A little more of AOPA logic from Shawn Kelly (director). A 'change' in culture has been a long wished for item. Probably from both sides; however, (IMO) until the threat of a liability matter, being raised against CASA is removed, it seems to me CASA is hidebound: locked within the toils of their own legal knitting. It is terms like 'CASA must be satisfied' which create the second edge to the knife. If the approval legislation was 'un-ravelled' to a simple USA style system where if you have (A), (B), ©, and (D) you're good to go pay the fee and get on with it, CASA would benefit. But because of the legalese, mumbo-jumbo and arse covering built into the rules, an approval becomes a legal minefield. That said - Shawn makes a valuable, reasoned comparison analysis, which heralds the way forward for the AOPA efforts to make life just a little better for the aviation community.
Quote:> Subject: Re: Another example of CASA regulation making things VERY difficult.
>
> It might have, but I’m a bit skeptical. Keep in mind that CASA proactively and aggressively pursued this. I think that the bigger problem is that the overall mindset is that they are a police agency and we are a bunch of shady characters that are always trying to get away with something.
>
> Unless we can somehow change the culture at CASA, I don’t see much improvement, and I think that that is a very big project. No impossible, but certainly a big project.
>
> I AM, however, convinced that a change of the basic underlying regulations to the American system would yield very positive results. If we were allowed to do anything that wasn’t prohibited I think that it would change the power dynamic. Even though it seems like a simple difference in semantics, it I think that there is a a very real, if subtle, difference in the perception of power. The individual is the one with the rights, and those rights cannot be usurped unless there is a specific rule that allows them to be. Plus, it allows for more flexibility and less cost.
>
> Ben told me something the other day that’s an incredibly powerful argument in favour of the American system. There are as many GA aircraft movements in Southern California in one day as there are in Australia in a year.
>
> Think about that!
>
> Having flown quite a bit in Southern California, I can believe it. And most of that flying is taking place in the smog in the Los Angeles Basin. Going into the sun, visibility is very limited. Most of the time you are flying over densely populated city with few if any acceptable emergency landing spots. And yet, they have a safety record equal to or better than ours.
>
> Adopting that system would involve trusting individuals to be competent and to do the right thing. It would involve a lot of people in CASA giving up a lot of power. And would probably result in a reduced number of bureaucrats. I think that makes it a bit of an uphill battle.