[Peetwo]

Another triple AAA  - One of the Alphabets that I have been following recently is the Aviation-Aerospace Australia, here is the blurb from their Chairman:

Our Industry's Future



An invitation from the chairman

Aviation/Aerospace Australia is a not-for-profit and independent association, with an overarching objective to contribute to the long-term health and sustainability of Australia's aviation and aerospace sector.

Australia is uniquely positioned to leverage its local expertise to capitalise on growing market needs, and the Association is committed to promoting the industry as it expands globally and in particular, the Asia-Pacific region by:

• Establishing and maintaining strong links domestically and internationally with governments, universities and aviation aerospace industry businesses.
• Supporting broad industry initiatives in areas such as sustainable energy in order to coordinate key stakeholders.

The board and management team of Aviation/Aerospace Australia strives with members to improve the long term success of the industry in Australia through strategically raising awareness of the career and business growth opportunities within the Asia-Pacific region.
I would welcome your participation as a member of our Association and look forward to having the opportunity to work with you for our future.

Adam Burford
Chairman Aviation/Aerospace Australia

  
And here are their objectives:

Aviation-Aerospace Australia >   About Us >   Objectives


[/url]AAA Constitution/Download
[url=http://www.aviationaerospace.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Australian_Assoc_of_Aviation-_Constitution.pdf]


Industry Capability
Providing a central and up-to-date source of information on the industry's capabilities to foreign organization seeking to connect and do business with Australian companies.



Conducting Research
Measuring industry needs, challenges, sentiment and confidence.
Undertaking topic specific research on critical industry issues
Aggregating research by other associations, organisations and government agencies.



International Marketing
Helping Australian companies access international markets.
Coordinating representation at major international trade events.
Organising international trade missions to other markets.



Developing Skills
Undertaking research on current and future skills needs for the sector.
Working with government agencies to address identified skills needs.



Professional Development
Working with government agencies to access grants and other resources to help businesses grow the skills and capacity of their people.

Working with state and federal government agencies strategies to address professional development and business improvement needs.

Creating professional development programs with our partners.

 
The A/AA has thrown their weight behind many worthwhile initiatives to help foster & promote industry and industry stakeholders. IMO a worthy association with a forward looking philosophy as highlighted by their strong commitment & support for the TLISC Key Issues Paper – Aviation Workforce Skills Study:

1. AWSS Key Themes and Issues Summary


The Aviation Workforce Skills Study has so far identified a wide range of issues related to Australia’s aviation environment to be considered by policy makers and industry stakeholders. These include:

1.1. There is strong evidence of an identified need for an industry-wide approach to aviation workforce planning and development, supported by streamlined policy and regulation. This includes the collation, aggregation and sharing of all relevant aviation occupational licencing and training data with all state and federal agencies with an interest in aviation workforce skilling outcomes.

1.2. The current costs barriers faced by individuals and businesses are well understood, however there i s a need for the industry to invest more in its current and future workforce through public and private funding mechanisms.

1.3. There are strong international opportunities for Australian aviation training providers, both in terms of overseas operations and involvement in capacity building efforts have been identified through survey responses and industry intelligence and feedback.

1.4. Significant issues were raised during industry consultation regarding the status of aviation safety regulatory reform in Australia and the potential impact of these on key occupations involved in the reforms, at the employer and individual level.

1.5. The implementation of current regulatory reforms into industry operations was continually raised as a concern, with many industry stakeholders questioning the cost/benefit ratio of the reforms for the industry with the potential flow-on for even less budget to be available for staff training in the future.

1.6. Some survey respondents pointed to the need for greater centralisation and coordination in workforce planning across the aviation industry, to better inform regulatory and policy decisions that may affect the industry in the future.1.7. Access to a wide range of data sources related to aviation occupations, licencing data, and publicly- funded tertiary and VET funding information is critical for policy makers to make informed decisions related to aviation skilling strategies.

 
One of the A/AA other initiatives is their Next Gen Network:

A/AA NextGenNetwork


WHAT MAKES A NEXTGEN AVIATION/ AEROSPACE PROFESSIONAL AND FUTURE LEADER? 
YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
YOU WANT TO DEVELOP NEW RELATIONSHIPS AND EXPAND YOUR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK.
YOU’RE PASSIONATE.
YOU WANT TO GROW.
YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH TODAY’S LEADERS IN A COLLEGIAL FASHION.
YOU WANT TO BE EMPOWERED TO DRIVE CHANGE.
YOU PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES. YOU SEEK TO HAVE A VOICE.
YOU’RE A LIFE-LONG LEARNER.
YOU WANT TO BE GROOMED FOR SUCCESS.
YOU SEEK THE EDGE IN YOUR CAREER.
YOU WANT TO BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER.

 
A bit catchword & uber-centric but it does focus on a key area for strong growth and future of the industry. One of the events that A/AA is currently holding to support & promote the NextGenNetwork initiative is a 'Safety Leaders Series':   

A/AA NextGenNetwork Safety Leaders Series

• Event Information
  
• Presenters
  
• Location 
  

Welcome to our Safety Leaders Series offering an opportunity for next-generation professionals and leaders of Australia’s aviation and aerospace sectors to engage directly with the regulator.

This unique chance to meet and network with such mentors is invaluable.

It’s your opportunity to spend time with an aviation/aerospace leader in a casual environment. Listen as they talk about their experiences as they’ve taken on ever more responsible leadership positions, and ask them the questions you often don’t get the chance to in more formal settings. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded peers and colleagues.

Events will be held in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Please RSVP your attendance to events@aviationaerospace.org.au or call 1300 889 459.

You must be a current member of A/AA NextGenNetwork or can join for the pro rata rate until 30 June.

• Partners

Again a great idea future industry participants & stakeholders do need to learn how to engage effectively with the regulator..
However I must voice a strong word of warning/objection to the A/AA to one of the presenters at the 'Drinks with the Boss' planned session for Bris-Vegas next week - :

DRINKS WITH THE BOSS
Melbourne – 24 February

Belgian Beer Café
5 Riverside Quay,
Southbank Victoria 3006
6pm- 8pm
Michelle Massey - Regional Manager, CASA

Brisbane – 22 March
Waterloo Hotel
Ann St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
6pm- 8pm
Gerard Campbell - Executive Manager, Operations Division, CASA

Adelaide – 5 May
Rob Roy Hotel
106 Halifax Street
Adelaide (CBD) SA 5000
6pm- 8pm
Danny Ullmer - Acting Regional Manager - Central Region, CASA

Melbourne – 23 May
Henry and the Fox
525 Little Collins St,
Melbourne VIC 3000
7am – 9am

Brisbane – 9 June
Pullman Brisbane King George Square
Cnr Anne and Roma streets
Brisbane QLD 4000
7am – 9am

Presenters

• Michelle Massey >
  
  
  
• Civil Aviation Safety Authority
  Gerard Campbell > Executive Manager, Operations Division, CASA
  

This trough feeding parasite is one of the last loyal executive lieutenants of the big "R" McComic era and one that has inflicted much harm & embuggerances on many unwary & undeserving industry participants. Put simply he personifies the real evil intent of the former DAS McComic and the fact he is still there speaks volumes for the true character & veracity of one Oliver Skidmore-Twist -

Other than that POD, keep up the good work A/AA, got my tick of approval.


