[Peetwo]

Chester & the Avalon GAAG motion -

An update for 4D, hot off the Avalon press cycle...

Via FlightGlobal.. : 

AVALON: Government grapples with decline of general aviation

• 01 March, 2017
  
• SOURCE: Flightglobal.com
  
• BY: Emma Kelly
  
• Melbourne
  

The Australian Government’s recently-established General Aviation Advisory Group was due to meet for the first time during the Avalon air show as the country’s GA industry grapples with its ongoing decline.

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester announced formation of the group in February in an effort to improve consultation with the GA sector. “The GA Advisory Group will ensure the industry has a voice at the heart of government by providing advice directly to me on matters affecting the sector,” says Chester.

The group is headed by Martin Laverty, chief executive officer of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and includes representatives from companies involved in GA maintenance, manufacture and training.

The group will feed into the government’s ongoing GA Study that was launched last year, and which is due to be completed by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics in June. The study is looking at the current state of the Australian GA sector, identifying challenges and potential opportunities.

The government’s focus on GA follows concerns raised by the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA) and the Australian Aviation Associations Forum (TAAAF) on the decline of the once vibrant sector. AOPA says that the country’s once flourishing GA industry “is now slowly dying” and “collapsing under the weight of regulation”.

In order to arrest its decline, AOPA has proposed policies and initiatives to revitalise the industry in its Project Eureka brief to government issued last year. AOPA has identified nine areas that need “bold and innovative policy reform” in order to revitalise the industry, including flight regulations and operations; industry funding and taxes; flight training; aviation medicine; airspace management; engineering/manufacturing and future technologies.

Amongst its recommendations, AOPA calls for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to be absorbed back into the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development for oversight purposes; an airports policy to prevent loss and degradation of GA industries and infrastructure; US FAA-style rules to replace Civil Aviation Orders and regulations; inexpensive pathways for aviation apprenticeships; and harmonised medical certification between recreational and GA pilots.

(P2  - How come no comment or focus on the much more credible and representative TAAAF and their TAAAF Policy 2016?) 

Also from FlghtGlobal at Avalon, it would appear that besides a good news story Mahindra will not be gagged at the Minister's GAAG fest and has a very pertinent message for Minister 4D (in bold):

AVALON: Mahindra confident of imminent Airvan 10 certification

• 01 March, 2017
  
• SOURCE: Flight International
  
• BY: Emma Kelly
  
• Melbourne
  

Mahindra Aerospace is confident of type certification for its long-delayed Airvan 10 from Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority in March, with US Federal Aviation Administration certification expected to follow shortly after.

Mahindra’s Australia-based aircraft manufacturer - formerly GippsAero - has been working on the stretched 10-seat version of the successful Airvan 8 utility aircraft since 2011, with its first flight completed in 2012. The design has changed a number of times, concedes Mahindra's business development manager Marguerite Morgan. The manufacturer was trying to achieve a family of aircraft concept, with the Airvan 10 being a natural progression from the Airvan 8.

The manufacturer has not started to take orders for the Airvan 10, but there is “good, solid interest”, adds Morgan.

Going through Australian and US certification concurrently has highlighted the increased costs faced by Australian manufacturers, says Morgan, with the manufacturer long complaining that Australian companies are not on a level playing field with overseas counterparts when it comes to certification.

She will be highlighting this fact in her new role as a member of the Australian Government’s General Aviation Advisory Group which was set up in February in an effort to improve consultation with the country’s GA sector and arrest the sector’s decline.

Meanwhile, no firm plans have been made for a third Airvan family member, with Mahindra originally planning to upgrade the former Nomad aircraft and relaunch it as an 18-seat Airvan 18.

“The total focus is currently on the Airvan 10,” says Morgan.

Some 240 Airvan 8s are currently in service. Deliveries of the type to China recently started, with the first five going to local dealer Shaanxi Jinggong General Aviation Company and already operating on tourist flights and freight work.

Mahindra remains hopeful of deliveries this year to Indian customers once it overcomes regulatory hurdles.

Alaska is proving a strong market for the type, with nine aircraft going to the country over the last two years, while five aircraft are being operated by the Californian Highway Patrol.

Morgan concedes that some component manufacturer has moved from the Australian facility to Mahindra’s aerospace component manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, India, but aircraft production remains at the Latrobe Valley, Victoria facility where 125 people are employed. Mahindra remains committed to the Australian facility, adds Morgan.

Chocfrog for Mahindra's Marguerite Morgan...


MTF...P2

[Peetwo]

4D and the roundtable GAAG Fest -  

Although we have Sandy's summary of the AOPA GABFEST at Avalon...

"..Attending the AOPA Pacific Forum at Avalon on Thursday one could be forgiven for a feeling of being underwhelmed. Coming off a slow start, in part due to an unusually foggy morning, chairman Spencer Ferrier introduced the four speakers who had ten minutes each to address the audience of about sixty (?) mostly GA people.


Mr. Carmody repeatedly stated he would act on evidence based proposals. He said that there were 40,000 pilots. We know this is not true. We know that years ago licences were deemed to be "perpetual", and the question has been asked before does CASA take note of those licence holders who have died? But this has little to do with how many pilots, that is those with current medicals, let alone those who fly regularly. In a dying industry the CEO of CASA should be across the facts, should be aware of the evidence..."

...we are yet to have any positive (or otherwise) feedback filter through from the (IMO) more important 1st Ministerial GAAG fest (see above)...

However 4D did let slip on twitter that he was indeed in attendance:

https://twitter.com/DarrenChesterMP/status/837431068219203584

..I just told aviation Roundtable @AvalonAirshow We need to get more women flying/engineers/careers in Aust..

 
WTD?? -

I could have gone on with a tweet rant on that total NFI pollywaffle; but I was somewhat surprised and pleased to discover that two fellow tweepers had already picked up on the ill-informed miniscule's tweep:

Outdoor Rec Party‏ @outdoorrecparty
 
@DarrenChesterMP @AvalonAirshow Heavy handed regs and bureaucracy at CASA has driven General Aviation down. Cut that and GA will "take off"!
 

---

Liberal DemocratsNSW‏ @LibDemNSW
 
@DarrenChesterMP @AvalonAirshow Get rid of CASA red tape. Cut aviation costs Get more pilots of both sexes into General Aviation.

  
(P2 comment - Note that both tweets were from political parties...   Well straight up I'll be looking for them when next time we go to the polls - Hmm I may even put my research hat on and do a preview for Aunty on them... )

Finally on that 4D tweet I note that AAAA's Phil Hurst, who was more than likely in attendance at the GAAG fest, also responded with a possible solution to the miniscule's tweet quandary... :

Phil Hurst‏ @PhilHurst62

Phil Hurst Retweeted Darren Chester MP
TAAAF policies cover the 'how'. HECS for pilots.

 
MTF? - Definitely!...P2

[Peetwo]

Chester's growing aviation shame list -

Reference PelAir MKII post:

Update 08.03.17: 07:30 Report & Hoody FOI obfuscation.

Via ABC:

Questions raised about the air safety watchdog's ability to investigate plane crashes

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is only managing to finalise 30 per cent of its air crash investigations within the recommended time, leaving grieving families in limbo and posing a threat to air safety.
Contains: video, image,

Reference link - On FOI requests & word weasel confections - & quote from BITN thread, in particular No 1) on FOIs:

Ps While on matters of aviation safety and the three stooges (ASA, ATSB & CASA) bearing safety risk mitigation gifts and establishing industry trust quotient 'Olive branches':

1) Could we please have the ASA FOI disclosure log updated? - It is fast approaching two years in arrears...

 2) Could we please have the ATSB investigation page updated with interim statements/reports for all O&O'd active investigations? - Such as VARA ATR 'broken tail' investigation (3rd anniversary) and the PelAir cover-up (2+ year) re-investigation... (Reference: ATSB still taking the Mickey Bliss on ICAO Annex 13 ) 

3) Could we please have the CASA 'Enforcement Manual' updated so that the former sociopathic DAS McCormick is no longer the preface signatory and his 'blackletter' embuggerance dispo is also erased from the preface introduction - Download preface.pdf.

On the 3rd Anniversary of the tragic disappearance of MH370 and on the FOI Act, it would appear that Hoody is not adverse to also O&O'ing FOI requests...

Courtesy of 'that man', via the Oz: 

MH370 files ‘could damage ties’

12:00amEAN HIGGINS

Australian officials refuse to release documents on flight MH370 because it ‘could damage international ties’.

...Three years after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared, Australian officials refuse to ­release related documents ­because this could damage international ties, apparently with countries including Malaysia.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has rejected The Australian’s Freedom of Information request for copies of statements from a panel of international experts that it says supports its interpretation of satellite tracking data. The documents are central to the ATSB’s defence of its failed effort to find the plane.

Colin McNamara, the ATSB’s general manager, strategic capability, said disclosure of the documents “would, or could reason­ably be expected to, cause damage to the international relations of the commonwealth”.

While the ATSB says the documents support its “ghost flight” scenario of “unresponsive” pilots, this theory is increasingly challenged by aviation professionals who think a rogue pilot hijacked the aircraft and flew it to the end. Many commercial pilots and crash investigators say the search was doomed because evidence suggests captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah ditched the plane outside the ATSB’s search zone.

As revealed last year, other FOI documents show the ATSB initially claimed it had “consensus” from the panel for its theory that satellite data showed the plane went down un­piloted in a rapid dive, but deleted that line from its website when its investigators warned not all panel members had at that stage agreed.

ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood and the head of the search strategy, Peter Foley, refused to answer questions from The Australian ahead of the third anniversary, but a spokesman said “the search for MH370 has always been based on the available evidence at the time”....

Why am I not surprised...  After all Hoody was the decision maker that condemned Dominic James to 'pilot career purgatory' in the PelAir cover-up debacle. All based on largely dodgy, cynically manipulated and slanderous hearsay evidence, compiled by McComic's evil lieutenant Wodger. Therefore he already has a checkered history of self-serving amoral shenanigans in a senior bureaucratic executive role...    

TICK...TOCK - Minister NFI Chester, you now own the sins of the past and the sins of the future from the self-serving toxic personalities that currently inhabit the halls of the aviation safety bureaucracy - TICK..TOCK indeed..

Update: To 4D's aviation shame list...

Via the Canberra Times...

Canberra Airport hits out at 'disgraceful', 'grubby' safety claims

• [/url]Doug Dingwall
  [url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/by/Doug-Dingwall-gtu7sx]
  

Canberra Airport has slammed what it described as a "disgraceful" and "grubby" campaign it says is using the Essendon Airport crash to cast doubt on its safety.
Airport managing director Stephen Byron said a former pilot, who he did not name, was trying to draw a number of media outlets into reporting safety problems caused by buildings around the airport. 

Aircraft landing at Canberra Airport is at risk of building-induced turbulence, a pilots association has warned.  Photo: Rohan Thomson  

"The attempt is to draw an analogy between the tragic crash at Essendon, and the safety of operations at Canberra Airport, and the insinuation is that buildings at airports are unsafe and that buildings at airports caused the accident at Essendon Airport, and because we too have a shopping centre at Canberra Airport that there is a danger to aircraft here at Canberra Airport," Mr Byron said. 

