014, the Australian Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and Australian Flying have banded together to present a series of awards to recognise the efforts and dedication of the people that keep general aviation running. The pinnacle is the Col Pay Award for a Lifetime of Service to General Aviation, which we are very pleased to have presented to some of the most hard-working, dedicated and deserving people in GA. Now this year we're looking for more people to honour. And we have a new category: Young Achiever of the Year. We want to reward passion and drive early in people's careers, and there are so many young people out there doing truly good work for GA. If you know someone like that, tell us, tell the whole world, and give them every chance to be recognised for what they are doing. For 2020 we've instituted a new nomination system that is totally online to make it much easier for everyone to get their submission in. Have a look at the criteria and nomination forms on the Wings Awards webpage. We want also to extend our thanks to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for supporting this year's awards. CASA has been doing some very good work to help the industry during the pandemic and their support of the Wings Awards will go along way to help Australian Flying see off the impacts of the downturn and make sure when this is all over the magazine is still there for the reading.

And speaking of pandemics, we'll be leaving our COVID-19 survey open for another week. After that, we'll start doing some analysis and let you know the outcome. However, the preliminary perusal of the data is showing that it won't be pretty.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

---

The Sandy Serve - 

In reply to this bollocks...

..We want also to extend our thanks to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for supporting this year's awards. CASA has been doing some very good work to help the industry during the pandemic and their support of the Wings Awards will go along way to help Australian Flying see off the impacts of the downturn and make sure when this is all over the magazine is still there for the reading...

...Sandy deservedly returns serve - 

Sandy Reith • 17 hours ago

Hitch gives the much maligned CASA a pat on the back for supporting the Wings Award. Anyone still in the General Aviation industry labouring under CASA’s super expensive regulatory structure, and the swinging fees that go with it, deserves a medal. Awards, yes a fine idea and should get support.

Otherwise CASA deserves our ongoing criticism for it’s damaging regulation that will not allow independent instructors as in the USA. Or another like the medical reform Basic Class 2 (BC2), the reform you are having when you are not having one, that restricts pilots to Visual Flight Rules, thus encouraging pilots not to fly Instrument Flight Rules.

In addition to make the BC2 as difficult as possible you have to meet a standard ‘unconditional’ commercial driver’s licence when numerous bus and truck drivers can work happily with a ‘conditional’ medical.

Meanwhile down at RAAUS no such overkill and a proven, rational and far less expensive medical regime exists for private flying, essentially fit to drive a car, a completely obvious standard. Laudably CASA CEO Mr. Carmody has allowed some time limit overrun on medical certification, and on check flights, a pat on the back for that? More like the feeling that morale improves as the beatings are reduced in severity.

Sandy also returns serve to this Senator Rennick (QLD) FB post and Youtube interview: 

Senator Gerard Rennick
28 May at 15:29 · 

Great to join Martin North from Digital Finance Analytics to chat all things finance, and a little about myself...
Martin is a Sydney-based analyst and business consultant, specialising in the Financial Services Industry. He is Principal of DFA - a boutique research, analysis and consulting firm providing advisory services to companies in Australia and around the world.
You can watch the interview here.

And the Sandy serve...

Sandy Reith The way towards prosperity is firstly to cause our various governments to take off the bureaucratic hand brake which is strangling the powerhouse of free enterprise. The worst offender is the Commonwealth Government of Can’tberra. The examples are legion, example, you can’t now run a few animals on your property without going cap in hand to the C’Wealth for a triennial property ID which can only be had by answering 100% correct a bunch of puerile questions. But wait there’s more, your intelligence and dignity as a free citizen are further insulted by the compulsory requirement to “commit” to their system of control. Never mind the C’Wealth destroying thousands of jobs and businesses in General Aviation by allowing it’s creature (32 years independent corporate), CASA, a totally free hand to fee gouge and make work while feathering it’s own best to the extent that its senior personnel are paid as much and a lot more than the Minister who is supposed to be in charge but in reality is too scared to touch them. Canberra and the freedom of land use; virtually no freehold and about the tightest most controlled land use laws in the developed world. Seems like the Government is afraid of Australian free enterprise in it’s artificial capital.