MTF...P2      

[Gobbledock]

"Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Gerard Campbell > Executive Manager, Operations Division, CASA"

Indeed, buyer beware of this bloke. Unbelievable that he is acting as the face of Fort Fumble. And as P2 says, he is one of the last Execs from the McComic era that needs to be dispatched to somewhere like McMurdo Sound. That would leave the Witchdoctor and Flyingfiend to go!!!

Fuehrer Campbell is famous for his love of delivering unwarranted pineapples across Australia's farthest regions. And he patiently counted down the years until he had worked his way into a position where he could finally take revenge and deliver Barrier Aviation the mother of all Friday afternoon pineapples. He is a quiet snake, meandering about, not saying much, listening and observing, then acting like a firey whirlwind consuming all in its path.

Attend a pithy discussion with egg head presenting? I think not.

"Safe protected backs for all"

[Peetwo]

"Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Gerard Campbell > Executive Manager, Operations Division, CASA"

Indeed, buyer beware of this bloke. Unbelievable that he is acting as the face of Fort Fumble. And as P2 says, he is one of the last Execs from the McComic era that needs to be dispatched to somewhere like McMurdo Sound. That would leave the Witchdoctor and Flyingfiend to go!!!

Fuehrer Campbell is famous for his love of delivering unwarranted pineapples across Australia's farthest regions. And he patiently counted down the years until he had worked his way into a position where he could finally take revenge and deliver Barrier Aviation the mother of all Friday afternoon pineapples. He is a quiet snake, meandering about, not saying much, listening and observing, then acting like a firey whirlwind consuming all in its path.

Attend a pithy discussion with egg head presenting? I think not.

"Safe protected backs for all"

Spot on Gobbles, not the sort of bloke I'd want preaching to the next gen Wannabes...

For the record, from my research Herr Campbell was one of the strongest proponents of the McComic black letter law dispo, that fronted all the most sinister, weasel worded, CASA manuals & DAS directives such as the Enforcement manual:

FOREWORD

As a Commonwealth government authority, CASA must ensure that its decision- making processes are effective, fair, timely, transparent, consistent, properly documented and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of the law.

Most of the regulatory decisions CASA makes are such that conformity with authoritative policy and established procedures will be conducive to the achievement of these outcomes. From time to time, however, decision-makers will encounter situations in which the strict application of policy, in the making of a decision involving the exercise of discretion, would not be appropriate. Indeed, in some cases, the inflexible application of policy may itself be unlawful.

This preface and the following Introduction, explains the way in which the policy and processes set out in this manual are to be used by all CASA’s personnel when making decisions in the performance of their functions, the exercise of their powers and the discharge of their duties. It also explains the processes to be followed if it appears that a departure from policy is necessary or appropriate.

Mandatory Use of Policy and Procedure Manuals

This manual is one of the set of manuals and other documents which comprise CASA’s authorised document set. The authorised document set contains the policy, processes and procedures with which CASA personnel are expected to comply when performing assigned tasks. All CASA personnel are required to have regard to the policies set out in this manual. Except as described in the Introduction, CASA decision-makers should not depart from these policies, processes and procedures.

John F. McCormick

Director of Aviation Safety

  
Hmm...on the Barrier connection, I wonder if Herr Campbell has his fingerprints on any of this disturbing rumour:

A prelude to an Embuggerance ?

PA 23 accident near Mareeba; not much more info, the ATSB are 'on the job'.

Report - HERE.

N.B. I am only relaying some whispers on the wind here.  But there could be a lot MTF if those whispers pan out, however rumour will need to suffice until more accurate information can be sourced.  

The accident of itself will be of some technical interest, there is gossip that the aircraft did not have a MR although that seems unlikely; but, if it turns out to be true, there are some legal angles which may be interesting.  That the aircraft was apparently not insured, which is another curly one for the legal eagles.  

From a channel 7 new blurb, the words “the aircraft used to be owned by a local tourism operator” seemed fairly innocuous until news started to filter through that there are criminal proceeding against the operator Barrier Aviation in the offing.  For those not familiar with that tale of woe, in short, a Cairns based tourism operator was closed down a few years back, under highly contentious circumstances.  There was much of to-do about the closure and the actions of CASA in doing so.  Now it seems there is to be a further round with the owner to be prosecuted; so at least we will be able to get hard fact on this shortly.

What happened to Barrier is a classic embuggerance and to many represents one of the darkest, dirtiest passages in the CASA history.  This is not the thing that has that has drawn attention.  The prosecution and the CASA department of undesirable tricks are the focus of future interest.  

For example; there is a report of a very biased article from a local newspaper which draws inference that the crash of the PA23 is somehow related to the previous owner of the aircraft; who is being prosecuted by CASA.  There are claims that the article is pure malice; CASA spin and designed to denigrate the ex owner of Barrier even further.  This stand alone is of interest and worthy of some judicious ‘digging’.

But for mine; if this all turns out to be true it speaks volumes for the Skidmore double standard approach to regulating the industry.  Prosecution is becoming ‘popular’ when black letter application of the ‘law’ under strict liability is tested in a court, while the smiling, fluffy, feel good tambourine bashing goes in public.  Some would call that two faced, others would say it sets the seal of doom on any meaningful reform of the regulators attitude.  I say I will check this out and see what transpires.  Careful when dealing with rumour is good advice.

Aye well; we shall see.  MTF. (The gods willing and weather permitting).

Toot toot.