He said there was no danger to aircraft flying in and out of the airport, that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority reviewed its operations, and that airlines using it weren't concerned about its building locations and safety.

"It's not a furphy, it's just a disgraceful leveraging of a very tragic accident at Essendon to try and impugn the record and reputation and commitment to safety that we have at Canberra Airport."

When The Canberra Times approached the Australian Airline Pilots' Association, it said considerable and unidentified turbulence from nearby buildings may risk damaging aircraft landing at Canberra airport. 

AusALPA, representing pilots on safety and technical matters, did not draw any link between the crash at Essendon and safety at Canberra Airport, nor did it claim building-induced turbulence caused the incident.

Building-generated turbulence could severely limit the performance of aircraft, and the ability to control them at Canberra, it says.

"In the most severe of cases, an aircraft may be seriously damaged on landing, or run off the side of the runway," AusALPA safety and technical officer Marcus Diamond said. 
Turbulence caused by nearby development affected one runway, RW 35, in strong westerly and north-westerly winds, Mr Diamond said.

Canberra Airport said it rejected suggestions that the airport was unsafe.

"Numerous studies over the past 20 years and our safety record have reinforced that assertion," a spokeswoman said.
 
Wind expert reports showed it complied with national safeguarding guideline requirements, she said.

AusALPA has called for efforts to map pre-existing turbulence and windshear - a change in winds experienced by an aircraft - for risk mitigation and avoidance strategies.
A spokeswoman for Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester said approvals for major developments on airport sites must be made after considering advice from CASA and Airservices Australia.

"In providing such views, CASA and Airservices assess the safety and operational impact of any major developments, including their proximity to airside infrastructure such as runways," she said.

Canberra Aero Club director Tony Smart in February said open, undeveloped fields surrounding Canberra Airport gave pilots enough space to land if something went wrong, helping to avoid a tragedy like the crash in Essendon. 

While Brindabella Business Park neighboured Canberra Airport, it sat off the middle of the main north-south runway, out of the paths of aircraft, Mr Smart said.

The National Airports Safeguarding Advisory Group is updating the national airports safeguarding guideline managing the risk of building-generated windshear and turbulence at airports, and is reviewing submissions.

Now this story may well be all a 'storm in a teacup' but I note a couple of obviously ill-informed 'bollocks' comments that IMO need to be highlighted... :

"..He said there was no danger to aircraft flying in and out of the airport, that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority reviewed its operations, and that airlines using it weren't concerned about its building locations and safety...

Hmm...why does "CASA" reviewing the ops at the Canberra Airport not give me a warm & fuzzy feeling of surety of proactive safety risk mitigation: references - Short diversion.

 
...A spokeswoman for Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester said approvals for major developments on airport sites must be made after considering advice from CASA and Airservices Australia.

"In providing such views, CASA and Airservices assess the safety and operational impact of any major developments, including their proximity to airside infrastructure such as runways," she said..."

Err...begging your pardon Ma'am but not according to miniscule 4D's CASA Acting DAS Comardy and his faithful but dour  ‘Shifty Hans Tied’ :

..Back on track, we may begin with the ‘Shifty Hans Tied’ (hall of shame) interview:- Steam On.

Tiede: “In the case of this accident, a public safety zone protected area would not have played a part in the role of the accident. The aircraft did not enter what we would understand to be a public safety zone area.”

How neat is this?  “In the case of this accident” The discussion reduced from an Australia wide serious safety matter for the public to one isolated case, for which, as yet, we have no facts. Carmody pounces on it – “still under investigation” and the whole thing disappears in a puff of smoke. Now the questions are tied to the apron strings of a single accident and the ATSB investigations. Time and impetus lost in the black holes of departmental systematic prevarication, obfuscation and dilution. Made into a non event which cannot be sheeted back to any ineptitude or fault of anyone. RIP; case closed.  

Or, if you prefer to back up the smoke with mirrors, a belt and braces approach to killing a subject, you say - “a public safety zone protected area would not have played a part in the role of the accident”. Then mess about with semantics of what, exactly a PSZ is. Now we have word weasel and legal eagle speak in the mix; just to keep the Senators party line as far away from any real exploratory work as possible

The answers are too simple to be spoken out loud: in polite company, but with dispensation from AP, in plain Anglo Saxon  “the fucking buildings are too close to the fucking runways – and you let that happen”. There, I feel better now.

Senator XENOPHON: You are there to determine the safety of those that use aircraft, and you do not say CASA has a role to say, 'This ought to be an appropriate buffer zone, or an appropriate public safety zone,' so that if a plane does lose engine power it has the maximum chance of landing safely, rather than having a building in the way?

Mr Tiede: That is correct.

There, in a nutshell, supported by the rest of the CASA script is the problem. Well, that and creatures who lurk in corridors ever ready to abrogate any and all responsibility for the safety of anything, except their own.

  
Finally the understated but obvious statement from M&M's department..

"..The National Airports Safeguarding Advisory Group is updating the national airports safeguarding guideline managing the risk of building-generated windshear and turbulence at airports, and is reviewing submissions..."

'Reviewing submissions'? How long have Murky's mob been reviewing submissions now?
Reference:

Aircraft - as garden ornaments.

About here; you must do a little work yourself; not too much, but listen again to tape 1, the last few moments from where NX plays the Fawcett trump card (07:40). Watch MM’s face and hear the bugle of the rescue party a little later, MM to the rescue. Then roll straight into CASA II and listen to the rescue mission. This is why it is said that MM is so good at his job, he can see what’s coming and like the cavalry, comes to the rescue. As the video progresses, you can see that it has not been a fully successful rescue, but he managed to buy some precious time to circle the wagons. But now the NASAG trap is sprung; more digging required. You shall see boys and girls, how quickly Carmody ‘gets it’ and supports the MM story line. The ruse very nearly works; MM did a good job pulling the Carmody wedding tackle out of the fire; but these Senators cannot be bamboozled, their advice is rock solid industry expertise...

 MTF? - Definitely, as it would seem that lately there are daily additions to miniscule Chester's aviation shit & shame list...P2

[Gobbledock]

Where is the toilet paper;

"..The National Airports Safeguarding Advisory Group is updating the national airports safeguarding guideline managing the risk of building-generated windshear and turbulence at airports, and is reviewing submissions..."

And;

"...A spokeswoman for Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester said approvals for major developments on airport sites must be made after considering advice from CASA and Airservices Australia".

HA HA HA. CAsA wouldn't know a tail wind from a head wind. And ASA, the muppets who leave Tasmania with old outdated technology and can't even sort out the airport on site and off site PFOS contamination issues wouldn't know the difference between safety and frog shit.

No no no, the decision on whether to chip away at airspace and ground space around airports so that developers can build their mighty shopping temples is based almost exclusively on how much revenue will the Government earn from the development and how many brown paper bags will certain government employees be given by said developers. THAT IS YOUR F#CKING RISK MATRIX.

[Peetwo]

TAAAF ASRR progress report -  

Reference:

Chalk and Cheese:

"In light of industry comments, TAAAF urges the Government to re-assess its progress with regard to implementation of the ASRR recommendations and recommit to more decisive actions."

The scorecard was released after a TAAAF meeting at the Australian International Air-show last week. The meeting also highlighted three areas the Forum would like the government to action.

1. A National Aviation Strategy developed in partnership with industry

2. A comprehensive new training system to meet expected demand, including the introduction of HECS for pilots.

3. Reform of CASA including implementing ASRR agreed recommendations, harmonising regulations with ICAO, reviewing the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and reviewing the CASA funding model as per TAAAF policy.

Smooth as silk, a clear, authoritative message delivered at the right time, to the people that matter, by respected people who actually know what they are about, in a manner which ensures the clear message will receive attention it deserves.

I expect that the Senate recommendations handed down after the Pel-Air inquiry were considered for a mention. Personally, I’d like to see those recommendations get a little more ‘air time’ than they receive, however, the window of opportunity to deliver a clear message to a minister is not large and a succinct, clear message will be a more effective door opener.

That’s the key to it all; entrée, access, time; all essential elements to gaining ministerial support. Darren Chester did not, single handed, create the embarrassing mess aviation is in; but he did inherit it and now must own it. The big question is, will he be guided and advised by some of smartest professional aviation participants in the business and gain kudos for his ministry; or, stick with the flawed, counterproductive, self serving advice which landed aviation deep in the muck.

Ministers call; you can see why he may be a little reluctant to deal with what he perceives as representative of industry and be gun-shy of a bunch of raggedy arse, noisy amateurs.  But TAAAF and their carefully mapped policy are not of that ilk. The minister may trust TAAAF motive, method, logic and solutions; it is the best advice available, bar none, - freely gifted.

Time will tell the tale.   Bravo TAAAF, well done all concerned, thank you.

Toot toot.

Well said Ferryman...  

If the Minister is still hesitant to commit to trusting the true industry expert advocates, then perhaps the full & frank response to his requested departmental progress report from August last year...
 

AIOS reaches epidemic proportions in Can'tberra - Part II

{Previous reference: [b]AIOS reaches epidemic proportions in Can'tberra}
[/b]

Quoting from 4D thread post: YES miniscule - all is good in aviation

KC said: ..However, ‘Sir Humphrey’ must have visited, as the Public Service ASRR Recommendations progress report , dated 25 August, 2016, informs the Minister that extraordinary progress has happened and they have completed many of the recommendations. Read this report – almost completed???

A review of the report last Friday, 10-12, by myself and other association leaders did not agree with the progress report and could only accept that maybe 3 or 4 recommendations may have been completed. This is a "public service" trying to sound as though they are making progress when in fact, they are not. This is a systemic problem within the public service when aviation is the focal point. Read any review recommendations in the last couple of decades and you will see similarities in the recommendations that confirm permanent change as recommended was not achieved...

Now although I totally agree with KC's sentiments especially when he adds..

For the progress report to be placed on the Infrastructure’s website, then, not only CASA, but other government departments, including CASA’s Board, must have accepted the report.

"Sir Humphrey Appleby" quote: Yes, yes, yes, I do see that there is real dilemma here. In that, while it has been government policy to regard policy as a responsibility of Ministers and administration as a responsibility of Officials, the questions of administrative policy can cause confusion between the policy of administration and the administration of policy, especially when responsibility for the administration of the policy of administration conflicts, or overlaps with, responsibility for the policy of the administration of policy."

Because of that progress report, the public service has to now stifle the complaints by industry by brandishing those that speak up, on behalf of the industry, as radicals not supported by industry.

The current government is relying on such a dedicated public service to placate the constituents because they are too frighten to take the action that is required by proposing legislation that their foes in Parliament could stop, just to embarrass the government. A political dilemma.

What a mess we have ended up with and what a mess the new CEO/DAS of CASA has to confront...

&/or..

In September 2016, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon Darren Chester MP agreed to the release by the Department of an update on progress with implementing the Government's response to each of the recommendations of the Aviation Safety Regulation Review Report as at 25 August 2016.

• Implementation Progress Report as at 25 August 2016 PDF: 420 KB [url=http://docreader.readspeaker.com/docreader/?cid=bqcrm&lang=en_au&url=http%3a%2f%2finfrastructure.gov.au/aviation/asrr/files/ASRR-Implementation-Table-25_August_2016.pdf][/url]
  

...will push him over the line.