Senator Rennick, of all the ‘boutique’ financiers in the world none of them are the prime generators who propel the economy. Of course we need their good advice and services but we can’t get up and go with your bureaucrats sitting on us. The big infrastructure can only be viable if the economy is free to generate the demand and create the funds for same. Keep the horse before the cart, or, don’t try to make water flow uphill by pushing it with a sharp stick.

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

 

The Last Minute Hitch: 12 June 2020
12 June 2020

Comments 0 Comments

– Steve Hitchen

History has shown us that breath spent on demanding formal inquiries into aviation is largely wasted. If the energy and political patronage of the Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR) has failed to bring about any substantial change in the fortunes of the general aviation community, it's not a long bow to suggest that no inquiry will ... and that includes a Royal Commission.

 

We Need a Royal Commission: Dick Smith
12 June 2020

Comments 1 Comment

Aviation activist, former CASA chairman and entrepreneur Dick Smith has supported growing industry calls for a Royal Commission into aviation in Australia.

In a video posted to social media site Vimeo last week, Smith cites several fatal crashes in Australia as evidence of the need for an inquiry.
"I agree with those pilots that are calling for a Royal Commission," Smith says in the video. "We had a Royal Commission into home insulation after four people lost their lives. Now we've got 15 who have died, I believe, completely unnecessarily."

Smith's 15 are the six who died onboard Cheyanne VH-TNP near Benalla, Vic, in 2004; the three people killed when Navajo VH-OAO crashed trying to get into Mount Hotham in July 2005, the crash of Mooney VH-DJU near Coffs Harbour in September last year and the mid-air collision south of Mangalore earlier this year in which four professional pilots died.

According to Smith, the common denominator is that all aircraft were operating in Class G uncontrolled airspace, when they would have been in Class E airspace had reforms been implemented in the 1990s.

"As per the original AMATS [Airways Management Air Traffic Services] agreement 29 years ago, I believe that at airports served by airline traffic, the Class E should come down to either 1200 feet AGL or 700 feet AGL," Smith told Australian Flying.
"It should also be the same at busy airports with good ADS-B/radar coverage. This would follow the North American system, which works very well and safely."

AMATS was first proposed in December 1991, two years after Dick Smith was appointed Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). He resigned in 1992 before being reinstated as Chairman of the new Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in December 1997.
In February 1998, Class E airspace replaced Class G for a six-month trial, which mandated transponder use in the Class E.
Smith resigned again in March 1999.

Smith has also urged Airservices Australia Chairman John Weber to resign, saying he has "blood on his hands" because Airservices did not provide a separation service for the aircraft involved in the Mangalore crash.

Dick Smith has recently thrown his weight behind pilots who are starting to get loud about an RC into aviation, using four tragic events as the supporting evidence for his call. But, Dick may be preaching to the exasperated; the battle-weary aviation community that has endured inquiry after inquiry to achieve nothing. Although there may be merit is his call to go once more unto the breach, you can't really blame anyone for wondering what would be the point. Dick points out that it took the death of only four people to bring about an RC into the home insulation debacle, but the analogy needs some reworking. That commission was put into play by the Abbott government in December 2013, three months after the Liberal Party seized power from the ALP, who instigated the home insulation scheme. As the scheme had been shut down nearly four years earlier, the RC was probably nothing more than clubbing seals to show them who was now in charge. My point is that RCs are often political footballs that are almost never kicked into play by a government that stands to lose the game from doing so. And like the ASRR, an RC's finding have no legal standing, so the government can shelve them with the comfort of knowing that the full weight of the aviation industry can't produce the damaging outcry that banking or child abuse can.

