[Kharon]

Of Senators and garden paths.

This is to be quite a complicated piece if knitting, a tricky pattern; I shall probably make a fearful hash of it, but IMO it is worth the effort. So, with your indulgence I'll crack on.

From the reading material – HERE – buried within the story we find the following :-

“The CASA documents detail that the helicopters involved in these events were part of a “small satellite operation” – operating under several Air Operator’s Certificates – which took tourists on joy flights in connection with a fixed-wing operation at Horizontal Falls, about 270 km northeast of Broome.”

“The complaints sparked a noncompliance investigation into Helibrook, the aviation business of Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright, because Mr Thomas’s choppers were operating under his air operator’s certificate.”

“Aircraft registration records show that helicopters involved belonged to Thomas’s company Avanova, which operated five helicopters for private, business and commercial purposes for his tourism ventures.”

Now, before we get too sidetracked by the performers centre stage; take quick look at the Glen Buckley character patiently waiting stage left; then read through the paragraphs above again and see if you can define the diverging lines of argument; strict compliance application;and, the remarkable 'double standards' – those almost, but not quite visible, hovering in the wings. They are there, just neatly tucked behind a thin curtain; waiting their moment, centre stage. 

Aye, Senators bamboozled (again) by the 'human interest' and the misleading sleight of the Spence hand (legerdemain and opportunity). - Journalists too, all,  it seems, have missed this very important element....Lost in the maze, hampered by smoke and blinded by the mirrors. Then, we must add in a small dollop of 'ministerial defence' – once Smith tried to get to the business end of his 'inquiry'.

Sterle -”I am keen if you want to keep going, although it has nothing to do with the budget. I know how flexible we have been in this committee. “

Which is a bit rich coming from Sterle who seems to have obligingly rolled over in favour of 'the party' ignoring the fact that this is a WA matter - and his previous fierce, time consuming forays against the entire aviation management conglomerate when in opposition. But I digress. “To the point fool” howls the mob. Well M'lud, in short, I would be questioning the great variance clearly apparent in the way CASA sanction some operations and others are crucified; the 'legality' of the operation which claimed a young life and the history of how that operation came into being, and how, given the track record, it was allowed to continue. Buckley driven into the dirt like a tent peg – this operation allowed to progress to a fatality? Sen. Smith could do with some real ammunition for his next encounter. Properly briefed, he could have shot the boots off the ever elusive, evasive, untouchable CASA monolith. Why take a pocket knife to a gunfight? End of ramble...

“The archer is the true weapon; the bow is just a long piece of wood.

I note our minister has had the temerity to take a feather duster instead of a sledge hammer to the developers of the remnants of the once busy secondary aerodrome, Archerfield Qld Much like Oliver, the plaintive call for 'more' is only window dressing; the onslaught and decimation of airfields continues apace; even Canberra is being weighed and measured for 'more' development. This despite the huge sums extorted from the RAAF which the tax payer funds, to operate from an aerodrome the tax payer owns, to fund more encroachment on the safety boundaries imposed by international law. The ministerial virtue signalling is about as much use as the magnificent cock-up the department of Each Way Betts and the Duck Up Faeries managed last week.

The things which intrigue are: that they could even begin to believe that the photograph of a simulated 'drive' could go anywhere near solving the serious problems of the road: and that they couldn't just add the caption “What's wrong with this photograph? That would have at least made some impact – reinforcing the belief that provided you have your seat belt on, you are immortal and can do whatever pleases you best once on the road. Gods alone know what that embarrassment cost not only in money; but in credibility. You had one job..It begs the question; if a small, simple task like that turns into a complete debacle, what the Hell sort of buggers muddle are you making of the very big, very serious ones? ....



Aye well, there are probably a lot of 'other' matters which could stand a long hard look at, not least of which is the current 'normalized deviance' our EB Halfwit has imposed on airline crew and ATC. The thread on Pprune – HERE - should be galvanising our 'concerned' minister into action – even if just to lean on EW Betts to 'do something'. It must be difficult enough for the operating pilots and ATC to work out 'what's what' – the general public will never, not in a million, sort it out. So when will this patchwork of potential disaster be rectified?

There is no such thing as luck; there is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe.

But enough; it is a lovely morning, my coffee mug is empty and there is a small furry animal on the bench batting my hands away from the key board; besides, I have been sent a photograph with a request to make similar for a knockout Grandchild. Right then, lets go, sooner I get back sooner I can begin to oblige a royal command...


Selah.