---

---

---

---

Remember miniscule 4D Chester, TAAAF directly represents 10+ of the most influential and credible aviation associations, who in turn represent 10s of 1000s of individual aviation stakeholders, who all vote...   

MTF...P2

"K" butt in - Nice carry through P2 - CF.

[Peetwo]

Bureaucratalia & the 4D aviation shame list -

Further to the TAAAF ASRR progress update, via Hitch and the Ferryman...

Driving a 4” nail.

There some who can with a single hammer stroke drive a four inch nail home; it is a matter of skill, rather than ‘strength’ and the right hammer. Hitch has made a fair attempt, but, being a little shy of room to swing, just needs a couple more taps to seat the nail fair and square. But a very good try.

“What this slow progress tells us is that reform measures are being greeted within CASA with gnashing teeth, folded arms and turned backs. It has been known ever since the ASRR came out that certain "elements" at middle management level don't respect the reform agenda and if they aren't down-right refusing, then are slowing the process down as much as they can whilst pretending to be on the journey.”

“It has been known ever since the ASRR came out that certain "elements" at middle management level don't respect the reform agenda and if they aren't down-right refusing” etc.

Defining motive is always an essential element in any investigation. One must ask ‘why’ would those charged with the responsibility for managing matters aeronautical resist the changes authorised by a minister, demanded by industry which would be of benefit to the industry and by extension bring kudos to a minister and the nation?

Only my opinion of course, but the answer is fear. There have been so many acts of sheer bastardry, embuggerance, misfeasance, perjury, abuse of system and power committed, many borderline ‘criminal’ that should those acts be exposed the bill will be horrendous. Then one must consider the ‘operational’ side of the coin; maintenance and flight; many of the actions, edicts, rulings and decisions made by CASA field staff range from ludicrous to dangerous, contrary not only to good sense, but law. The ‘white hats’ outgunned and outnumbered by the ‘black hats’ retire from the battle. None of this may be allowed exposure. Indeed great steps along the borders of probity have been taken to ensure that the real CASA is never examined, in depth. Self protection governs action and preventing a platform which allows a full examination of CASA actions being raised is paramount. Much to hide at Sleepy Hollow.

I know I bang on about Pel-Air a bit; but it is truly the tip of a very ugly iceberg. But; if the half exposure of the Pel-Air scandal shamed a government minister and appalled a Senate committee; think of what full exposure would bring. The calls for ‘regulatory reform’ are a symptom of the true disease. The regulator must be made accountable and responsible for their actions.

Clearly, there is no intention to allow this to happen; if you doubt it, then check the infamous opening statements in the ‘Enforcement manual’. Brought in by McConvict, unchanged by Skidmore and now tacitly approved by Carmody; even the original authorising signature has not been changed.  Why? Well that’s easy, they, CASA. like the latitude gifted by that opening stanza. If there was any intention, whatsoever, to ring the changes, then that manual would be the first to be amended as a gesture of good will.

It is time we had a DAS who can work with the board to implement the internal reform. Failing that, only a judicial inquiry or a Royal Commission can expose the true nature of the obdurate resistance to change; and, force through the changes which must be made to the regulatory agency. Those changes being essential to the well being of an industry. A few metaphorical scalps taken, off the right heads would set the tone very nicely.  

Happy to supply a list and supporting evidence.....

Toot toot.

And in response to the Oz Friday article, featuring the Airways NZed announcement of upgrades to their ATC system...

 (Reference post off BITN thread):

Harfwit cashes in his chips at the Oz -

..On another ASA related matter, I note that the Kiwis have announced that over the next few years they will be upgrading their ATC system... :

NZ adopts new air traffic platforms

12:00amRebecca Howard

Airways New Zealand will ­replace its air traffic management platforms in a $53m upgrade over four years.

Airways New Zea­land, the state-owned air traffic control authority, will ­replace its air traffic management platforms in a $NZ58 million ($53m) upgrade over the next four years.

Airways awarded the contract to global science and technology company Leidos to collaborate on software development and the Leidos Skyline X system will replace Airways’ two ATM platforms that were installed between 2000 and 2003.

The system is expected to ­become operational in New Zealand’s domestic airspace in 2020 and in oceanic airspace in 2021, Airways said in a statement.

The authority’s chief operating officer, Pauline Lamb, said the system would allow Airways to implement a new operating model as well as take advantage of advances in tools to optimise the air traffic system and staff ­deployment.

“By 2020, the new platform will allow airspace sectors to be operated from two new air traffic control centres in Auckland and Christchurch, in addition to 19 control towers nationwide,” Ms Lamb said.

The development of the system will be a collaborative project between Leidos and Airways’s software development teams, with Airways purchasing the hardware and installing and testing the system. This successful partnership model previously saved Airways’s customers about $NZ2.6m a year, or $NZ36m across the life of the present ATM platform.

Leidos civil group president Angie Heise said: “Air traffic is forecast to grow by 50 per cent over the next decade. The expertise of Leidos and the ongoing development of our SkyLine X technology will support Airways New Zealand in their continuing effort to deliver safe and efficient air traffic management to meet the increased demand.”

Meanwhile, Australian and New Zealand airlines have joined forces to set up a new aviation industry group to lobby government on taxes, fees and access to infrastructure. Qantas, Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Tigerair Australia and Regional Express are all backing the Airlines for Australia and New Zealand group.

Former Australian Competi­tion and Consumer Commission chairman Graeme Samuel will chair the body.

AAP

    
Hmm...maybe we need a ASA OneSKY v Airways NZed tote board for bets on who will come in on time and under budget...

...Sandy made the following highly insightful, nail in head, summary of miniscule Chester's  festering aviation (A-Bomb) shame (shit) list...  :

Alexander

1 day ago

Meanwhile in Bureacratalia, AirServices Australia (ASA) along with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), has, for General Aviation, mandated very expensive extra transponder equipment, ahead of even the USA, with dubious benefit. ASA is being questioned by Parliament about possible cosy deals involving former employees and a Multi billion dollar contract "One Sky" upgrade of our air traffic system. Radar coverage in Tasmania is still not fully resolved. ASA/CASA is muddling about what frequencies should be adopted around uncontrolled airports. Over at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau by their numbers they only get to investigate 30% of reviewable aircraft accidents. In the case of the 2009 Pelair Norfolk Island ditching we still await a Senate inspired report no. 2. The first report was seriously flawed and distorted with the help of their mates in the CASA who scapegoated the pilot (took away his licence, reality...skillful hero) and left CASA and Pelair squeaky clean. Pelair, subsidiary of regional airline Rex. One Rex director John Sharp former Minister for aviation and Nat Party treasurer. Sometime large donations by Rex to political parties. CASA has over regulated, fee gouged and bullied GA into a shadow of its former self with the loss of thousands of jobs. And so on and so on, three out of control Commonwealth corporates, the failed model of independent bureaucracies whose main incentives are make work, international and local seminars in salubrious venues, ego trips and with salaries being levered ever much higher than that of their Ministers, on the false basis that they operate like private business. The MH 370 court cases upcoming in the USA will no doubt shine a harsh light on our ATSB, reform is required. Alex in the Rises.

 
Top job Sandy, the choccy frog voucher is in the mail...

MTF...P2


Ps Sandy (via AP email chain): "..I hear elsewhere that there is a cabinet reshuffle in the offing, may we bid farewell to the much esteemed Chester?.." 

I too had similar thoughts when I read the following News Corp story :

Scott Morrison ‘sidelined by Malcolm Turnbull amid likely reshuffle after the May budget’

"..Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is reportedly also keen to move to the infrastructure portfolio which would see Nationals deputy Fiona Nash taking on agriculture.."

[Gobbledock]

Deck chair realignment = who cares?

Does it really matter which one of the Liberal dross look after the portfolios? Turdball is a weak tiny man, Chester a selfie obsessed male-model wannabe, Morrison is an arrogant fu#k, Cash is an arrogant fu#k, the $60b submarine man Pyne is an arrogant fu#k and that fool Joyce is an arrogant fu#k. None of them are qualified to run Infrastructure. In fact these overrated sloths couldn't run a school fete.

As for PelAir, that was always going to be a whitewash. If a Government is willing to put us in debt for $60b worth of shitbox Submarines just to save the ass and the seat of a Muppet like Pyne then they are more than happy to go to any length to save the ass of a former Nationals Minister who has vested interests in the airline in question. It's ironic that Sharp wrote a book about the 'Reapers of the Harvest'. I hope he will be happy to meet the Ferryman one day in the future and reap his own effing harvest.

Effing dross, the lot of them. Trough swilling shonks.

[Kharon]

Saturday; an end of shift alemazed asssisted ramble.

Sunday this week will be devoted to pure, unmitigated selfishness. A dear friend and a master of his craft has given me a billet of the real, McCoy aged ‘Indian Rosewood’.  Much like the sub-continent which produced it, the wood is dark, mysterious, incredibly colourful and deuced tricky to work; patience and sharp tools mandatory. In parts the wood is cooperation personified, in others as hard and heartless as the hobs’ o’ hell. I intend to make a fair copy of an eighteenth century ‘rebate plane’, the compound, complex joinery a serious challenge before getting every part aligned, square, true and working correctly. Then there is the very real fear of buggering up a rare, valuable, properly cured piece of timber and having to explain same to ‘my old mate’. Aye, pressure indeed; nonetheless, we shall try. So here I sit, looking at the ‘shakes’ and wondering how much moisture to bring in, to seal the cracks; which way to cut the sections to take advantage of the run of grain; how to navigate the ‘dark’ (think of Ebony) hard sections which will create havoc and the very silky ‘chocolate’ sections mixed in which will behave beautifully; how to exploit the beauty of wain and sapwood; highlight the rich colours and flecks in light, where best to lay my blows and cuts to avoid a debacle. Many myths trammel, laws to obey, techniques to consider, escape plans to formulate. In short; much to think on, before committing.

For hundreds of years simple craftsmen have been contemplating the same, intricate problems; which must, for weal or for woe, be resolved with care, skill and attention to detail. It makes me wonder about the total dogs breakfast the ‘three big’ safety agencies have made of their rare gift. If making a ‘simple’ hand tool from precious material requires so much thought, care, precision and ‘professionalism’ what the hell have the aviation agencies amateurs been thinking about? Multi billions invested by the public and government with the reasonable expectation that the purchased aviation expertise can deliver the goods. What has gone so terribly wrong, why and how do ‘we’ fix it - now?

Oh, it’s easy enough to blame ‘the’ minister’ who’s sole interest lays in being re-elected; supported by a government who need the seat. Once the election is over, the ‘glamour’ vote catchers are, essentially, redundant. However they must be rewarded; so ministries’, titles and power are gifted with the hopes and prayers of the government depending on the ‘expert’ advice provided by the ‘department’ who really run the show. Which is all well and good; many ministers ‘shine’ simply because the ‘department’ actually has a clue and the ‘experts’ perform well. In theory and often in practice, it all works out very well.

Then there is ‘transport’. Aye, matters aeronautical are within the ministerial ambit. The minister may not know a tug boat from the Titanic; but the maritime agency does and how best to manage them. The minister may not know the difference between a “B” Double and a campervan; but the roads agency troops do and how best to manage them. Same for trains, horses and buggies, etc. But when the new minister arrives at the carefully preserved ‘mystique’ of aviation; all bets are off.  An ignorant, surrounded by some of the worst snake oil purveyors ever known to mankind. With no other option or help, the hapless minister must, perforce, accept the word of his anointed experts.