schools will always need one in the air and one on the charger

Electricial energy looks like it has leapt ahead in the race to replace avgas. The last fortnight has seen the magniX eCaravan fly for the first time and EASA issue the very first type certificate for an electric aircraft. Not so long ago, we were talking big about unleaded avgas and biofuels to replace Jet-A1, both of which promised large and delivered small. Right now, development has stalled whereas electricity projects are flying high. The surge in electric power has been helped along by the rapidly-evolving urban mobility market, which is contemporary speak for VTOLs and air taxis, many of which are being designed to use electrical power. That in itself comes from the technical success of drones, of which many run on battery power. And it is the batteries that are currently the weakest point in the system, as there needs to be a lot more development work done to bolster the endurance. Right now, power output is tied tightly to the battery weight and the need for the batteries to be light currently puts the stoppers on long-range flight. The recently certified[b] [/b]Pipistrel Velis Electro is good for 50 minutes of flight before it needs to be put in an electrical umbilical and charged again. That means it can't be used for the next block booking in the hot-bunking way that avgas trainers are now. To keep up with the booking sheet, schools will always need one in the air and one on the charger, which means one aircraft for the price of two. Electrical power might be at the front of the field, but in the race for widespread acceptance it is still a long way from the finish line.


CASA threw the CATS among the pigeons last week when it called for consultation feedback for the transitional rules for the flight operations regs. These are called the consequential, application, transitional and savings (CATS) regulations. Basically they are regs to make sure the suite is not delayed any further past the 2 December 2021 implementation date. However, CASA has allowed only until 30 June this year for the consultation, which in the COVID-plagued times we are in is being seen as a resource-sapping demand when operators really want to concentrate on still being around to see the regs implemented. CASA has pointed out that it is asking for feedback on only eight specific points in the CATS rather than the whole document for that very reason, saying the consultation survey should take about 10 minutes. Of course, that doesn't take into account the time needed to analyse the impacts of the regulations, including trying to second guess what the post-COVID GA industry is going to look like. CASA is obviously busting their chops to make sure the implementation date doesn't get pushed back. In fact, this would probably be the best thing to do; COVID has delayed everything and aviation regs aren't really immune to that. If implementation was rescheduled for December 2022, it would give the industry a chance to concentrate on breathing and CASA wouldn't need to let the CATS out of the bag until sometime next year. From what I am hearing, there is more to come on this.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

---

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

 

The Last Minute Hitch: 12 June 2020
12 June 2020

Comments 0 Comments

– Steve Hitchen

History has shown us that breath spent on demanding formal inquiries into aviation is largely wasted. If the energy and political patronage of the Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR) has failed to bring about any substantial change in the fortunes of the general aviation community, it's not a long bow to suggest that no inquiry will ... and that includes a Royal Commission.

 

We Need a Royal Commission: Dick Smith
12 June 2020

Comments 1 Comment

Aviation activist, former CASA chairman and entrepreneur Dick Smith has supported growing industry calls for a Royal Commission into aviation in Australia.

In a video posted to social media site Vimeo last week, Smith cites several fatal crashes in Australia as evidence of the need for an inquiry.
"I agree with those pilots that are calling for a Royal Commission," Smith says in the video. "We had a Royal Commission into home insulation after four people lost their lives. Now we've got 15 who have died, I believe, completely unnecessarily."

Smith's 15 are the six who died onboard Cheyanne VH-TNP near Benalla, Vic, in 2004; the three people killed when Navajo VH-OAO crashed trying to get into Mount Hotham in July 2005, the crash of Mooney VH-DJU near Coffs Harbour in September last year and the mid-air collision south of Mangalore earlier this year in which four professional pilots died.

According to Smith, the common denominator is that all aircraft were operating in Class G uncontrolled airspace, when they would have been in Class E airspace had reforms been implemented in the 1990s.

"As per the original AMATS [Airways Management Air Traffic Services] agreement 29 years ago, I believe that at airports served by airline traffic, the Class E should come down to either 1200 feet AGL or 700 feet AGL," Smith told Australian Flying.
"It should also be the same at busy airports with good ADS-B/radar coverage. This would follow the North American system, which works very well and safely."

