[Peetwo]

Ben Morgan's GOOD FRIDAY rant! - 

Via FB today:

BOILING FRUSTRATION:  HOW MANY MORE YEARS BEFORE CASA WILL ACHIEVE SAFE AND SENSIBLE OUTCOMES FOR AUSTRALIAN GENERAL AVIATION?

I thought I would share some thoughts today, following this week’s fantastic announcement to general aviation industry in the US.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration’s Vintage Aircraft Replacement and Modification Article (VARMA) program has been unveiled to a jubilant GA industry, giving aircraft owners access to safe and affordable off-the-shelf parts for type-certified aircraft in the USA.

Sadly, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia has been calling on the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia for over 7 years to implement this very outcome - and many more key reforms - with the regulator refusing to take action at every turn.

Had CASA taken action 7 years ago, it could have led the global aviation industry with safe and sensible reforms that would have served to improve general aviation industry sustainability for decades to come.  They could have achieved global recognition for something genuinely great.

Instead, they have done nothing and have sat back watching Australian general aviation decline.

CASA have pushed back on calls for reform and dug-in defending themselves and their busted frankenstein regulatory ideology, utterly ignorant to the needs of the industry to which they are responsible under the Civil Aviation Act for managing.  Determined to have their way regardless of how much damage it inflicts.

So here we are… CASA is at the back of the global regulatory pack again, stumbling and struggling in last place, wheezing and gasping for air as those around it move ahead.  CASA are continuing to sink under the weight of their own incompetence and bureaucracy, all the while blind to it all.

Think I am exaggerating?  Let’s test my experience and CASA’s reality;
I encourage everyone to start your stop-watches today and let’s all count-down how many years it will take CASA in Australia to play catch up to the US FAA on it’s VARMA reform.

Let’s all start counting the months and years and take note of how many TWG’s and regulatory consultations and reviews it takes before CASA is able to announce an intention to deliver a VARMA like reform.

Then keep counting the months and years until CASA deliver a result into regulation…. Then when that occurs, lets all assess how CASA will have twisted and contorted the VARMA reform so that it looks nothing like what the US FAA delivered, neutering any benefit it provides to the Australian industry.

My prediction is that CASA is incapable of simply adopting what is successful, they have an inherent and somewhat mischievous determination to bugger and bastardise everything they touch.

But don’t worry, their patchwork quilt version of any future Australian VARMA reform will be justified all in the name of ‘safety’ of course… because CASA know more than the worlds largest, most diverse and most complex aviation regulator and economy.  They’re experts.

Meanwhile in other more important news… CASA claims to be the world leader in Vertiports regulations for drones that do not exist anywhere in the world at this time and are unlikely to be anytime soon.

Well done CASA for prioritising and pioneering such important work ahead of less significant red-tape reductions and reforms for the existing manned general aviation industry which has been in significant decline now for several decades.  A world class regulatory philosphy indeed.

Just some thoughts for the day…

Happy Easter everyone and safe flying during this holiday break!

BENJAMIN MORGAN
CEO, AOPA Australia
Mobile: 0415 577 724
Email:  ben.morgan@aopa.com.au

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EAA - The Spirit of Aviation
5 h
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Thanks to years of EAA’s advocacy efforts, the FAA has unveiled a new program for the use of off-the-shelf parts in type-certificated aircraft. This is the first approval granted under the new Vintage Aircraft Replacement and Modification Article (VARMA) program, the next big step in keeping vintage aircraft flying.

Read: http://discover.eaa.org/fRV250NCN2r

MTF...P2