Imagine trying to face down a hostile Senate committee, or an infuriated industry, both supported by mountains of evidence which say your key advisors are taking the Mickey. To a man like Fawcett the game would be child’s play and soon over; but, to man like Chester? Well, you can work that one out on track record to date; even a lightweight tackle like the AOPA effort confuses and confounds, a serious push from the real industry heavies would completely unman him.

Aye well; if current speculation is proven sound, then it will be a close race to the bottom for the current incumbent - driven deep by either politics or investigations. Old Niccollo Machievelli understood the conundrum very well indeed.

“For this can be said of men in general: that they are ungrateful, fickle, hypocrites and dissemblers, avoiders of dangers, greedy for gain; and while you benefit them, they are entirely yours, offering you their blood, their goods, their life, their children,...when need is far away, but when you actually become needy, they turn away.”

Fare thee well ‘minister’.  – Hoi: Malcolm, can we have a real one next time? Perhaps ol’ Barmybaby will get smart and turn Fawcett loose; just for a while, to restore peace, sanity and ensure governmental survival. The clock is remorselessly ticking and the next fatal accident/disaster will be owned by the government which failed to act in a positive manner. Safe bet; you bet. I couldn’t possibly lay odds for a no brainer.  

Toot Toot – here endeth the Saturday night ramble.

[P7_TOM]

Point of order M’lud.

“K” - So here I sit, looking at the ‘shakes’ and wondering how much moisture to bring in, to seal the cracks; etc.”

Before the booze bus folk start hounding “K” I should mention that it was the ‘cracks’ formed in the dry timber which he was considering and not an imminent bout of the DT’s. Four pints is but a modest total. From Wiki:-

Shakes are cracks in timber. Arising in cut timber the generally cause a reduction in strength. When found in a log they can result in a significant amount of waste, when a log is converted to lumber. Apart from heart shakes, often found in trees felled past their best, shakes in a log have no effect on the strength of shake free lumber obtained therefrom.[1]

They are often seen in oak-framed buildings, which are constructed of green oak which cracks while drying. Due to the immense strength of the oak beams, they are not a cause for concern in a properly engineered building, and are considered part of the charm of the style

[Peetwo]

4D's GAAG fest thought bubble gains momentum.

After the Avalon roundtable GAAG discussion the miniscule tweeted:

https://twitter.com/DarrenChesterMP/status/837431068219203584

..I just told aviation Roundtable @AvalonAirshow We need to get more women flying/engineers/careers in Aust..

Reference AP post: 4D and the roundtable GAAG Fest

Well apparently 4D's thought O&O bubble continues and all will be revealed in the upcoming (yawn! ) July 201? GAS report - UDB...  

Reference (Note: The miniscule's media rat must of had the weekend off, because I am pretty sure the following 4DM_NFI_MR has only recently been posted on his webpage): 

Food for thought on Aviation industry training issues
Media Release
DC051/2017
10 March 2017

• New report identifies challenges ahead for government and aviation sector in attracting new talent and providing affordable and accessible pathways for training
  
• Need for industry-wide approach to workforce planning solutions, including encouraging more women
  
• Findings will be considered by industry in the context of the General Aviation Study
  

The Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester has urged the aviation sector to develop strategies to attract more women into flying, engineering and other senior roles in the industry.

Mr Chester said the important aviation industry report Aviation Workforce Skills Study has been released today addressing ways to improve safety and efficiency, and highlighting the low number of women in the industry.

“The report found that the number of women in the industry, not including flight attendants, was as low as ten per cent,” Mr Chester said.

“It also identified the need for an industry-wide approach to workforce planning, and strong international opportunities for Australian aviation training providers.

“The report offers a challenge for both the government and the aviation industry to develop practical and workable solutions to overcome any shortfalls in the supply of professionally trained staff.

“In looking to the future we need to find ways to attract more young people, including women, and deliver affordable and accessible pathways for them to achieve their training requirements.

“This report is important to the future of an industry estimated to have added more than $15 billion to the Australian economy in 2015–16.

“The findings will now be considered by key industry stakeholders and the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) in the context of the General Aviation Study.

“I look forward to working with the Department of Education and Training and our stakeholders to develop solutions that will ensure that the supply of quality trained aviation professionals meets the future demand.

“Delivering this study fulfils a key election commitment of the Coalition's Policy for Aviation.

“While the Australian Government will provide a formal response to the study in the coming months, I am looking forward to working in partnership with industry to help address skills and training issues,” Mr Chester said.

The Aviation Workforce Skills Study is available for download on the Australian Industry Standards website: www.australianindustrystandards.org.au/aviation-workforce-skills-study.

[ Click on image for larger version ]

Hmm...mumble..mumble - ducking tosser... !

Dear 4D it would appear that your 'good news' thought bubble is yet to be fully and eagerly disseminated by the industry stakeholders involved...

Reference 'Sunday Mail' via SBG thread: 

SBG weekend mag

Aviation firms grounded amid skyrocketing costs and regulations
Michael Wray, The Sunday Mail (Qld)
March 12, 2017 1:00am

QUEENSLAND’S general aviation industry is being throttled under skyrocketing costs and ballooning regulations, with half of the flying schools at the region’s largest hub going out of business in the past two years.

Operators claim costs are increasing and regulators such as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority have swamped them with so much paperwork their administrative burden has increased tenfold without making flying any safer.

New CASA licensing regulations introduced in 2014 ran to more than 1200 pages yet were full of problems and have had to be constantly ­revised since then, leaving even the regulators unable to answer queries about what the rules mean.

At Brisbane’s Archerfield Airport half of the flying schools have closed in the past two years, including the Royal Queensland Aero Club, the oldest flying club in the southern hemisphere. Pic: Jamie Hanson

Pilots have told The Sunday Mail requirements on medical checks, licensing, safety equipment and other administration are the most onerous in world aviation, but they have not demonstrably improved safety.

The Royal Queensland Aero Club, which was the oldest aero club in the southern hemisphere and counted aviation legends Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Bert Hinkler as members, folded in March last year, taking out southeast Queensland’s largest operator.

Three other flying schools have closed recently and the general airport activity has dropped dramatically since the industry’s glory days in the 1980s, with flying schools running heavily reduced fleets due to the lack of pilots walking through the door.

The flying schools still operating at Archerfield Airport think it's only a matter of time before they have to close down. Picture: Jamie Hanson

With general aviation struggling, there are fears that there won’t be enough locally trained pilots for the larger airlines, which would be forced to look overseas for pilots.

A CASA spokesman said the regulator was in constant communication with the general aviation industry, which includes virtually all flying activity below the commercial airlines, and recently set up a joint industry taskforce to address key issues to improve the new licensing regulations.

“CASA agrees the new regulations were not fully ­acceptable when introduced and has apologised for that,” he said. “Yes, we are always working to ease regulatory burden where possible and the taskforce’s work is an ­example of that.”

Dick Smith, a former CASA chairman and record-setting private pilot, said there was “not the slightest hint” that authorities in charge of the industry “had any idea what they are doing”.

“If you are in the general aviation industry, do everything you can to sell out, get out now because it’s really bad what’s happening,” he said. “The new regulations are more and more expensive and you will become completely destroyed.”

Some of the major industry complaints include:
● Skyrocketing landing costs;
● More costly maintenance as businesses fold;
● Invasive medical checks;
● A security card that has to be renewed every two years rather than be linked to a pilot licence;
● Unnecessary airport fences;
● Duplication of civil and military air traffic control costing hundreds of millions of dollars;
● Overzealous enforcement;
● Flight and duty time restrictions to be implemented by May 2018.

Airplanes at Archerfield Airport in Brisbane.

Andrew Nacsa, who was head of operations for the RQAC’s training arm, Airline Academy, said rising cost and regulations in the general aviation industry meant fewer people were interested in flying, ultimately driving the business in to the ground and forcing it to close its hangars and the 20 planes it was operating.

“If general aviation stops then so does the whole industry,” he said.

Australia’s regional carriers are also struggling with 17 airlines folding in the past 13 years.

Mr Smith said regulators seemed to consider that ­policing the skies would be easier if only commercial planes were flying but it would take the “total collapse” of general aviation ­before the public noticed.

“When people find that they can’t get a rescue helicopter because there’s no maintenance people and they can’t get an aerial ambulance because there’s no maintenance people, then they’ll start to write to their minister and ask what’s happened,” he said.

A CASA spokesman denied commercial airlines were favoured and said authorities “allocated very significant resources to supporting the general aviation sector each year”.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester has commissioned a study into the state of the general aviation industry, and has said it will include a review of private pilot medical requirements.

The review is due to be completed by June 30.

* * * * * * * * *
Southern Skies Aviation owner Brian Westin. Picture: Jamie Hanson

WE NEED TO MAKE SYSTEM WORK, SAYS VETERAN PILOT

PILOT Brian Westin says his office high above Brisbane’s Archerfield Airport is the best in the world.

A pilot for 45 years, the freedom he feels in the sky and the satisfaction he gets from passing his skills on to budding young pilots have not diminished.

But lately he has dreaded returning to his office on the ground, where a mountain of never-ending paperwork and bills awaits.

The situation has become so bad after a raft of new regulations from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority that Mr Westin said the only thing keeping him flying was his passion for the industry.

“It’s getting to the point now where most of the operators I’ve known over the years are saying that it’s not worth it any more,” he said.

In the past two years, the number of operators at Archerfield has halved, with just four flight schools left. Two of those have been there for decades and are only hanging on because of their love for the industry.

“People are just walking away,” Mr Westin said. “I’ve been at Archerfield for 27 years and I’ve seen the demise of the industry, the amount of machinery operating here has halved in that time.”

The owner of Southern Skies Aviation has trained hundreds of pilots, including senior captains at some of the world’s major airlines, and could not see that flying was being made safer with the new regulations.

“It’s great to make regulations but we still have to make the system work,” he said.

“It makes them feel all warm and fuzzy that they make you tick all the boxes but is it really achieving the effect that they say it should?

“I don’t think so.”

With so many operators dropping out of the industry and few budding pilots walking through the door because of the cost of getting a licence, Mr Westin said he feared for the future of the industry.

“The airlines are Australia’s umbilical cord to the world and we are the ones who supply them with pilots,” he said.

“If you don’t have general aviation you can’t get pilots for the top echelon.”

Still trying to get my head around the bizarre disconnect where we have the miniscule trying to increase the uptake of women to offset the industry skills loss and prattling on about his favoured 'GAS' report due to be released in July:

"..Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester has commissioned a study into the state of the general aviation industry, and has said it will include a review of private pilot medical requirements.."

Then in the MR 4D says:

 ..."This report is important to the future of an industry estimated to have added more than $15 billion to the Australian economy in 2015–16.


“The findings will now be considered by key industry stakeholders and the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) in the context of the General Aviation Study.


“I look forward to working with the Department of Education and Training and our stakeholders to develop solutions that will ensure that the supply of quality trained aviation professionals meets the future demand.


“Delivering this study fulfils a key election commitment of the Coalition's Policy for Aviation...