AMATS was first proposed in December 1991, two years after Dick Smith was appointed Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). He resigned in 1992 before being reinstated as Chairman of the new Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in December 1997.
In February 1998, Class E airspace replaced Class G for a six-month trial, which mandated transponder use in the Class E.
Smith resigned again in March 1999.

Smith has also urged Airservices Australia Chairman John Weber to resign, saying he has "blood on his hands" because Airservices did not provide a separation service for the aircraft involved in the Mangalore crash.

Dick Smith has recently thrown his weight behind pilots who are starting to get loud about an RC into aviation, using four tragic events as the supporting evidence for his call. But, Dick may be preaching to the exasperated; the battle-weary aviation community that has endured inquiry after inquiry to achieve nothing. Although there may be merit is his call to go once more unto the breach, you can't really blame anyone for wondering what would be the point. Dick points out that it took the death of only four people to bring about an RC into the home insulation debacle, but the analogy needs some reworking. That commission was put into play by the Abbott government in December 2013, three months after the Liberal Party seized power from the ALP, who instigated the home insulation scheme. As the scheme had been shut down nearly four years earlier, the RC was probably nothing more than clubbing seals to show them who was now in charge. My point is that RCs are often political footballs that are almost never kicked into play by a government that stands to lose the game from doing so. And like the ASRR, an RC's finding have no legal standing, so the government can shelve them with the comfort of knowing that the full weight of the aviation industry can't produce the damaging outcry that banking or child abuse can.

schools will always need one in the air and one on the charger

Electricial energy looks like it has leapt ahead in the race to replace avgas. The last fortnight has seen the magniX eCaravan fly for the first time and EASA issue the very first type certificate for an electric aircraft. Not so long ago, we were talking big about unleaded avgas and biofuels to replace Jet-A1, both of which promised large and delivered small. Right now, development has stalled whereas electricity projects are flying high. The surge in electric power has been helped along by the rapidly-evolving urban mobility market, which is contemporary speak for VTOLs and air taxis, many of which are being designed to use electrical power. That in itself comes from the technical success of drones, of which many run on battery power. And it is the batteries that are currently the weakest point in the system, as there needs to be a lot more development work done to bolster the endurance. Right now, power output is tied tightly to the battery weight and the need for the batteries to be light currently puts the stoppers on long-range flight. The recently certified[b] [/b]Pipistrel Velis Electro is good for 50 minutes of flight before it needs to be put in an electrical umbilical and charged again. That means it can't be used for the next block booking in the hot-bunking way that avgas trainers are now. To keep up with the booking sheet, schools will always need one in the air and one on the charger, which means one aircraft for the price of two. Electrical power might be at the front of the field, but in the race for widespread acceptance it is still a long way from the finish line.


CASA threw the CATS among the pigeons last week when it called for consultation feedback for the transitional rules for the flight operations regs. These are called the consequential, application, transitional and savings (CATS) regulations. Basically they are regs to make sure the suite is not delayed any further past the 2 December 2021 implementation date. However, CASA has allowed only until 30 June this year for the consultation, which in the COVID-plagued times we are in is being seen as a resource-sapping demand when operators really want to concentrate on still being around to see the regs implemented. CASA has pointed out that it is asking for feedback on only eight specific points in the CATS rather than the whole document for that very reason, saying the consultation survey should take about 10 minutes. Of course, that doesn't take into account the time needed to analyse the impacts of the regulations, including trying to second guess what the post-COVID GA industry is going to look like. CASA is obviously busting their chops to make sure the implementation date doesn't get pushed back. In fact, this would probably be the best thing to do; COVID has delayed everything and aviation regs aren't really immune to that. If implementation was rescheduled for December 2022, it would give the industry a chance to concentrate on breathing and CASA wouldn't need to let the CATS out of the bag until sometime next year. From what I am hearing, there is more to come on this.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

---

Sandy in reply...