The reason being that the quoted foreword from the former DAS McComic was extracted from the latest version 4.4 (published January 2016) of the enforcement manual:

Enforcement manual

Our enforcement manual outlines the policies and strategies we have in place for aviation safety compliance.
Director's preface
Revision history(last update January 2016)
Table of Contents

1. About this manual
   
2. CASA's Enforcement Policy
   
3. Initiating the Enforcement Process
   
4. Compliance-Related Action
   
5. Civil Action - Enforceable Voluntary Undertakings (EVUs)
   
6. Administrative Action
   
7. Administrative Action - Serious and Imminent Risk
   
8. Infringement Notices (Administrative Fines)
   
9. Voluntary Reporting - Aviation Self Reporting Scheme
   
10. The Demerit Points Scheme
    
11. Criminal Action - Prosecution
    
12. Access
    
13. Gathering Evidence and Handling Exhibits
    
14. Note Taking
    
15. Interviewing
    
16. Detaining Aircraft
    
17. Police Assistance
    

• Appendix 1 - Flowcharts - Coordinated Enforcement Processes
  
• Appendix 2 - The Legal basis of Regulatory Enforcement
  
• Appendix 3 - Delegations and Exercise of Powers by Delegates
  
• Appendix 4 - Guidance on the term 'fit and proper person'
  

Complete manual

 Therefore Herr Campbell is still given carte blanche to operate by the McComic black letter law dispo - FFS!  

Also passing strange, is that according to the Director's preface McCormick is still officially the DAS


MTF...P2

[Kharon]

Tales of snakes on slippery poles.

Concur with P2; A/AA are in a ‘new’ way doing some good work, the catchwords and spin phrases are just part of the new, pushy era sales pitch; but hey, if it gets the job done and they are not feeding from the CASA teat (but they are), then good luck to ‘em.  .

It’s a surprise to see a well oiled, progressive outfit using Campbell as front of house, particularly in a ‘pub’ setting while trying to flog ‘engagement’ with the regulator to ‘next gen’ aviators.  Shirley, experience in matters aeronautical would be a prerequisite, sage advice and up to minute industry experience mandatory, Campbell had little of this apart from dodging the bullets from the Hempell debacle, managing a few circuits and messing about in ‘management’ roles before old John Boy scooped him up and put on the slippery path to CASA stardom and a certain notoriety.  

Although he did well as a McComic casamite, stepping into harness with likes of the Chamber Pot; I am surprised to see he is still with the CASA outfit.  The fact that he is and has escaped the purges gives lie to the argument of internal reform.  This alone says Skidmore is following the well trodden trail, blazed by McComic and has no intention of sacking those who, along with their willing accomplices managed to do irrevocable damage to the name, reputation and prestige of the aviation regulator.

Should you require further proof that OST is just another McComic casamite, providing succour to the previous McComic band of 'Bad Faith’ who played any song they liked with the LSD band for backing -  have a quick look at the download – HERE – note the date and the signature; so much for reform.   Twist even signs his name the same way – passing strange I’d call it.

Toot toot.

[Gobbledock]

Interesting that A/AA's Board has a Thales person as Chairman and it's also interesting that one of the Other Board Directors is GM learning and development (something like that) at ASA.
ASA and Thales seem to have a close working partnership on several fronts don't you think?

As P2 would say, MTF

[Peetwo]

The Feds come out swinging on CAO48.1 - Another day, another long drawn out saga on the ASRR/CASA Regulatory Reform Program. First some background off the CASA meets the Press post #113:

AFAP - Strange dichotomy on CAO48.1??  

CASA ‘caved in’ on new pilot flight rules  

Submission on CAO 48.1 Appendix 4B.   

Fatigue rules put pilots at risk, union warn


The nation’s largest pilot union has warned that new fatigue management rules for medical transport operations lean too far towards the financial interests of commercial air operators and will put pilots’ health at risk.

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots president David Booth has written to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to complain that it has been left out of the crucial discussions, which propose to move the fatigue management for medical transport operations from the aerial work category to a classification incorporating passenger transport standards.

About time the Alphabets realised that OST (AVM retired) is just another former RAAF, self interested,  bench warming, RAEs glove puppet, with NFI; & who is only interested in topping up his already bloated superfund by providing top cover for the Murky Mandarin & the Iron ring.

Harden up Alphabets, play hardball & follow the Scott McMillan (Alliance Airlines MD) lead, it is probably the only thing 'Malcolm in the muddle' & Minister Chester may actually understand -

The Feds Legal Counsel on Montreal & LCCs.

As some of the initial findings with the tragic FlyDubai 737-800 prang in Rostov-on-Don Russia filter out, it would appear that fatigue may well be a factor in the causal chain.

 "significant and obvious risk"

The knock on effect of course is that fatigue & the relationship to aviation safety suddenly becomes topical in the MSM. Which also happens to be coincidental because FRMS & the controversial CASA CAO 48.1 is currently topical in the Australian aviation safety stakeholder scene (above & - To Disallow or not to Disallow; that is the Q?) 

Therefore I found the following article from the AFAP's official legal counsel Joseph Wheeler of particular interest because he not only joins the dots between fatigue but other safety issues related to the travelling public's love affair with LCCs...

Montreal Convention needs universal support


Joseph Wheeler

The Australian

April 1, 2016 12:00AM

Without certain fixes our “air safety privilege” as passengers will forever sit uneasily with our insatiable demand for lower airfares. And, for the crew and passengers of the doomed FZ981 flight from Dubai to Rostov-on-Don, those occasionally incompatible demands can and do sometimes manifest as failures in the safety systems and compensation regimes designed to protect us all.

The Flydubai crash in Russia on March 19 regrettably typifies air disasters in many respects, and inevitably will lead to an official report that makes many in the aviation industry and regulators admit “we should have heeded the warnings”.

It also exemplifies why all states must ratify the Montreal Convention of 1999 or the patchwork of liability laws that exist will continue to guarantee that those who need appropriate compensation most won’t get it.

Let’s consider one well known safety risk (or “warning”) within the aviation world, cumulative fatigue — the convergence of several realities for international aviators: shiftwork, night work, irregular work schedules, unpredictable work schedules, and time zone changes.

Fatigue management, or rather how it was addressed in rostering, was raised by Russian media as a potential contributing cause of the Flydubai crash.

There is little escape for pilots who genuinely feel unable to perform because of tiredness.

Employment ramifications for pilots who “go sick” together with continuing uncertainty over impending regulations, which some argue prefer air operators’ ability to roster pilots to the edge of the law, resonate with Australia’s pilots.

This includes concerns that commercial imperatives will outweigh safety once new Australian fatigue management rules come into force next year.

The upshot of this is that we know, and have known for years, that fatigue management is a topic that has major safety implications if handled improperly by regulators and airlines.

If the allegations are right that Flydubai has mismanaged safety to its own detriment (knowing the risks), then the legal retribution from passengers’ and crew members’ families should fairly reflect that knowledge.

And that brings us to why universal ratification of the Montreal Convention of 1999 is necessary.

This international law places a strict liability system at the heart of providing compensation to air disaster victims.

It is a system that uses a passenger’s contract of carriage to determine the available choices of jurisdiction of a legal case against an airline for injury or death, including where you live permanently, where the airline calls home, or where you were ticketed to start or conclude your journey.