Yet the Aviation Workforce Skills Study was commissioned by the miniscule's own department and included input from pretty much all highly credited professional industry stakeholders and  Alphabet associations...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This list details those organisations that elected to be recognised as contributing to the Aviation Workforce Skills Study.

Advance Aviation Group Pty Ltd
Aerial Application Association of Australia
(AAAA)
Aero Enterprise Aust Pty Ltd
AgustaWestland Australia Pty Ltd
Airborne Aviation
Arkaroola Air Services Pty Ltd
ASSET Aviation Institute
Asset Training Australia
Australian Airports Association (AAA)
Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP)
Australian Helicopter Industry Association
Australian Helicopters P/L
Aviation Australia
Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul
Business Association Inc. (AMROBA)
Aviation Training Services Victoria (ATSV)
Ballistic Training Solutions
Boeing Aerostructures Australia
Bowman Studio
Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)
Flight Training Adelaide
Goldfields Air Services WA
Helibiz
Hillsboro Aero Academy
Historical Aircraft Restoration Society
John Cameron Aviation
K&M Harris Pty Ltd Trading as Specialised
Career Solutions
Mahindra Aerospace – Australia
Multi-crew Airline Training Systems Pty Ltd
(MATS)
Partec Institute and the Composites Training
Centre
PlaneTorque Australia Pty Ltd
Riverina Air Motive Pty Ltd
Ronald Dickens
Rotor-Lift Aviation
Safeskies Australia
Sport Aircraft Association of Australia
The Transport Workers' Union (TWU)
Tristar Aviation Company Pty Ltd
William Angliss Institute

...providing not only a comprehensive top down look at the present & future issues industry faces, but also provides suggested solutions...

So what is it exactly the 4D GAS report will add to the argument and proposed solutions as outlined in the AWSS & the ASRR?

MTF...P2

[Gobbledock]

A letter to the Miniscule

What a lame photo. The king of selfies with a forced smile, stomach and testicles sucked in, and not even a tiny bit aroused over the three lovelies standing beside him, no just a half-mongrel at the sight of himself reflecting off the cameraman's lense............


Dear Minister Shit-for-brains,

Thank you for your robust advice that "the aviation sector needs to develop "strategies to attract more women into flying, engineering and other senior roles in the industry".You ignorant and contemptible prick. The industry has been encouraging men, women, teens, monkeys and almost anyone or anything with a heartbeat to join our industry, to no avail.
You want to know why? Well, here is just a small list;

• Death by a thousand regulations; your ludicrous agencies in their never ending program of ensuing your departments ass remains covered at all times has made it a liability to work in this industry. We are burdened with non-workable regulations, pressured to conform to ideas and methodologies that your own dumbass staff make up as they go, and we have our businesses sent broke while we wait for approvals and are forced to jump through unnecessary hurdles while our businesses collapse around ears.

• Strict liability;  Each industry participant is treated like a criminal by your government agencies. You make operating a business an impossibility while at the same time we are strangled by archaic processes and are bullied by your government employees who are unaccountable and given unfettered power to do as they please, legal or illegal.

• Poor wages; There is simply not enough jobs that pay enough money to feed your family. Incase you forgot Minister, your Liberal strategy is to provide relief from taxes to multi millionaires while fucking over the blue collar workers. We also don't earn $300k per year like you mate. Try more like an average of $70k per year, and for what? So we can endure all the bullshit regulations, pineapples and bullying by your minions? You are stripping away the very things that barely cover our bills - overtime, shift penalties and low inflation.

• No financial incentives; unlike Politicians who have high remuneration, the most generous superannuation in the country, a never ending taxpayer trough filled and ready for misuse, an endless stream of donations and brown paper bags and kickbacks from crooks and developers, we don't have incentives. We don't get tax breaks. We don't have red tape busted. We don't have the hurdles removed. No, we get jackshit, all we get is your pathetic selfie absorbed face sitting in media releases saying how we must assist industry, FFS.

Miniscule, read it and weep, sunshine. Your mate in W.A just had his arse handed to him on a plate. You and your pathetic troop are next. Tick Tock goes the clock leading to you and the Libtards becoming the new opposition party. You join a legacy of incompetent muppets who have been banging nails into aviations coffin for over 20 years. Wake up from your Matrix, fool.

P.S Tell Goldman Sachs Turnbull I said g'day.


Warm regards
Gobbles

[Sandy Reith]

Maybe he really is leaving, I read somewhere on another thread that he's looking to upgrade the Gippsland rail line because it's one of the most unreliable lines. If one had the time to look up the facts....
Darren trying to allocate some money in there soon? Guess where the Minister's seat is located.
Going to be a funny one, giving Daniels and the Vic Labor boys a giggle because as anyone knows the State controls the railways. Sophisticated politics Darren, what a wizard.

[Peetwo]

Bureaucratalia & the 4D aviation shame list - Part II

Reference off the Accidents - Domestic thread:

Update 17/03/17: Widow condemns CASA as 'incompetent' & 'dysfunctional' -

‘Incompetent’ CASA slammed

...Ms Black said the inquest by the deputy State Coroner Derek Lee showed the crash involving a Polish-built M18 Dromader was a textbook example of the Swiss cheese theory of accidents. This theory postulates that holes develop because of human error and dysfunction, and eventually they link up to cause serious accidents.

“In this accident when you go back and you look at all the holes that were lining up over a matter of 13 years, this aircraft was doomed. Had we known that we obviously would never have flown it,” Ms Black said. “When you go back through the ATSB report you can see the holes developing right back to 2000. In just about every single one of those holes CASA is involved. How CASA originally said you could use a flawed testing system (the eddy current technique) is unbelievable. It was contrary to what both the manufacturer and the FAA had mandated as the correct testing method.”

Ms Black’s solicitor, Mark Gray-Spencer of GSG Legal, said the evidence presented to the inquest clearly showed CASA failed to identify the fact that the maintenance company, Beal Aircraft Maintenance, and its non-­destructive testing company, Aviation NDT Services, was using the wrong method to test the attachments on the Dromader wings.

“Aviation NDT used an eddy current technique to test the wing attachments which was contrary to what both the manufacturer and the FAA said should be used. Both had advised that Magnetic Particle Testing had to be used,” Mr Gray-Spencer said.
“Six weeks after the approval from CASA for the eddy current technique was sent to Neil Joiner (of Aviation NDT Services), CASA issued an airworthiness directive (AD) stating that you had to use magnetic particle testing. This was inconsistent with the eddy current technique approval. The maintenance organisation should have looked at the AD and realised their procedure was not OK.”

An AD is a legislative instrument issued under federal law.

“For 13 years, from the issuing of the AD until the accident, the wrong testing was used,” he said...

And here is Pinocchio Gobson with the totally predictable zero care, zero responsibility, "we're looking into it" bollocks statement:
   
“CASA has been looking carefully at the Coroner’s report and recommendations. There are a range of issues to be considered and CASA is working through these methodically. We appreciate issues raised by the family are important.”

- That is word-weasel bureaucratese for.. "this will be O&O'd till we can quietly shuffle the report in to the infamous CASA shelf-ware out-tray"  -  

P2 comment: Gutsy lady Ms Black! - Welcome to the ranks of the IOS...

Julie Black;

“In this accident when you go back and you look at all the holes that were lining up over a matter of 13 years, this aircraft was doomed. Had we known that we obviously would never have flown it,” Ms Black said. “When you go back through the ATSB report you can see the holes developing right back to 2000. In just about every single one of those holes CASA is involved".

Unfortunately CAsA will come out of this squeeky clean because CAsA are Government, and Government are untouchable, too much money, too much power, too much freedom from accountability. It happens over and over and over.....

I wish this woman well, she deserves better, but unfortunately she is up against a formidable crooked empire.

A complimentary round trip ticket.

P2 – “And here is Pinocchio Gobson with the totally predictable zero care, zero responsibility, "we're looking into it" bollocks statement:
 
“CASA has been looking carefully at the Coroner’s report and recommendations. There are a range of issues to be considered and CASA is working through these methodically. We appreciate issues raised by the family are important.”

- That is word-weasel bureaucratese for.. "this will be O&O'd till we can quietly shuffle the report in to the infamous CASA shelf-ware out-tray"  -  

P2 comment: Gutsy lady Ms Black! - Welcome to the ranks of the IOS...

Welcome indeed. One of the reasons people can sit at home watching horrific stories of carnage, destruction, tragedy, fire or even aircraft accidents on the TV while eating their dinner is that it ain’t ‘personal’. Nowadays, folk rush off to ‘counselling’ after they’ve had a splinter removed from their arse and tell everyone who will listen about the trauma and how they intend the sue the council because the park bench surface was not ‘safe’. Why? Well it’s now ‘personal’. It’s the same with ‘CASA contact’; until the filthy spectre has tapped you on the shoulder; it ain’t personal. But when it does……Problem is that from the minister down, no one, except those affected ‘get it’. The vast majority of aircrew and engineers have never had the dubious pleasure of dealing with CASA other than in the routine way of medicals and such. DAME’s, Chief pilots, etc. all have had ‘the experience’ even then that’s a mixed bag: and, the 'go along to get along' syndrome has resulted in some truly awful aberrations; I digress. See Thorny’s post – HERE – for just a small part of the problem.  

P2 - “Ps "K" this may have to be moved to the 'Closing the safety loop' thread...

It probably should be mate; but you know as well as I the CASA response to coronial recommendations; they are treated as opinion. What did we examine when we did the analysis; some thirty or so cases? We selected just a few to provide a range and for all the good that hard work has done, we could have stayed in the pub; (practiced your darts).

HITCH - (Oz Flying)– “Only by the reaction to these truths can we judge the commitment of the Federal Government. However, we need to lift our chins and plod on; we have more hope of reform with the advisory group than we would have without them.”

Hitch and probably the GAAG understand the truth of it; but, what else can they do? The ‘CASA’ experts who have royally buggered the system and wasted hundreds of millions while getting paid handsomely to do so now expect ‘help’ from industry experts, who are not only doing it all ‘for love’ but taking time, resource and energy away from their own interests. Do they have to cooperate? Well I suppose they do; but its not the first time and it most certainly will not be the last time an industry advisory panel has laboured – in vain. History children, history. Not too far back – Pel_Air?, Forsyth? Ring any bells?

FWIW, I reckon the minister and CASA are taking the Mickey – again; same old tune, same old result. One may fervently hope for the best but it always most sensible to expect and prepare for the worst.

We wish Mrs Black well and any small support we can offer. The first part of this story is tragic and life changing; the second part is in the lap of the gods. Personally, I would not abandon all hope just yet, but I wouldn’t be holding my breath either.

Toot toot.

& with the latest on REX and the case of the missing prop?

Understandably there was much media coverage when a REX SAAB rocked into YSSY minus a propeller...

..Finally from the Oz, including the almost obligatory (nail in head) comment from Sandy... :

Propeller shears off mid-flight

12:00amEMILY RITCHIE

A Regional Express flight narrowly avoided disaster yesterday after a propeller sheared off the plane mid-flight.


Propeller drops off mid-flight

5:51pmEmily Ritchie

A Regional Express aircraft has been force to make an emergency landing at Sydney airport.

Passengers and crew aboard a Regional Express flight in NSW narrowly avoided death and disaster yesterday after a propeller was sheared off the plane mid-flight, forcing an emergency landing.