Sandy Reith • 3 hours ago

Golly gosh...CATS! What can we dream up next? Wasn’t the regulatory rewrite pronounced finished 2020? Maybe just finished in principle (after 32 years and several hundred $million).

Reminds one of the government accepting only ‘in principle’ fifteen of about thirty odd government agreed recommendations from the comprehensive Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR), Forsyth report. What happened to the ASRR ? Well might you ask. Announced in 2013, it took 269 submissions and the Minister released his report on the findings in December 2014. Discernible or meaningful results zero, unless one counts the negatives. The massive time wasting and costs to the General Aviation (GA) industry, raised hopes, then continuing loss of businesses and jobs with disillusioned personnel leaving GA for good.

‘Royal’ Commission? I have the greatest admiration for Dick but I don’t think ‘Royal’ has much cachet today. Besides the perpetuation of Government Industries, sub section Inquiries (GII), is simply dancing to the GII fiddle. Of course they love it, it means that nothing actually happens while they all look earnestly (all with very lucrative contracts) at the hugely complicated problems which are caused GI in the first place. And so help me, the Senate is having yet another inquiry and asking for submissions again. Why don’t they read the 269 from the ASRR? Too much like hard work, and they don’t really want to make changes. The Senators and other MPs should be demanding some reforms immediately, and they would if they were fair dinkum. Independent instructors, ASICs abolish or make ten years valid. Freehold lots on airports and wind up all the failed airport leasing structures, private pilot medicals as driver standard successfully demonstrated over past 30 years in the low weight category. Do away with Cessna SIDs on private aircraft, as in USA. Then put CASA back under direct Ministerial control. Its easy if you want to create jobs, services and businesses in GA but won’t happen unless or until we have real leadership or a depression causes government to look for ways out of the giant hole that it’s bureaucrats have dug for us and that we’ve all fallen into.

http://disq.us/p/29wcias

---

MTF...P2 

Ps Plus: 

 

CASA creates Post-isolation Checklists
3 June 2020
Comments 1 Comment

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has created a series of checklists to help GA pilots return to aviation safely as governments relax COVID-19 restrictions...

Sandy Reith • 3 hours ago

As the experts for keeping aviators and their aircraft safely on the ground I’m sure that CASA’s expertise will be welcomed as the few left in GA blow the rust out of their exhaust ports.


Ref: http://disq.us/p/29wczjd

[Peetwo]

Friday 26 June




In News this fortnight: Airbus adds a blade to the 145, the DA50 gets closer, the feds fund airports, our COVID-19 survey results are revealed, AAHOF announces inductees, the ATSB reports on the Yak crash, Air BP sounds a misfuel warning, CTLS gets a new agent and the Skyhawk turns 65.

In The Last Minute Hitch, I applaud airports funds, reflect on the mixed messages from the COVID survey, heartily support the AAHOF honour for Deb Lawrie and wonder if the DA50 can dethrone the king.

Have you seen our new, simplified nomination form for the Wings Awards? Go on the website this weekend, check out the criteria and start planning to make your submission!

Want Australian Flying in digital form? Get it right here on Zinio!

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

Steve Hitchen
Editor 
stevehitchen@yaffa.com.au

[Peetwo]

Friday 10 July





In News this fortnight: 6X on target, Pipistrel's electric engine is up for OEMs, we need a new DAS, Rotortech and Warbirds are deferred, the ATSB sounded a CO warning and reported on a Bristell crash, a Diamond is set to tour most of Australia and the DAS says CASA was more right than wrong.


In The Last Minute Hitch, I lament the state of Victoria, examine DAS news and wonder if we'll see any aviation events at all this year.

July-August 2020 Australian Flying is now the current issue, so if you haven't updated your collection, get to the nearest newsagent and grab one now!

Have you seen our new, simplified nomination form for the Wings Awards? Go on the website this weekend, 
check out the criteria and start planning to make your submission!

Want Australian Flying in digital form? Get it right here on Zinio!