Thus, the system works to ensure justice as intended only if every country accedes to it — and at last count, out of 191 sky-faring nations, only 119 had ratified Montreal.

The significance of this is in the composition of the 119 nations.

Many populous and far-reaching aviation states such as the Russian Federation and, closer to home, Indonesia do not protect their citizens with Montreal in the way Australia does.

This is important because it means that for most people on flight FZ981, and likewise on AirAsia flight QZ8501, which crashed in late 2014, the law (and courts) of Russia or Indonesia will apply for the purposes of assessing compensation for death, rather than the more forward-thinking Montreal Convention choices.

The lack of choice of jurisdiction is significant for affected families and represents the loss of a pragmatic way to ensure that those responsible for the organisational, regulatory, mechanical and human factors causing the crash face justice at a time and place that suits the surviving family members, rather than just the airline and its insurers.

Joseph Wheeler is aviation special counsel to Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and the Australian Federation of Air Pilots.

Donning tin-foil hat, standing by for incoming..

Had a thought all this 'fatigue' & LCCs etc..etc; hasn't this now gone full circle since the 2010-11 when Senator Xenophon initiated the - Pilot training and airline safety; and Consideration of the Transport Safety Investigation Amendment (Incident Reports) Bill 2010 - Senate inquiry? Yet another example of the powers to be obfuscating their responsibilities for 'air safety' - FFS!


MTF...P2  


Ps While your at it JW: Q/ What about the PelAir/Ziggy exposed holes in the Montreal Convention, which all started because of yet another uniquely Australian definition of 'commercial air transport'? That also still needs to be fixed doesn't it??  

    

[Kharon]

Willy-leaks:-

If the wing beat of a butterfly can start a tornado; we need to consider if a worm fart in Cantberra could trigger a shit-storm. Seriously.

Can a small, almost insignificant event, such as the CASA director no longer wishing to be ‘associated’ with aircraft owners and pilots trigger such a thing. He has cancelled, with immediate effect, his AOPA  membership.  The single line, peevish, spiteful sentence, speaks volumes.  

It speaks to the character of the man; the “I no longer want to be” etc. part being particularly telling.  It’s not my ‘email’ to distribute so I’ll leave it at that, but the notion of a dummy spitting event, followed by a curling up of toes to prevent socks being put on springs to mind.  Clearly facts, common sense and expertise are an anathema to the DAS; truth and light shining into the dark places where the real evil lives is unwelcome.  A decent man would write a letter, to the boss AOPA explaining that, with respect, there was a potential conflict of interest; or, a philosophic difference which could not be resolved, that would be acceptable.  Nothing too fluffy, a salutation, a soupçon of regret and a Regards at the end would have been a completely understandable response to the AOPA campaign.  None of that for OST; just the immortal words “I no longer want”.  Ever watched a two year old rebel against spinach.    

One of the very, very good things is the event demonstrates to the general population that AOPA is freeing it’s self from the toils of Casamiteism; and becoming, once again an independent voice with some lobbying power.  This, standing alone, should increase the membership and assist regaining lost reputation.  An active, respected AOPA free of ‘Yes men’ and ‘external’, political interest could be a shot in the arm.

As the AOPA president rolls out Eureka and continues the campaign to restore sanity and balance to the embuggerance system, we should all be there supporting his efforts.  Industry needs every bit of help it can get; time to bury old hatchets, heal the rifts and for the dwindling pool of aircraft owners and pilots to get involved.

Well done Willy-leaks; bravo.  I’d love to see the thing that rattled Oliver’s cage; patience children; this is one time where I will seek permission rather than forgiveness.

Toot toot.....

After thought; one of the problems with hiring in ‘military’ help is that they are so very unused to being openly challenged it creates all manner of mental aberrations. How dare a lowly other rank tell me I’m a duck wit, waste of time, space and money.   The unnatural event of being told to go and ‘boil your bottom’ must do dreadful things to the psych.   Who in the forces would dare tell an AVM, to his face, he was wrong; or of his past value, present worth and future prospects?

[Peetwo]

Willy-leaks:-

If the wing beat of a butterfly can start a tornado; we need to consider if a worm fart in Cantberra could trigger a shit-storm. Seriously.

Can a small, almost insignificant event, such as the CASA director no longer wishing to be ‘associated’ with aircraft owners and pilots trigger such a thing. He has cancelled, with immediate effect, his AOPA  membership.  The single line, peevish, spiteful sentence, speaks volumes.  

It speaks to the character of the man; the “I no longer want to be” etc. part being particularly telling.  It’s not my ‘email’ to distribute so I’ll leave it at that, but the notion of a dummy spitting event, followed by a curling up of toes to prevent socks being put on springs to mind.  Clearly facts, common sense and expertise are an anathema to the DAS; truth and light shining into the dark places where the real evil lives is unwelcome.  A decent man would write a letter, to the boss AOPA explaining that, with respect, there was a potential conflict of interest; or, a philosophic difference which could not be resolved, that would be acceptable.  Nothing too fluffy, a salutation, a soupçon of regret and a Regards at the end would have been a completely understandable response to the AOPA campaign.  None of that for OST; just the immortal words “I no longer want”.  Ever watched a two year old rebel against spinach.    

One of the very, very good things is the event demonstrates to the general population that AOPA is freeing it’s self from the toils of Casamiteism; and becoming, once again an independent voice with some lobbying power.  This, standing alone, should increase the membership and assist regaining lost reputation.  An active, respected AOPA free of ‘Yes men’ and ‘external’, political interest could be a shot in the arm.

As the AOPA president rolls out Eureka and continues the campaign to restore sanity and balance to the embuggerance system, we should all be there supporting his efforts.  Industry needs every bit of help it can get; time to bury old hatchets, heal the rifts and for the dwindling pool of aircraft owners and pilots to get involved.

Well done Willy-leaks; bravo.  I’d love to see the thing that rattled Oliver’s cage; patience children; this is one time where I will seek permission rather than forgiveness.

Toot toot.....

After thought; one of the problems with hiring in ‘military’ help is that they are so very unused to being openly challenged it creates all manner of mental aberrations. How dare a lowly other rank tell me I’m a duck wit, waste of time, space and money.   The unnatural event of being told to go and ‘boil your bottom’ must do dreadful things to the psych.   Who in the forces would dare tell an AVM, to his face, he was wrong; or of his past value, present worth and future prospects?

How pathetic - OST are you a man or a mouse? Off with you then you parasite don your Hawaiian shirt, grab your box of Cubans and go & sulk with all your sparkling Chardonnay sipping mates down at the RAeS, ducking WOFTAM!

Meanwhile in the struggling IOS world of Oz GA the fight back is on

A Letter to the Minister


As AOPA members will be aware the board of AOPA commissioned a comprehensive briefing paper, Project Eureka, written by leading aviation industry figures detailing problems with the General Aviation industry and providing real solutions to these problems.