The REX airline plane SAAB 340, carrying 16 passengers and three crew members, was travelling from Sydney to Albury in the state’s south when its right hand propeller broke loose from the engine.

The pilots declared a PAN, which is one step down from a full-scale mayday, about 16km from Sydney airport at an altitude of about 6000ft.


The plane, minus a propeller at Sydney Airport after the emergency landing. Source: Twitter

“The prop has just fallen off the aircraft and standby for further instructions,” a man on the flight deck told air traffic controllers.

“REX 768 we’ve just had ... engine operations and our propeller has just shed off. We’ve got normal controls, still be able to fly, would require 1-6 right and we should be able to conduct a precautionary landing.”

The plane landed safely at its destination just after midday and no one was injured.
Byron Bailey, a former air force pilot who currently captains private jets, said it was very lucky the propeller didn’t swing inward and smash through the body of the plane.

“In the 50s, when they had all these propeller-driven airlines, there were cases of propellers flying off and chomping into the fuselage and killing people,” Mr Bailey said.

“They’re very lucky, because if a propeller came loose under power, it could be spinning at a couple of thousand revs a minute. Goodness knows what could have happened.”

The propeller has not yet been found and will be a crucial piece of evidence.

The aircraft was carrying 16 passengers and three crew. Picture: Grahame Hutchison

The Australian Transport Safety Authority and Civil Aviation Safety Authority are investigating the cause of the propellers detachment, with lines of inquiry including whether it was due to fatigue failure or inadequate maintenance.

Jason Middleton, an aviation professor at the University of NSW, also speculated if bad weather could have been a contributing factor.

“If it happened in adverse weather, that might have play a role,” said Professor Middleton. “A propeller falling off is very unusual. Unheard of in Australia, particularly in today’s world where maintenance is thorough and the requirements are well documented.”

Mr Bailey said it’s fortunate the propeller did not injure people on the ground given the flight path.

“It’s a very dangerous article. A big propeller heading earthward, particularly over populous areas, is very dangerous indeed.”

The aircraft’s manufacturer, Swedish company SAAB, has been contacted for comment.

The SAAB 340 model is popular worldwide, with Mr Bailey describing it as “perfect for low density, short routes”.

“SAAB would be very worried,” Mr Bailey said. “The 340 is well-designed and should be totally safe — it’s staggering. A propeller falling off its aircraft is a very serious matter indeed.”

---

Alexander
13 hours ago

A serious incident which will be investigated quickly but some comments are overblown. The actual risk of injury to persons on the ground from a propellor is very low. Talk of the pilots being extra skillful and not panicking is also unrealistic. The pilots are well trained to fly on one engine and don't panic, they just get on with their job. What is true is that with General Aviation in severe decline because of a regime of astonishing over regulation, by an out of control (Un)Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the ability to train home grown pilots and maintenance engineers is rapidly diminishing. Airline pilots are already on the 457 work visa list, you might soon be wondering who is flying you around Australia. GA has lost thousands of jobs for no good reason, what an extraordinary waste. Alex in the Rises.

 
And for comment from our immaculately groomed & coiffured NFI miniscule...

http://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/ch...index.aspx


  

Once again we see an example, especially in matters of aviation safety, of why it is we are called the 'Lucky Country' - TICK..TOCK goes the Oz aviation doomsday clock, the question is who will be holding the parcel when the music (& clock) stops...  

[Gobbledock]

Minister Chester, standby for incoming propellor.

P2 sums it up well;

TICK..TOCK goes the Oz aviation doomsday clock, the question is who will be holding the parcel when the music (& clock) stops...

I put the clock at about 10 seconds to midnight. Minister NFI, the Deputy Prime Minster for rogue dogs and Prime Minister Goldman Sachs will be juggling the parcel like a Fukushima nuclear rod when the music finally stops!!!

As for CAsA and ATsB 'investigating', that is another joke. Firstly it will take Hoody 3 years minimum, and secondly CAsA wouldn't know how to investigate a flat tyre FFS.

What more can one say other than TICK TOCK.

[Peetwo]

Bureaucratalia & the 6D aviation shame list - Part III

Nicely caught by Gobbles...

Race to the bottom continues? This time it's Ground Handling...

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-20...me/8369814

Airport staff sleeping at work say they cannot afford to go home

7.30 BY JAMES THOMAS AND XANTHE KLEINIG
UPDATED MON MAR 20 19:37:31

Staff at one of Australia's busiest airports have been setting up camp and sleeping at work, which they say is because they cannot afford to go home between shifts.

Key points:

- Secret video shows makeshift beds where airport staff are sleeping under terminals
- Workers say split shifts mean it is not worth going home
- Employers defend safety record and reject accusations of poor treatment
- Secret footage obtained exclusively by 7.30 revealed bed rolls and dirty sheets next to the baggage carousel in the staff-only area of Sydney Airport's international terminal.

Napping between shifts is a result of the "Americanisation" of the Australian workforce, according to the Transport Workers Union (TWU).

Split shifts that start early and finish late and limited guaranteed hours mean it is not worth workers' while — financially or timewise — to return home when they are rostered off, according to the union.

Workers have voiced concerns that fatigue levels are putting safety at risk.

'We end up sleeping under the terminal'

Driver George Orsaris believes he will lose his job for speaking with 7.30, but wants to expose working conditions at his employer, Aerocare.

"We get pushed to our limits. Our pay doesn't match it. We don't get rest breaks and we get given a four-hour shift in the morning and then we have a four-or-five-hour break and get a four-hour shift in the afternoon," he said.

"It is barely enough time to sleep by the time you get home, get up and have to go to work again. So we end up sleeping under the terminal where all the baggage goes between."

Most of Aerocare's workers are permanent, part-time with a guaranteed minimum salary of about $16,000 per year under a collective agreement approved by Fair Work in 2012.

TWU national secretary Tony Sheldon said the company sought to "game the system" in the pursuit of profits by keeping workers "hungry" for shifts, despite the long breaks in between.

"Quite clearly, these agreements are deficient, they are unethical," he said.

"When you are getting paid below the poverty line, when you can't raise a family on these incomes and the company clearly knows that having them part-time is starving the workforce into submission.

Workers raise safety concerns

Aerocare workers have told 7.30 they were concerned fatigue had contributed to two safety incidents.

In November 2014 in Brisbane, a Tiger Air cargo door was left open but discovered before take-off. Mr Orsaris said lives could have been at risk.

"If it was missed and the plane was to take off down the runway, I'd hate to think what would happen," Mr Orsaris said.

Aerocare said the safety of crew, passengers and ground staff was never at risk.

The company's chief executive, Glenn Rutherford, said in a statement he was concerned about "any allegations of system deficiency" and would further investigate any claims.

"We want to ensure it is on record that in 22 years, and despite handling over a million flights, Aerocare has never been penalised for a safety issue," he said.

Aerocare rejects accusations of 'poor treatment'. Aerocare said it provided full-time positions wherever possible, but that its rostering was to a large extent determined by the airlines' flight schedules.

It said 97 per cent of employees voted in favour of the current enterprise bargaining agreement.

"Aerocare strongly refutes any allegations or assertions … inferring poor treatment or under-payment of its employees," a spokesman said.
The company said it provided better job security and working conditions than many of its competitors and had committed to increasing pay rates by 5 per cent across the board.

"Aerocare has invested millions of dollars to improve the quality of its rostering so as to maximise the duration of shifts, with the goal of securing more contracts which would enable Aerocare to offer employees longer shifts and further viable full-time positions," the spokesman said.

Aerocare's most recent financial statement to the corporate regulator showed net profits were up more than 20 per cent to $13.5 million in the 2016 financial year.

Mr Sheldon said that other companies were now replicating the wages and conditions of workers at Aerocare, which is owned by private equity firm Archer Capital.

"We've seen the Americanisation of the Australian workforce in the aviation industry and yet we've seen executive bonuses increase, we've seen airport profits in the billions and this future is really something that beholds for everybody across the Australian workforce," he said.

 ....................................................

No great surprise. Greedy airlines are driving a hard line and happy to farm out services such as ground handling to the cheapest bidder. Mind you, Rutherford and Shelley have made millions out of Aeroscare ground handling. Both bought multi million dollar pads in Sydney within the same circle as knobs like Goldman Sachs Turdball and others, so those two muppets certainly aren't sleeping under stairs and eating beans on toast for dinner.

As for fatigue, damn straight. Staff sleeping between shifts under stairs, same staff who are headsetting aircraft, operating GSE on the aircraft, doing load control of aircraft. Hmmmm, no risk ya reckon??

Tick Tock

In a follow up to the 730 Report segment on the troubling and confronting workplace conditions at Aerocare, I note that miniscule 4D was dragged into a bollocks political point scoring Shortone QWN in the HoR question time today:

Mr SHORTEN (Maribyrnong—Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): My question is to the Prime Minister. The ABC has today revealed that workers at Sydney airport are sleeping rough between shifts in their own workplace because they cannot afford to go home between their shifts. When there are real problems like this, why is the Prime Minister's priority today weakening protections against racist hate speech and ignoring workers like this who are suffering?

Mr TURNBULL (Wentworth—Prime Minister) (14:25): My government is focused on delivering the strong economic growth that Australians seek and securing their energy future, on ensuring that the opportunities for our children and grandchildren are even greater than those that we have had. That is our objective and that is what we are delivering. What Labor focus on is one ideological agenda after another, whether it is undermining our energy security or seeking to engage in an anti-business campaign the likes of which we have not seen for several generations.

Only yesterday we heard the Leader of the Opposition defending his track record as a Labor leader, as a union leader. His shadow Attorney-General said how proud they all were of his leadership, of all of the workers he sold down the river, of all the penalty rate deals he did, of all of the payments that came back to the Australian Workers Union, carefully documented in the royal commission and not exposed.

Mr Bowen: It's happening on your watch!

Mr TURNBULL: I thought the member was defending the Leader of the Opposition there. I thought—

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

Mr Shorten: On relevance. I asked about the scandal at Sydney airport right now, today. What are you doing about these workers, Prime Minister?

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

Mr TURNBULL: I will ask the minister for transport to address the issue at Sydney airport.

Mr CHESTER (Gippsland—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) (14:27): I thank the Prime Minister for the opportunity to clarify the record in relation to the incidents referred to by the Leader of the Opposition. On this side of the House we take aviation safety very seriously and we are proud of Australia's enviable safety record. My office this morning has sought some assurances in relation to the reports that were in the media last night and again this morning. I am aware of concerns that were raised in relation to operations by Aerocare, which is an Australian ground handling company working for many of the major airlines at our major airports.

There are a range of mechanisms in place in relation to aviation safety systems, where anyone who is concerned about any safety issues can raise those issues with our safety investigators or the regulatory agencies. These include the ability to make confidential reports directly to the ATSB, which is the Australian aviation safety investigator. I would encourage anyone with genuine concerns in relation to those matters to raise those concerns with our airports, to use those reporting mechanisms.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr CHESTER: I hear those opposite interjecting. It is irresponsible to make allegations without going through the process of actually making those reports known to the safety investigator, being the ATSB. It is typical of Labor to be seeking to scare the Australian travelling public rather than going through the proper processes. I emphasise again that on this side of the House we take aviation safety— (Time expired)

  
Note how this NFI miniscule remains eternally attached to the umbilical chord of the mystique of aviation safety, which is being consistently pedalled by the self-serving M&M and his minon spin doctors - FDS!