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

Steve Hitchen
Editor 
stevehitchen@yaffa.com.au

 



The Last Minute Hitch: 10 July 2020
10 July 2020
Comments 2 Comments



– Steve Hitchen


We are back to wondering about flight in the time of corona. Although most of Australia's aviators have been uncaged, there still be dragons in Victoria. So, for most of the country, the question of to fly or not to fly is is a no-brainer. Inside the beseiged state, aviators outside the restricted area are also free to go anywhere within the borders, but inside the restricted area, which includes the bulk of Victoria's private aviators, the issue is much muddier. Under the Stay at Home Directions (Restricted Areas), people can leave their homes to take part in recreational activities provided that activity is not on the prohibited list. A quick perusal of that list will show aviation in any form is not mentioned. However, many in the industry would rather keep their heads down at this stage than give general aviation's traditional enemies more reason to hate than they normally find. There's merit in that argument as well. So, until the Victorian government naysayers say "nay", everyone will have to make their own evaluations. For the rest of Australia, fly. Our community is still recovering from the first round of economic doom and all activity is medicine at the moment. And when you look at Victoria, remember the old saying "There but for the grace of God ..."

they have been shown to be monarchs with feather swords

CASA CEO and Director of Aviation Safety (DAS) Shane Carmody is on the way out, signaling the start of the traditional soap-boxing about what sort of person should be in seat in order to fix all of general aviation's woes. For me, the strong nexus between a departing DAS and the opportunity to fix GA is problematic: the two are not necessarily connected. Career bureaucrats have been appointed, an airline check captain has been appointed, an Air Vice Marshal has been appointed; none have been able to do a lot of fixing. There are two possible reasons and I can't discount them acting together. Firstly, politically the government doesn't see anything wrong with GA; secondly, a powerful middle-management cadre within CASA has managed to block meaningful reforms in order reinforce their own reputations as experts. Consequently, changing the DAS is likely to achieve nothing as long as those two influencing forces remain in play. It is true that the DAS has a lot of power bestown on them, but in the end they have been shown to be monarchs with feather swords. The incoming DAS needs to have a sword of steel and be unfraid to wield it against the ultra-conservatives, both upstream and downstream. They need to have a horse called Hero, a dog called Devil and be a leader in the Dick Winters mould. Is such a person out there?

And there's probably no better way to angry-up the blood of GA people than to say that CASA has got more right than wrong, which Shane Carmody did in his last CASA Briefing newsletter. He was referring to the entire 25-year life of CASA rather than only his tenure. The reaction from the GA industry has been laden with guffaws. Behind the laughter is a community that has experienced the wrong end of the CASA stick too often to do anything else. The statement shows that the regulator often has no awareness that something considered "right" inside [b]Aviation House[/b] is "wrong" by the time the full impacts are known. The result as been an erosion of faith in CASA. The authority is looked upon as having no authority; the experts are seen to have no expertise. No amount of chest-beating about getting things right will reverse that simply because that evaluation, too, isn't trusted by GA. It has amplified the feelings that CASA is out of touch and uncaring, but GA does have to ask itself if any words can ever assuage those feelings.

Enduring uncertainty has claimed two more aviation events: Warbirds Downunder and Rotortech. Both have been postponed from Spring 2020 until next year in the hope that Australia is able to de-COVID itself in the interim. This is the second time Rotortech has been deferred; it was originally scheduled for the June just gone. As a result, our Spring calendar is looking very bare at the moment, with lines drawn through everything except Wings over Illawarra. WOI is now the last aviation event standing and from all communications they are ploughing ahead. Can they make this work? It will mean the government of NSW relaxing all social distancing and isolation rules by November with no further outbreaks. If those conditions exist, the entire country will be in a much better position that it is now.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

---

Ian Tucker • 18 hours ago

Totally agree with your comments about the latest CASA Briefing from DAS Carmody. CASA has no credability or respect among the General Aviation community and statements from their spin doctors like "on balance, I believe that over the last 25 years CASA and its people have got far more right than wrong" will not change that opinion. It's just laughable self praise !!

MTF...P2