Too subtle?
Well OK; steam on. At Avalon the heads of the ASA, ATSB and CASA attended, 10 minutes each.
Not one question was raised from the floor about two, I believe important, safety matters.
1) These ‘brightly’ coloured ‘containers’ used as a NOTAM critical turn point. The GPS can find ‘em just fine, thank you; but how many even bothered to look; and how many of those actually sighted to things. More to the point, who’s dumb idea was it to use them and why? The approach is specified as ‘visual’, not instrument and yes, the GPS can find the waypoint but what of separation. At the ‘container’ waypoint = GO TO Avalon; can’t see it in the murk, no worries, just keep coming, make the adjustments to line up and all’s well. Unless there is another aircraft doing the same fool thing. GPS or not, see and be seen rules, eyes out of the office, runway nailed, stable approach and traffic sighted.
Sandy – “Was exhorted by the Airservices Notam that pilots would need to display a high level of airmanship and situational awareness due to traffic congestion.”
Sandy – “This is typical of the insulting attitude of our aviation regulators. As it happened I was distracted on the approach attempting to find the non existent painted containers that were supposed to be the markers for base and final to Avalon East runway 17, as per the 16 page notam.”
Now Sandy ain’t a mug beginner. Quite the reverse. I’d bet shed loads that he was not fiddling about with the GPS and had his aircraft ‘slotted’ with or without the ‘containers’ and an eye out for other aircraft who may also have missed the critical turn point. To me, this is a critical safety issue which should be dealt with.
2) Sandy – “Probably the last to arrive, after a bone shaking touchdown on a surface not fit for most aircraft, etc.”
Using Sandy as the exemplar again; he has, like many of us, landed on some pretty ordinary strips and paddocks ‘in the bush’ and I’d say to rate even a mention the Avalon field must have been pretty grim.
Sandy - “[CASA] inspectors were conducting ramp checks on all arrivals.”
Now then; a ‘solid’ landing on a really rough strip can actually damage the aircraft; the negative ‘G’ of the nose wheel thumping up and down, the tyres being tormented, the brakes getting flogged, oleo seals working like a one legged man at an arse kicking party, loads being transferred out to the airframe and engine mounts. Yet there stands CASA FOI, blissfully ignoring the potential for a burst tyre or nose wheel collapse; happily checking to ensure everyone’s paperwork is ‘top hole’.
But for me the joker in the pack is that the ‘heavies’ were in attendance and no one thought to mention an operational situation that was, let’s say, less than satisfactory. The ASA pontifical NOTAM, lack of positive separation in a ‘congested’ airspace and ludicrous ‘painted’ containers should have ASA castigated long and loud for this pathetic effort. ATSB, who would have to cover up the cock-up in any investigation of a ‘close call’ or a busted up aircraft should have been asked about their foresight to preclude investigation. That leaves the CASA headman to answer the questions about why CASA allowed all this potentially high risk activity to happen without raising an eyebrow of concern and being ‘satisfied’ that all was as safe as could be for everyone attending.
I should not be surprised, but I am, that the AOPA members did not raise these issues with the ‘powers that be’. I don’t give a toss about ‘pilot numbers’, why waste time on politics when there was a heaven sent opportunity, gifted, to get focussed on some real issues and confront the ‘agencies’ with a real, live, breathing example right ‘at the front door’.
Pathetic, no wonder aviation is in such a mess.
Aye, steam off now, little point in wasting it until the ego’s are removed and replaced with airmanship. No one to blame but themselves for the lack of respect being shown. Enough (sotto) enough.
Toot toot.
Well OK; steam on. At Avalon the heads of the ASA, ATSB and CASA attended, 10 minutes each.
Not one question was raised from the floor about two, I believe important, safety matters.
1) These ‘brightly’ coloured ‘containers’ used as a NOTAM critical turn point. The GPS can find ‘em just fine, thank you; but how many even bothered to look; and how many of those actually sighted to things. More to the point, who’s dumb idea was it to use them and why? The approach is specified as ‘visual’, not instrument and yes, the GPS can find the waypoint but what of separation. At the ‘container’ waypoint = GO TO Avalon; can’t see it in the murk, no worries, just keep coming, make the adjustments to line up and all’s well. Unless there is another aircraft doing the same fool thing. GPS or not, see and be seen rules, eyes out of the office, runway nailed, stable approach and traffic sighted.
Sandy – “Was exhorted by the Airservices Notam that pilots would need to display a high level of airmanship and situational awareness due to traffic congestion.”
Sandy – “This is typical of the insulting attitude of our aviation regulators. As it happened I was distracted on the approach attempting to find the non existent painted containers that were supposed to be the markers for base and final to Avalon East runway 17, as per the 16 page notam.”
Now Sandy ain’t a mug beginner. Quite the reverse. I’d bet shed loads that he was not fiddling about with the GPS and had his aircraft ‘slotted’ with or without the ‘containers’ and an eye out for other aircraft who may also have missed the critical turn point. To me, this is a critical safety issue which should be dealt with.
2) Sandy – “Probably the last to arrive, after a bone shaking touchdown on a surface not fit for most aircraft, etc.”
Using Sandy as the exemplar again; he has, like many of us, landed on some pretty ordinary strips and paddocks ‘in the bush’ and I’d say to rate even a mention the Avalon field must have been pretty grim.
Sandy - “[CASA] inspectors were conducting ramp checks on all arrivals.”
Now then; a ‘solid’ landing on a really rough strip can actually damage the aircraft; the negative ‘G’ of the nose wheel thumping up and down, the tyres being tormented, the brakes getting flogged, oleo seals working like a one legged man at an arse kicking party, loads being transferred out to the airframe and engine mounts. Yet there stands CASA FOI, blissfully ignoring the potential for a burst tyre or nose wheel collapse; happily checking to ensure everyone’s paperwork is ‘top hole’.
But for me the joker in the pack is that the ‘heavies’ were in attendance and no one thought to mention an operational situation that was, let’s say, less than satisfactory. The ASA pontifical NOTAM, lack of positive separation in a ‘congested’ airspace and ludicrous ‘painted’ containers should have ASA castigated long and loud for this pathetic effort. ATSB, who would have to cover up the cock-up in any investigation of a ‘close call’ or a busted up aircraft should have been asked about their foresight to preclude investigation. That leaves the CASA headman to answer the questions about why CASA allowed all this potentially high risk activity to happen without raising an eyebrow of concern and being ‘satisfied’ that all was as safe as could be for everyone attending.
I should not be surprised, but I am, that the AOPA members did not raise these issues with the ‘powers that be’. I don’t give a toss about ‘pilot numbers’, why waste time on politics when there was a heaven sent opportunity, gifted, to get focussed on some real issues and confront the ‘agencies’ with a real, live, breathing example right ‘at the front door’.
Pathetic, no wonder aviation is in such a mess.
Aye, steam off now, little point in wasting it until the ego’s are removed and replaced with airmanship. No one to blame but themselves for the lack of respect being shown. Enough (sotto) enough.
Toot toot.