The paper is now complete, and will be available on the AOPA website next week.

AOPA President Marc De Stoop has prepared the following covering letter to the Minister for Major Projects, Territories and Local Government which summarises the recommendations made in Project Eureka.

AOPA will be meeting with the Minister and key advisors in the coming weeks, as well as circulating the executive summary to media outlets.

Please take the time to read this letter and familiarise yourself with the main changes we will be calling for in order to revitalise one of Australia’s most important industries.
It is vital that AOPA members support the board in getting Project Eureka as much traction as possible with politicians across the country.

Please view the PDF of the letter here: Letter to Minister re Project Eureka Apr-16

Extracts from the letter:






Three cheers AOPA!   Now let's wind up the pressure the real war has only just begun..


MTF...P2   

[P7_TOM]

Skidmore should quit while he still has a skerrick of credibility and semblance of dignity left; to cover his sorry, aging arse. When you are in a deep hole – stop digging. He now joins a long list of gutless, note writing, evil do-ers; some of them still employed. It’s not the pit-bulls he need worry about, but terriers, which never, ever quit (for love of the game). Man, that paranoid got enemies.

Happy daze and more to follow.

[Gobbledock]

What a softcock Skid'Mark is. Throwing his dummy out of his cot because someone stood up to him! Typical RAAF egotist.
Anyway, no loss to AOPA, or industry for that matter. We don't need him.

Mark, please hand in your certificate and and any other paperwork and as you piss off please don't bang the door on the way out. There's a good boy.

[P1_aka_P1]

The part of all this that I, and many other associates feel is not the behaviour of an officer and a gentleman is this:-

From: "Caroline Skidmore" <csk09671@bigpond.net.au>
Date: April 2, 2016 at 8:02:06 PM GMT+11
To: <mail@aopa.com.au>
Subject: Cancellation of membership.

Please cancel my membership with immediate effect as I no longer want to be associated with AOPA.

Mark Skidmore

Member number 49388

The whole thing begs so many questions.  The least of which is the function of punctuation. The other, explaining to the missus why every spammer and hacker on the ‘net’ has her email address and 'other' details.  Not a job I’d want..

[Gobbledock]

Ha ha. By the look of the email he may be the 'great RAAF leader' at work but his missus is obviously the boss at home! She is his own personal 'tiger team'! No surprises in that. I wonder if he also does the clothes washing and cooks her dinner on the weekend?

[thorn bird]

Don't know about his missus GD, he'd be used to a batman to polish his boots and wipe his ass but.

AVM (retired) Skidmore it would appear, no longer wishes to support General Aviation revival and no longer wants to associate with aircraft owners and pilots. 

Somewhat hypocritical, considering his pretensions to "consult" with industry but at the first sign of dissension he has a hissy fit and slams the door.

Could we convince him that he should disassociate himself altogether from aviation and resign. 

Does he really want his legacy to be tarnished with the McCormack mantel?  

People may start referring to him as the whimpering skull!

[Kharon]

It’s not the resignation gets my goat; Whatshisname is entitled to belong or un-belong to AOPA as pleases him best.  I reckon he should have resigned from any association which may be perceived, or could be construed as a conflict of interest.  Soon or later, there was going to be a head butting competition with the alphabet soup group; in one form or another.  AOPA have resiled their position as a casa doormat, handmaiden and general dogsbody; they have risked whatever dough and entre they may have received to be ‘independent’; and, in a very civilised manner have said ‘enough’ of the pony-pooh - along with explanation and offers of possible solutions for discussion.  Open, honest and above board; and, fair enough most reasonable folk would say.

Skidmore must sit as ‘CASA’ during this process, at the end of the tour, he will sign off on any or all changes, although he is obliged to ‘defend’ the CASA position.  Early resignation from AOPA would have shown sound judgement; late shows the converse and a lack of forward thinking.  But the die is cast now.  So for whatever reason he elected to disassociate is academic; for practical purposes the open show of hostility may be taken as a sign that AOPA and Eureka have a fight on their hands, but that was always on the cards.

No, ‘tis the letter and method which offends me.  Hell I’m neither ‘delicate’ nor precious but a short, polite, note correctly addressed to the right person could have effectively done the job while leaving the door for cordial relations to continue open.  But at least we now move into open warfare, rather than covert operations, which, IMO is a very good thing.  

There is a whisper that the political heavyweights have become involved – if only to keep the peace during the run up to the election.  Interesting developments are possible, perhaps it’s time Forsyth and Boyd paid the PM; or better yet, Fletcher a visit, some Senate jacket holders would help the cause.  Not a good time for fence sitting and I ran out of cheeks to turn years ago.  Time to beard the lion in his den, methinks.

“No man so potent breathes upon the ground
But I will beard him.”

[Gobbledock]

Thorny;

"AVM (retired) Skidmore it would appear, no longer wishes to support General Aviation revival and no longer wants to associate with aircraft owners and pilots".

To be honest, he didn't support it in the first place. Paying a couple of bucks for membership is something anyone can do. The term 'support' means much much more. And no DAS or senior manager at Fort Fumble ever has or ever will.  
There are some things in life that the world can live without, such as Skid'Marks pontificating around the halls of Can'tberra, his pride and ego, his pointless 'AVM retired' title, his signed copy of Top Gun, his completely inappropriate 1970's porn moustache, and of course his AOPA membership. 

However I am betting $50 that Herr Skid'Mark has not disassociated his proud self from his Qantas Chairmans Lounge membership?

It's good to be the king........

[thorn bird]

Good grief.

This Industry gives me the tom tits sometimes.

Just when we need a common front to face down CAsA and the "Iron Ring"
all the associations who so recently offered their support and backing to
the AOPA now are queuing up to disassociate themselves from the thrust
of project Eureka.

For goodness sake there may be parts of AOPA's submission that people may
not agree with, no problem with that everyone is entitled to an opinion,
but to offer support with one breath then withdraw it with another smacks of
cowardice in the face of the enemy and plays nicely into CAsA's old tactic of divide and rule.

Are these people so stupid they imagine each little group with their own little agenda have a snowballs chance in Hades of affecting any change, for goodness sake look at history and learn from it.

CAsA have been playing this game for 40 years and these dumbasses play right into their hands, they bitch and moan in private about what CAsA is doing to the industry, but when someone dons the tin hat and puts their head above the parapet they run like frightened jack rabbits.

Maybe the GA industry deserves what it gets, nothing worthwhile was ever attained without a fight.

[Kharon]

Sunday – Again.

Of different strokes for different folks and the results of same.