It still baffles me how 6D actually believes that the ATSB is some fearless, truly independent transport safety watchdog, that has the ability and power to get to the bottom of scurrilous tales of aviation safety risk and innuendo. Especially when it was highlighted in the 730 Report that the ATSB was doing everything to abrogate their responsibility to investigate anything to do with the suggested Aerocare safety issues....

Extract from 730 transcript of Aerocare segment: 

JAMES THOMAS: He believes conditions at Aerocare, and fatigue levels, are so bad, travellers are at risk.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We could cause a serious accident. We could cause possible harm and damage to airline or people travelling on that airline.

JAMES THOMAS: The workers cite a number of instances. In 2015, a wheelchair lift that looks like this was driven into a bridge by an Aerocare worker. Snapped in half, this is what was left.

On the 28th of November, 2014, at Brisbane Domestic Airport, an Aerocare team had begun pushing back a fully-loaded Tigerair A320 in preparation for take-off, with one crucial problem - the cargo door was still wide open.

GEORGE ORSARIS: Word gets spread around quite quickly that Aerocare boys left the cargo door open on pushback.

JAMES THOMAS: As the plane was being pushed towards the runway, the open door was detected by the plane's crew and air-traffic control. The take-off was aborted.

GEORGE ORSARIS: If it was missed and the plane was to take off down the runway, I'd hate to think what would happen. It's extremely serious.

JAMES THOMAS: Tigerair says it did report the incident to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Three days ago, the bureau told 7.30 the incident wasn't a safety matter because the door was closed, just not locked.

But today, the bureau backtracked, conceding the door was open. It said there was no need, however, to investigate further because the problem was detected before take-off.

The Aerocare workers we spoke to strongly disagree with the safety bureau's assessment.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN 2, FORMER AEROCARE WORKER: They would have fallen out of the sky.

JAMES THOMAS: That serious?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN 2: Yes.

JAMES THOMAS: Fearing repercussions, this former Aerocare worker asked us to obscure his identity. How did we get to a situation where a plane was getting pushed back with a cargo door open?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN 2: If someone said to me fatigue, exhaustion, it would not surprise me one bit.

   
MTF...P2


Ps Sometimes the bare Hansard actually inflates the importance and masks the actual poor delivery of the message. Such was the case with miniscule 6D's contribution today.

So for the record here is a clear example of how ineffectual 6D truly is and why he is really only Barnaby's photogenic filter:

[Gobbledock]

Of doors, dickheads and dribble

For starters;

"JAMES THOMAS: Tigerair says it did report the incident to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Three days ago, the bureau told 7.30 the incident wasn't a safety matter because the door was closed, just not locked. But today, the bureau backtracked, conceding the door was open. It said there was no need, however, to investigate further because the problem was detected before take-off".

Failure to investigate doesn't give you root cause Hoody. Why no investigation? Just because the aircraft didn't get airborne or didn't end up crashing doesn't mean the root cause has been addressed? Or is this another example of Hoody an the ATsBollocks using Beakers 'beyond reason' methodology? What will prevent this happening again?

As a reminder to Hoody and dopey Miniscule 6D (love that), here is just a sample of aircraft door 'issues' across three different types;

L10-11Turkish Airlines Flight 981.The crash was caused when an improperly secured cargo door at the rear of the plane broke off, causing an explosive decompression which severed cables necessary to control the aircraft. Almost 350 died.

American Airlines Flight 96, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 operated by American Airlines. The aircraft's rear cargo door blew off while flying over Windsor, Ontario, en route from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Nobody died due to 'good luck'.

United Airlines Flight 811 was a regularly scheduled airline flight from San Francisco to Sydney, with intermediate stops at Los Angeles, Honolulu, and Auckland. The Boeing 747-122 serving the flight experienced a cargo door failure in flight shortly after leaving Honolulu. The resulting explosive decompression blew out several rows of seats, resulting in the deaths of nine passengers. The aircraft returned to Honolulu, where it landed safely.

Miniscule Chester and Toga Boy - time for you to leave the aircraft permanently. And don't bang the cargo door on your way out! (Or maybe you should?). Tossers

Tick Tock now goes the ground handlers clock......

[thorn bird]

Amazing the little snippets you pick up reading through a newspaper.

Little bits and pieces, totally unrelated to aviation, and as you read through them parallels keep bobbing to the front of your consciousness.
The terrible evils that has been inflicted on not just aviation, but almost every industry in Australia by rampant million dollar mandarins.

I’ve never been much for the conspiratory theorists, but one really has to wonder just what sweetheart deals have been done by these elites and their political masters?
Some would say that political donations to subvert the outcome of a safety enquiry conducted by an allegedly independent authority is corrupt.

Others would wonder just what was promised to gift a billion dollar a year tax free monopolies, with little in the way of controls, to a big bank known for its border line ethics, or with the subversion of the Airports Act and associated airport leases to development sharks.

I say, one has to wonder, because imagination is a wonderful thing and when things are occurring that make absolutely no sense and are completely illogical, its not hard to imagine rampant corruption must be driving it, a logical conclusion.

From my imagination, a completely fictitious story. The names of the characters are entirely drawn from my imagination and bear no resemblance to any person either living or dead.

It was a dark and stormy night, (all stories start out with that) the two huddled over a table in a dimly lit room, the wafting aroma of hundred dollar Cubans drifted through the air.
A decanter of single malt had been back and forwards a few times topping up the cut crystal glasses when the tall immaculately coiffured man in the thousand dollar suit leaned forward and fixed his opposite with a steely gaze, which was difficult with his dough eyes and mascara.

“These bloody aviation IOS are really giving me grief Murky. Jeez their even getting stuff into the mainstream press for god’s sake, I could lose votes if it doesn’t stop, those touchy feely press releases you keep putting out just makes it worse, now their taking the piss out everything every time I open my mouth .”


The rotund gentleman with the strange pumpkin shaped head brushed some ash off his thousand dollar suite (Savil Row) took a sip of his scotch, puffed his cigar back into life, the thought “only to change feet” crossed his mind, but he replied.

“Yaaaess minister, I agree the IOS are getting out of hand, what would you suggest we do, the aviation industry is in such a parlous state, I accept its not all your fault but there are that many skeletons in the closet if they got out we could all end up in the Clink?”

“Hey you get paid the big bucks (amount is a state secret apparently) to keep things under wraps and make us look good” the minister responded.

“Might I suggest a good news press release, something that takes the spotlight of the dire state of the aviation industry and make it look like you are actually doing something decisive”.

The minister shuddered, frowned so hard his carefully plucked eyebrows met above his nose, pondered for a few moments as the gears ground slowly through his mind.
Finally his eyes widened and a broad smile crossed his face, he said.

“Look out, a epiphany is arriving” thought his mandarin.

“Maritime, yes, been nothing much reported on that. The last lot allowed the union to run rampant which pretty much buggered it, we can have a discussion paper to run with, bugger all chance we can actually do anything so I can't make it worse besides we can blame it all on the other lot and bash the unions at the same time”.

“Wow!” reflected old pumpkin head, “he’s actually come up with not a bad idea all on his own”

Which brings me to the point:

An article in the Australian on March 21st by David Crowe,

CHESTER TESTS THE WATERS WITH BID TO CUT SHIPPING RED TAPE

Meanwhile aviation languishes on the edge of the scrap heap.

[Peetwo]

Amazing the little snippets you pick up reading through a newspaper.

Little bits and pieces, totally unrelated to aviation, and as you read through them parallels keep bobbing to the front of your consciousness.
The terrible evils that has been inflicted on not just aviation, but almost every industry in Australia by rampant million dollar mandarins.

I’ve never been much for the conspiratory theorists, but one really has to wonder just what sweetheart deals have been done by these elites and their political masters?
Some would say that political donations to subvert the outcome of a safety enquiry conducted by an allegedly independent authority is corrupt.

Others would wonder just what was promised to gift a billion dollar a year tax free monopolies, with little in the way of controls, to a big bank known for its border line ethics, or with the subversion of the Airports Act and associated airport leases to development sharks.

I say, one has to wonder, because imagination is a wonderful thing and when things are occurring that make absolutely no sense and are completely illogical, its not hard to imagine rampant corruption must be driving it, a logical conclusion.

From my imagination, a completely fictitious story. The names of the characters are entirely drawn from my imagination and bear no resemblance to any person either living or dead.

It was a dark and stormy night, (all stories start out with that) the two huddled over a table in a dimly lit room, the wafting aroma of hundred dollar Cubans drifted through the air.
A decanter of single malt had been back and forwards a few times topping up the cut crystal glasses when the tall immaculately coiffured man in the thousand dollar suit leaned forward and fixed his opposite with a steely gaze, which was difficult with his dough eyes and mascara.

“These bloody aviation IOS are really giving me grief Murky. Jeez their even getting stuff into the mainstream press for god’s sake, I could lose votes if it doesn’t stop, those touchy feely press releases you keep putting out just makes it worse, now their taking the piss out everything every time I open my mouth .”


The rotund gentleman with the strange pumpkin shaped head  brushed some ash off  his thousand dollar suite (Savil Row) took a sip of his scotch, puffed his cigar back into life, the thought “only to change feet” crossed his mind, but he replied.

“Yaaaess minister, I agree the IOS are getting out of hand, what would you suggest we do, the aviation industry is in such a parlous state, I accept its not all your fault but there are that many skeletons in the closet if they got out we could all end up in the Clink?”

“Hey you get paid the big bucks (amount is a state secret apparently) to keep things under wraps and make us look good” the minister responded.

“Might I suggest a good news press release, something that takes the spotlight of the dire state of the aviation industry and make it look like you are actually doing something decisive”.

The minister shuddered, frowned so hard his carefully plucked eyebrows met above his nose, pondered for a few moments as the gears ground slowly through his mind.
Finally his eyes widened and a broad smile crossed his face, he said.

“Look out, a epiphany is arriving” thought his mandarin.

“Maritime, yes, been nothing much reported on that. The last lot allowed the union to run rampant which pretty much buggered it, we can have a discussion paper to run with, bugger all chance we can actually do anything so I can't make it worse besides we can blame it all on the other lot and bash the unions at the same time”.

“Wow!” reflected old pumpkin head, “he’s actually come up with not a bad idea all on his own”

Which brings me to the point:

An article in the Australian on March 21st by David Crowe,

CHESTER TESTS THE WATERS WITH BID TO CUT SHIPPING RED TAPE

Meanwhile aviation languishes on the edge of the scrap heap.

Excellent tale thorny and not at all hard to visualise...

Funny you should mention the Oz article, because while trolling the internet yesterday I noted the following Media Release from miniscule 6D's office...

Call for comment on proposed coastal shipping reforms
Media Release
DC063/2017
21 March 2017

• Aim is to ensure coastal shipping carries an increased share of the national freight transport task
  
• Proposals would substantially reduce regulatory burden
  

The Federal Government is proposing greater flexibility for coastal shipping and new training opportunities in a discussion paper aimed at boosting coastal shipping activity.
Commonwealth Government is seeking comment from ship operators, shipping companies, and other relevant stakeholders on proposed changes to ensure coastal shipping plays an increasing role in Australia's freight transport network.

Releasing the government's Coastal Shipping Reforms Discussion Paper today, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said coastal shipping could take long distance cargo off our highways and railway lines to ease future freight demands on the national transport network.

“Currently, 15 per cent of Australia's domestic freight is moved by ship, but with Australia's extensive coastline and broad network of ports, there is the potential for shipping to play a larger role in the national freight task,” Mr Chester said.

“However, it has become clear that limitations in the current regulatory system are working against that potential being realised.

“We need to address a range of administrative issues in the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012, which place unnecessary burdens on shipping companies and the Australian businesses that rely on coastal shipping.

“The intention of this discussion paper is to elicit views about how modifying the Act could help to redress this situation, without changing the basic structure of the current coastal trading regulatory regime.

“The discussion paper also proposes the introduction of a number of seafarer training initiatives aimed at developing and retaining critical maritime skills in Australia,” Mr Chester said.

Written submissions to the discussion paper should be sent to shipping@infrastructure.gov.au by Friday, 28 April 2017.

To download copies of the Coastal Shipping Reforms Discussion Paper go to: www.infrastructure.gov.au/maritime

P2 comment - Passing strange how the Maritime boys'n'gals DP very closely matches the miniscule's ToR for his (O&O) GA review:

Major study of General Aviation sector

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester today announced a major study will be undertaken to identify priorities for General Aviation (GA) in the future.

...Study will cover issues ranging from regulatory and cost issues affecting the sector..

 
And this was the Oz article to which thorny refers...

New push to cut red tape on coastal shipping law

Transport Minister Darren Chester wants to cut red tape on coastal shipping laws.

• David Crowe
  
• The Australian
  
• 12:00AM March 21, 2017
  [img=0x0]http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/author/26c1a3565784358517c72a43bfebc3ee/?esi=true&t_product=the-australian&t_template=s3/austemp-article_common/vertical/author/widget&td_bio=false[/img]
  

The federal government is renewing its push to open up the coastal shipping trade in a bid to cut costs for Australian producers, arguing that red tape is choking the sector.
Transport Minister Darren Chester will launch the attempt within days to scrap rules making it too hard to ship cargo within the country, leading to cases where employers must move items by road at a much higher cost.

After losing a row with Labor over a “Work Choices on water” reform fiercely opposed by the Maritime Union of Australia, the government is moving carefully with a discussion paper to map out new reform options within days.

About 15 per cent of Australia’s domestic freight is carried by ship but the industry believes this could be higher if the rules were more flexible, taking cargo off the roads and cutting costs.

At stake are rules put in place by Labor transport spokesman Anthony Albanese as infrastructure minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments, which sought to protect Australian shipping against foreign-flagged vessels.

Mr Chester’s discussion paper will canvass changes to the Coastal Trading Act to remove a “minimum five-voyage requirement” for temporary licence applications for domestic shipping.

Another change mooted is the removal of the mandatory consultation time with domestic ship owners when there are no Australian vessels of the right type to carry a cargo.

Customer groups, including the Australian Institute of Petroleum and fertiliser company Incitec Pivot, have called for big changes to the consultation process so they have more freedom to find an alternative ship.

A third change canvassed is to remove red tape for the cargo tolerance limits in coastal shipping.

“There is the potential for shipping to play a larger role in the ­national freight task,” Mr Chester said. “However, it has become clear that limitations in the current regulatory system are working against that potential being realised.”

Transport companies and customers pushed for change in 2014 to unwind some of Labor’s laws, which included rules that forced shipping companies to pay local wages to foreign seafarers carrying domestic freight between Australian ports. Business has argued it wants greater choice between shipping companies operating in Australia’s coastal waters.

But while former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Warren Truss tried to impose new laws, the move was defeated in the Senate as Mr Albanese blasted the rules as “Work Choices on water”.

Obviously 6D believes he is on a winner with these government reviews/discussion papers. It is in his eyes a perfect foil, where the government appear to be doing something positive and proactive but in reality doing bugger all and merely buying time till the next election where the cycle begins all over again - FDS...


MTF...P2

[Peetwo]

6D's attempt at humouring the IOS -

Given the absolute abject failure the last miniscule CASA SOE had on impacting on any level of reform within the halls of Aviation House, we should really be forwarding 6D's attempt straight to the ABC for a possible script in the next series of the Hollowmen -  

Anyway for what it is worth..   

 
 
Statement of Expectations for the Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for the Period 27 March 2017 to 30 June 2019

---

I, Darren Chester, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, make the following instrument.
Dated   21   March 2017 
 
 
 
Darren Chester
Minister for Infrastructure
and Transport

---

1.        Overview

This instrument is known as the Statement of Expectations for the Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for the Period 27 March 2017 to 30 June 2019.
This instrument commences on 27 March 2017 and expires at the end of 30 June 2019 as if it had been repealed by another instrument.

This instrument repeals the previous Statement of Expectations for the Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for the period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2015 and the Statement of Expectations for the Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for the period 16 April 2015 to 30 June 2017.

This instrument puts in place a new Statement of Expectations (SOE) which serves as a notice to the Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under Section 12A of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act). 

This new SOE outlines in a formal and public way, the Government’s expectations concerning the operations and performance of CASA. 

CASA should perform its functions in accordance with the Act, the Airspace Act 2007 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) as well as other relevant legislation.

CASA should maintain high standards of professionalism, service, probity, reporting, accountability and transparency, consistent with the provisions of the PGPA Act and have a code of conduct and values consistent with those used by the Australian Public Service.

I expect CASA to operate as a world leading aviation safety regulator, backed by a workforce with the requisite skills and capabilities.

2.        Governance

I expect that the Board and the Director of Aviation Safety (DAS) will work together to enable the effective operation of CASA as the national aviation safety regulator.
 
The Board is responsible for the matters set out in the Act, including in particular CASA’s strategic direction, risk management and corporate planning.
 
In addition, I expect the Board to ensure that CASA makes progress on strategic priorities, in particular the categorisation of operations, emerging risks in aviation such as remotely piloted aircraft systems, and amendments to regulations and other statutory instruments.
 
I also expect the Board to facilitate effective interaction between CASA and the industry.
 
Subject to the Act, I expect the DAS, as the Chief Executive Officer of CASA, to be responsible for managing the operations of CASA, its organisational capacity (including recruitment and training) and the exercise of its statutory functions, such as the development and implementation of regulation, executive-decision making, and all day-to-day operational, financial, personnel and administrative activities.
 
3.        Regulatory Approach

In terms of its regulatory approach, my expectation is that CASA will:

(a)   continue to focus on aviation safety as the highest priority;

(b)   consider the economic and cost impact on individuals, businesses and the community in the development and finalisation of new or amended regulatory changes;

©   take a pragmatic, practical and proportionate approach to regulation as it applies to different industry sectors having regard to risk; and

(d)  implement its regulatory philosophy, with the philosophy being reflected in relevant policies, procedures, manuals, and when CASA personnel are carrying out their day-to-day operations.
 
4.        Key Aviation Initiatives
I expect CASA, in conducting its responsibilities as the aviation safety regulator, to have regard to the following key aviation initiatives:

(a)   changes taking place in relation to air traffic services, including Airservices Australia’s (Airservices) new operating model and the transition to a new air traffic management system under the OneSKY Project;

(b)   workforce planning, including ensuring CASA’s training and recruitment strategies provide the organisation with the skills and expertise to meet the current and emerging challenges in aviation safety regulation;

©   the appropriate sharing and use of safety information by CASA consistent with the Safety Information Policy Statement agreed with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and informed by ‘just culture’ principles;

(d)  completing implementation of the remaining parts of the Government’s response to the Aviation Safety Regulation Review, including actively progressing regulatory reform in consultation with industry and supported by appropriate safety cases;

(e)   implementation of the recommendations of the review of the operations and functions of the Office of Airspace Regulation;

(f)   working with Airservices and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (the Department) on enhancing the level of controlled airspace in Australian airspace including at major regional airports; and

(g)   strengthening international and Asia-Pacific regional aviation safety engagement through:
­    establishment of appropriate mutual recognition arrangements;
­    support of the Government’s aviation safety initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region; and
­    commitment to the Memorandum of Understanding between CASA, the Department and Airservices, regarding the management of Australia’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) responsibilities.
 
5.        Stakeholder Engagement
I expect that in performing its functions CASA will:
(a)   undertake effective and ongoing engagement with the aviation industry to create a collaborative relationship between CASA and industry based on a foundation of mutual understanding and respect;
(b)   consider recommendations by the Industry Complaints Commissioner (ICC) about systemic issues arising from the ICC’s investigations;
©   communicate regularly with relevant Government agencies, industry and other key stakeholders regarding CASA’s activities and functions;
(d)  keep the Secretary of the Department and me fully informed of CASA’s actions in relation to the requirements stated in this SOE, and promptly advise about any events or issues that may impact on the operations of CASA, including through the provision of timely quarterly progress reports from the Board against the Corporate Plan; and
(e)   work closely with the Department and other Government agencies, including the ATSB, Airservices and the Department of Defence, to deliver integrated and comprehensive safety advice to the Government, the aviation industry and the community.

Here is Sandy's brief take on the miniscule's SOE...

Minister's letter is in the right direction but it's way too tentative, has no KPIs, deadlines or specifics such as medical reform. Inherent in his statement is one big problem;  that being who is really in charge? 

Is it the Minister, the Board or the DIrector of Air Safety? Stupid title by the way, makes me think of him sitting up on cloud 9 with a baton directing air traffic.

We must try and maintain momentum for reform, the present structure is a joke, hugely expensive and continues with it's outrageous set of strict liability criminal sanction regulations that are sinking General Aviation. The Minister should be held responsible, this palming off the governance of aviation to an independent body that has practically no accountability, and whose main preoccupation is make work and higher salaries, can never work and the industry will continue in the doldrums and worse. Right to the point, ironically, safety is suffering in our highly stressed General Aviation industry due to job loss, loss of experienced personnel, high costs, unnecessary CASA fees and the unworkable regulations.

Sandy Reith

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2017L00288

Hmm...strange how the miniscule is not singing from cloud 9 on his latest, ducked and swerved, word weasel confection...

http://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/ch...017/march/


MTF...P2

[Sandy Reith]

Minister's Statement of Expectations; more thoughts.

Firstly the word "expectations", this should be changed to "directions". Our system requires that government governs and the Westminster system falls down if Ministers shirk their responsibilities, plainly this is precisely the case in Australian aviation.

His bunch of generalisations are valid until 2019, so where are the sanctions if the Board and the silly titled "Director of Air Safety" fail to live up to the Minister's "expectations"? The whole lot of which was obviously not written by the Minister.

The process is not a lame duck, it's a dead duck and it beats me that intelligent people could continue to promulgate and attempt to support this hopeless model.

There is however one way which could help if the Board had any guts at all and that is to instruct the "DAS" to immediately create a recognition of the NZ rules by way of the Minister's expectation of 4G, mutual recognition. The Trans Tasmam Mutual Recognition Treaty already exists and could be extended fully to General Aviation. Can you imagine the changes in CASA as practically all of Aussie GA began migrating to the NZ system? Competition would definitely spoil the CASA party.