I reckon P2 is worth a round of applause; it’s been a big week for news and anything worth reading has been trapped and posted.  Bravo mate, well done.  Of course it makes for a big, (two coffee) Sunday read and a bit of head scratching to make sense of it all; but the good thing is aviation is finally getting some well deserved attention.  If ever there was a perfect atmosphere to bang the drum, long and loud, it’s now; make aviation an election issue and get it ‘political’.  The bi-partisan approach needs to be eradicated for the damage it causes and the mockery ‘mystique’ makes of politicians of all flavours, the dumb and the bright.  There needs to be debate, each debacle as it appears on screen needs to be examined, if just for the cost and benefit to the voters who, one way or another, pay for the excesses of our ‘watchdog’ agencies.  The potential for damage to an industry cannot be left solely in the hands of those who can do pretty much as they please without let or hindrance.  Providing checks and balances is a function of parliamentarians; it’s high time they got on with it.    

I have, with some interest, followed the ‘truck’ story. The parallels to the aviation tale of woe are, in essence, remarkable.  But that’s where they end. While the aviation ‘independents’ cannot agree on pretty much anything, run around disassociating and denigrating each other, the Truckies got organised, quickly and efficiently into a single voice demanding changes to an Act.  Aviation’s alphabet groups seem not be able to manage this feat and yet it must be done.  The Truckies kept it all simple, their plight, their message and their requirements so even the densest of politicians could understand it.  They also sent the message to the folk who vote, so they may understand the problem.  Whether they can win the whole game is yet to be seen, but it won’t be for lack of coordinated, cohesive, organised effort if they don’t.  

I have a great deal of respect, admiration and affection for the Rev. Forsyth and his now moribund ASRR, but failing to recommend changes to the aviation Acts as a priority was (IMO) an error.   AAAA, AMROBA and now AOPA along with the other ‘serious’ alphabet soup groups are calling, as are the Truckies for changes to an Act as a fundamental requirement for reform and progress.  A simple one point core argument which non industry folk can understand and support; makes good sense to me. No technical, esoteric arguments about airspace or licensing; just the simple fact that this new legislation will cripple an industry and affect the well being of many hard working families.  Sound familiar? – It should.

Phil Hurst and Ken Cannane in particular continue to do a magnificent job for their groups. Clearly demonstrating, once again, that true expertise resides with industry and CASA would do well to head the free advice offered.  Bravissimo.  Now it seems we have, in the form of AOPA, another emerging contender for the Tim Tam cupboard key.  

In the USA, AOPA is a powerful voice, respected; and importantly, listened to.  Despite lack of numbers the Australian chapter should be as influential.  This outfit has had it’s peaks and troughs and the challenges De Stoop faces, both externally and internally are not insignificant. The politics are ferocious, the membership disillusioned or devoted to pacifying CASA.  Project Eureka is the stalking horse used to correct many of the ailments and draw attention to the sorry plight of aviation.  There are many positives in the project not least of which is the reform of the Act, which aligns AOPA with the other grown up voices singing from that hymn sheet and give credibility.  It’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

I hear there are other alphabet soup groups who are putting as much distance between themselves and Eureka as there little legs and narrow vision eyes can manage; following the lead of the current DAS.  There is an excuse or two for this narrow purview: one being survival, ‘tuther being lack of inclusion and discussion.  The survival notion is simple enough; CASA hold the keys to cage and supply the paper work necessary to survive; to rock that boat is tantamount to suicide.  Perhaps, had some of the recalcitrant ‘groups’ been involved, owned a piece of the Eureka pie, things would be different. Alas;

One thing is certain, the Truckies got their collective act together and are on a roll.  Aviation, until it manages the same collective effort will be doomed to follow the same downward course it always has.  Maybe it’s time to put ego and self interest aside, perhaps it’s time for the choir to elect a lobby group of our best and finest and support that panel.  It needs to be done, now, not later, but now,  The politicians are looking for points of difference, trucks is one, why not air transport as another.  Someone pick up a phone and set the wheels in motion, a divided, fragmented, frightened industry has no chance; non whatsoever, and you can take that to the bank.

One voice, one quest, one industry.  The talent pool is there, the expertise is there and gods know the need is there.  Now is the time.  So FFS stop pissing about and get it done, then I can have a Sunday morning off. But, think on; how good it would be to sign the Truckies petition at the same time as you signed the aviation communities petition, knowing it would be covered by the press, read by those who mattered and debated in parliament.  Good on Australia's truck drivers.

Here endeth the Sunday ramble.

Toot toot....   Whistles for dogs, finds boots and buggers off for fresh air and open spaces.

[P7_TOM]

Toddled off to the BRB* last night; good turn out and a close fought battle at darts kept the ales flowing until quite late - Kiwi’s again, tough to beat at anything.  Darts and general topics aside, the best tales of the evening came from New England and Mr. Morgan’s BBQ get together.  Couple of points of interest – in the general way:-

Seems Morgan is an adept in the art of public speaking; erudite, persuasive and creditable.  Seems he means to carry on the good work with some determination and support from many quarters.  Congratulations, Bravo’s and; most importantly support were freely bestowed from some appreciative ‘wise owls’.  Well done Mr Morgan, well done indeed.  

Another important event was the call made to legislate the Forsyth report and make it stick; this from a ‘trustee of the Nationals’.  Well, it’s a long march from the calling for, to the signing of.  Let’s hope this can happen, clearly Skidmore thinks the ASRR was Forsyth’s opinion, ‘one view’ as he called it and clearly not one he agrees with.  However, there are others who think the ASRR was a bloody fine starting place for reform.  We must wish the Nats well in this endeavour and support the call in whatever small way we can manage.

What else; Oh yes.  Top marks for Barnaby Joyce (again).  Good style and grace demonstrated by personally making a call to not only apologise for not attending, but explaining why not. That he, himself did this is laudable; but the he took the trouble to call Morgan – personally, a second time, to assure him that the industry woes would be aired at ‘top draw’ level and soon (Fletcher for one, which is all you’d need really).  My kind of politician, one who has earned the respect and best wishes of the BRB.  No small thing that and not easily done, I can assure you.  Bravo Barnaby.

One other snippet which needs corroboration, but if true corrects some hasty assumptions. Whispers abound that Wingnut and Murky ain’t mates and that the inclusion of Wingnut was not a choice the MM department were given.  Like it or lump it.  This rumour gives the recent Phelan offering some cred and promoted the notion that Fletcher has his own ideas of how certain departments should be run.  No positive proof – as yet; but we’re working on it.

That was about it for the BRB indaba; the ‘lad’ and I walked home- as per – “much to think on” says he; “Yes, indeed” says I.

MTF.

[Gobbledock]

Tommy Boy said;

"One other snippet which needs corroboration, but if true corrects some hasty assumptions. Whispers abound that Wingnut and Murky ain’t mates and that the inclusion of Wingnut was not a choice the MM department were given.  Like it or lump it"

Well well well. Not often that the Gobbledock is so slow at receiving his intelligence briefing from his Can'tberra sources, however Tom old son has scored an intriguing scoop! Well done.

There could be some major political swell taking place below the ice breakers. Carmody is respected in Can'tberra and could be getting lined up to replace Murky. And let's be honest - The best way to measure Murky's performance is to quite simply look at his alphabet soup agencies!! Say no more.

The Pollies would never allow a bloodletting of Murky take place, too darn messy and not a great look. However they may feel that by winning the next election they will be able to 'shuffle' some people by tidying up a few departments and portfolios, a bit of a nip and tuck here and there, Murky steps aside and maybe pops up in PMC or somewhere else. Wingnut, who coincidentally now sits next to Murky at the lunch table then takes up the mantle and is allowed to get about business relatively unrestrained?

Who knows, are we soon to see Pumpkin Head 'retire' and perhaps take up an airport consulting role with a land developer near you??

TICK TOCK indeed.....

[Peetwo]

The Feds come out swinging on CAO48.1 - Another day, another long drawn out saga on the ASRR/CASA Regulatory Reform Program. First some background off the CASA meets the Press post #113:

AFAP - Strange dichotomy on CAO48.1??  

CASA ‘caved in’ on new pilot flight rules  

Submission on CAO 48.1 Appendix 4B.   

Fatigue rules put pilots at risk, union warn

The nation’s largest pilot union has warned that new fatigue management rules for medical transport operations lean too far towards the financial interests of commercial air operators and will put pilots’ health at risk.

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots president David Booth has written to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to complain that it has been left out of the crucial discussions, which propose to move the fatigue management for medical transport operations from the aerial work category to a classification incorporating passenger transport standards.

About time the Alphabets realised that OST (AVM retired) is just another former RAAF, self interested,  bench warming, RAEs glove puppet, with NFI; & who is only interested in topping up his already bloated superfund by providing top cover for the Murky Mandarin & the Iron ring.

Harden up Alphabets, play hardball & follow the Scott McMillan (Alliance Airlines MD) lead, it is probably the only thing 'Malcolm in the muddle' & Minister Chester may actually understand -

As some of the initial findings with the tragic FlyDubai 737-800 prang in Rostov-on-Don Russia filter out, it would appear that fatigue may well be a factor in the causal chain.

 "significant and obvious risk"

The knock on effect of course is that fatigue & the relationship to aviation safety suddenly becomes topical in the MSM. Which also happens to be coincidental because FRMS & the controversial CASA CAO 48.1 is currently topical in the Australian aviation safety stakeholder scene (above & - To Disallow or not to Disallow; that is the Q?) 

Therefore I found the following article from the AFAP's official legal counsel Joseph Wheeler of particular interest because he not only joins the dots between fatigue but other safety issues related to the travelling public's love affair with LCCs...

Montreal Convention needs universal support

Had a thought all this 'fatigue' & LCCs etc..etc; hasn't this now gone full circle since the 2010-11 when Senator Xenophon initiated the - Pilot training and airline safety; and Consideration of the Transport Safety Investigation Amendment (Incident Reports) Bill 2010 - Senate inquiry? Yet another example of the powers to be obfuscating their responsibilities for 'air safety' - FFS!     

Excellent article from Jamie Freed (via SMH) on the latest on the long running saga of fatigue and the CASA rule set on FRMS (i.e. CAO 48.1):

Flying tired: airline pilots on tough rosters battle fatigue

Date April 15, 2016 - 6:47PM

• 427 reading now
  
• (29)
  
• Comments 7
  
• Read later
  

Jamie Freed
Senior Reporter
View more articles from Jamie Freed
Follow Jamie on Twitter Email Jamie
  
Pilot fatigue is an unresolved issue but different airlines have very different rules.

Video will begin in 5 seconds.

• Don't play
  
• Play now
  

More video

Replay video

Tired pilots struggle through Australia's fatiguing flights

"Sometimes you look over and the other guy is asleep". How tired your pilot is depends on the flight - and the airline.

For passengers, the 5am flight from Brisbane to Sydney during daylight saving time in NSW is hardly a pleasant experience. But spare a thought for the two pilots who have probably woken up about 2:30am to make the 4am sign-on and may then have to make four flights over an 11 to 12-hour period.

"Back-to-back of these is very, very fatiguing," says a Qantas 737 pilot.

Everything is legal of course. But we are not machines. 

Or consider the late evening flight from Sydney to Perth.


In some situations, pilots are allowed to nap on the flight deck to alleviate fatigue. Photo: Jim Rice

The passengers arrive in Perth after midnight local time, but at Jetstar and Tigerair Australia, the two pilots on board will head straight back to Sydney, arriving just in time to battle peak-hour traffic before they can make it home to rest.

"It is pretty hard to make the case that you are on your A-game at the top of descent [into Sydney] on the return leg," a Jetstar A320 pilot says.

"There are duties you do at Jetstar that wouldn't be entertained at Qantas. A low-cost carrier is more intense in terms of the rostering requirements."

Australian and International Pilots Association president Nathan Safe.

Many industries fatigued

Pilots are hardly the only workers in Australia with exhausting shifts. Truck drivers, miners, doctors, nurses and others also work long shifts with hours that can   disrupt the biological clock. 

"By and large, pilots are at the low end of the fatigue scale in terms of other industries," says Professor Drew Dawson, a sleep and fatigue specialist at CQUniversity Australia. "At the other end, they are at the high end of the consequence scale."

The crash of a Flydubai 737 at Rostov-on-Don, Russia, last month that killed all 62 passengers and crew on board has reignited discussion of fatigue management within aviation circles at a time when Australia is close to introducing new fatigue regulations.
The accident is still being investigated and whether fatigue was definitely a factor is unknown. But the crash occurred in tough circumstances at 3:50am local time (4:50am Dubai time), after two hours of circling due to bad weather and two aborted landing attempts. Scientific studies show mental alertness can be at its poorest during the "window of circadian low" between 2am and 5am.

Emirates' tiring schedule

The airline, like fellow Dubai-based carrier Emirates, is known among pilots for having rosters that are within the United Arab Emirates legal limits but nonetheless very tiring.

In the UAE, the maximum flying time is 100 hours per 28 days versus 100 hours per 30 days in Australia. On an annual basis, UAE pilots can fly 1000 hours a year versus 900 a year here.

"The point about regulation is you can have flight-duty time limitations in which you can produce two compliant rosters but one can be extremely friendly and low fatigue risk and one can be extremely high fatigue risk," says CQUniversity associate professor and sleep expert Matthew Thomas.

He says as a rough guide, research shows if a pilot has less than five hours sleep in the 24 hours before flying, twice as many errors may occur. 

Pilot fatigue has been cited as a factor in at least 12 accidents and 64 near misses globally over the past 10 years, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. But more than half of all accidents are caused by pilot errors and it is possible fatigue is understated as a factor in official reporting.

'We are not machines'

The ATSB report on one of Australia's worst-ever accidents, the Emirates flight 407 runway overrun and tail strike at Melbourne Airport in 2009, said fatigue was unlikely to have been a factor, but the flight's captain told media he was sleep-deprived.

The error that caused the EK407 incident was the input of the aircraft's weight as 100 tonnes lighter than it actually was. 

A former Emirates 777 captain said he had once made a similar mistake when flying for the Dubai-based carrier as a result of fatigue, but luckily it had been caught by another pilot before take-off.

"Everything is legal of course," he said of the Emirates rosters. "But we are not machines."

Pilots at many airlines are allowed what is called "controlled rest on the flight deck", which means they can put their head back and nap in their chair for short periods, typically under 40 minutes, as long as the other pilot is retaining a close watch over the flight during the cruise period.

Both asleep

However, the former Emirates captain said pilots were often so tired that one would allow the other to sleep for two to three hours at a time. On occasion, the pilot supposed to be watching the controls would accidentally fall asleep for a few minutes, meaning if a sudden incident occurred mid-air, the reaction times of both would be slowed.

"I have flown with guys that have woken up mid-flight and the other pilot has been asleep mid-flight between Dubai and London," says a Qantas A380 pilot. "This should not happen as the cabin crew are supposed to call up every 30 minutes but some crews may call them and say do not call as one of the pilots is having a controlled rest."

For airlines, adding more pilots on sectors or changing rosters could come at a financial cost. The carriers naturally want to maximise their profitability by having their highly paid pilots fly as many hours as possible within the rules. But they are also interested in safety, as serious incidents and crashes cause brand damage and lawsuits they want to avoid.

Another potential problem is that pilot fatigue is probably underreported by the pilots themselves, albeit more so at some carriers than others depending on the company culture.  Reporting fatigue requires the pilot to fill out a form with an explanation and takes longer than ringing in sick.

Open culture call

"What we want is an open reporting culture," says Australian Federation of Air Pilots executive director Simon Lutton. "They shouldn't be doing a flight if they are not in a fit state to do it."

Pilots at major Australian carriers said there was no punishment for reporting fatigue and in some cases it led the airline to take steps to fix the situation, if it was due to a factor such as a noisy lay-over hotel.

Airlines have also changed some rosters over time as a result of pilots reporting fatigue. When Virgin changed the timing of its Sydney-Los Angeles flight by nearly four hours, it first assessed potential fatigue hazards for pilots. Qantas is reviewing the possibility of rostering on a third pilot on the QF2 flight from London to Dubai as a result of feedback.

"My experience with Qantas has been very positive," a 737 pilot said. "If you need time off and you ask for it, then the company has always been able to arrange that."

The situation differs in other parts of the world, where there are no unions or Western-style seniority system. 

"There are all sorts of ways you can put pressure on pilots," a Virgin 737 pilot says of situation in the Middle East. "If you don't like it, all you can really do is leave."

Fatigue 'taken seriously'

A current Emirates pilot said reporting fatigue often led to sleep apnoea testing and at least a temporary grounding. The former Emirates captain said his high use of sick days, mostly when fatigued, was noticed by management and delayed his promotion from first officer to captain for months. 

An Emirates spokeswoman would not say whether taking reporting illness or fatigue could affect promotion, but said the airline maintained "the highest standards" when considering a promotion to captain.

"Flight fatigue is an issue we take seriously," she says. "If pilots feel that Emirates has not addressed their concerns, they also have recourse of addressing this with the regulator, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)."

The president of GCAA, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, is also the chairman and chief executive of Emirates and the chairman of Flydubai.

Australia's new rules

Locally, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in 2013 introduced new rules for pilot fatigue management. They were initially supposed to take effect this month, but the deadline was moved to May 2017 to give airlines more time to develop new systems.

The old fatigue rules defined flight and duty time limitations in a rigid way with no regard to the science behind fatigue, including whether pilots are acclimatised to the time zone. The new rules provide more flexibility for individual airlines, but each fatigue risk management system will require CASA's approval. 

Australian and International Pilots Association president Nathan Safe, whose union represents Qantas pilots, says the new science-based approach to flight-time limitations based on factors including circadian lows was welcome, but the real test will be in how it is implemented and operated.

For the major commercial airlines, the new system could result in less flying rather than more flying in many cases.

Regional Express last year claimed the new rules could cost it more than $4 million a year and might make some routes unviable.

CASA will be taking a much firmer approach to extensions of duty, with airlines required to monitor weather and airspace patterns statistically before calculating duty periods.

"Operators need to be more realistic about the possible delays in the system and ensure that if there are foreseeable delays, they can be incorporated into the maximum allowable duty period and don't result in an extension," a CASA spokesman said.

A Qantas 737 pilot says the change is welcome. "It will mean that Qantas will no longer be able to schedule near 12-hour day patterns," he says.

Since 2007, Virgin has operated a data-driven fatigue risk management. Qantas, Jetstar and Tigerair are still developing their systems ahead of next May's deadline.

It is unclear whether Jetstar and Tigerair will end the tiring Sydney-Perth-Sydney night shifts under the new system.

Qantas and Virgin say the reason these shifts aren't done at the main carriers is because they are prohibited in the unionised employment agreements, rather than because of fatigue concerns.

Qantas Group medical director Dr Ian Hosegood​ said the group's airlines have robust systems in place to manage fatigue, including a fatigue management committee which includes pilots, safety specialists and crew planners.

"We closely monitor fatigue risk on all shifts, particularly longer and late night shifts," he says.

For example, Qantas recently changed its rostering after the Tokyo-Brisbane route, which lands at 6:45am in Brisbane after 10 hours of duty. The pilots now start their duties the following day at a later time with a reduced workload of one to two short domestic sectors.

Dr Dawson, the fatigue specialist, says pilots must also bear some responsibility, and try to limit distractions at home and partying on the road to ensure they are rested before flights.

And after more than a decade of studying fatigue in the aviation industry, he says the issue doesn't particularly worry him when he takes a flight.

"The number of flights that crash is less than one in a million," Dr Dawson says. "I've got more chance being killed on the way to the airport than in an airplane


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/flying-tired-airline-pilots-on-tough-rosters-battle-fatigue-20160413-go5fmo.html#ixzz45x0dYL5j
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook

MTF..P2