Mistress Mary, quite contrary…
I’m often quite as ‘confused’ by the results of the 30 year quest for regulatory reform as those at CASA who dream up these pointless ‘reforms’. The changes made seem quite contrary and often contradictory.
For example – take this RAoz outfit – what, of itself is it? What use is it to the national well being? What practical purpose does it serve? There is not too much confusion surrounding an outfit like War-birds or the Glider Federation, both of whom are ‘self administering’. It makes perfectly good sense that a ‘highly specialised’ small (non commercial) group, should be able to look after themselves – they have done so; successfully, for a long while now and never given the CASA cause to regret cutting them loose from the departmental apron strings. A success story, Bravo. But what is this RAoz thing? It is a to a high degree a quasi commercial association (flight training and aircraft hire), where those who want to potter about in aircraft <600 Kg, in good weather and take the Missus along with on the one hour tour of the local landmarks. All well and good if that is the limit of their aspirations – but the safety case is on very shaky ground.
The term ‘General Aviation’ (GA) is a misnomer: there are some pretty classy operations lumped into the classification; from long haul, top deck business jets to sophisticated turbine aircraft; from Agricultural applications to the RFDS; from aerial mustering to rescue helicopters. It is a diverse field, providing services and employment, which contributes much to society - and the GDP.
RAoz does non of these things. Compared to ‘commercial’ GA, their training standards well below GA, their airworthiness certification is below the GA bench mark, the maintenance standards are well below GA norm. In short, the average RAoz aircraft and pilot are much more likely to come to grief (on a risk analysis) than a commercial GA aircraft; or even an Australian registered aircraft, privately maintained and operated by a 'private' pilot under the current CASA rules. And yet, CASA in it’s infernal wisdom is granting more and more latitude to a bunch of amateur Tupperware thrill seekers, while increasing the regulatory burden, exponentially on ‘commercial operations’ which already work under a regulatory impost. Don’t make any sense to me; penalise the ‘real’ operators and pamper the amateur crowd? This passes for ‘reform’? Bollocks it does.
I don’t have a quarrel with ‘home built’ or experimental aircraft; or those as build ‘em. In fact I’d encourage it. BUT, with the two megalomaniacs running the RAoz outfit trying to make it into something other than the original, as intended system, aided and abetted by a purblind CASA – it is time to call halt and bring in some realism. The illych system of divide and conquer, modified by Jonathan (where are my marbles) Aleck is a canker on the industry rump; part 135 is the slow poison seeping from that malefic.
Commercial, professional, top end GA driven into spectre of the past – while the Tupperware crowd revel in their unfettered freedom. Lunacy and arse about face logic. Only in Australia. CASA's current thinking is giving me a serious dose of the screaming Heebeegeebees - truly, loose marble scary........
Done with it – the only hope is for this industry to collectively scream their bloody heads off; get Part 135 and those as wrote it sent back to Hell; where they all rightfully belong.
Aye, I know, more a mini rant than a Gazette: but sometimes it’s better to get things off one’s chest than stew on it. Time the commercial operators joined hands and spoke the one word, with one voice – unacceptable!
Selah……
I’m often quite as ‘confused’ by the results of the 30 year quest for regulatory reform as those at CASA who dream up these pointless ‘reforms’. The changes made seem quite contrary and often contradictory.
For example – take this RAoz outfit – what, of itself is it? What use is it to the national well being? What practical purpose does it serve? There is not too much confusion surrounding an outfit like War-birds or the Glider Federation, both of whom are ‘self administering’. It makes perfectly good sense that a ‘highly specialised’ small (non commercial) group, should be able to look after themselves – they have done so; successfully, for a long while now and never given the CASA cause to regret cutting them loose from the departmental apron strings. A success story, Bravo. But what is this RAoz thing? It is a to a high degree a quasi commercial association (flight training and aircraft hire), where those who want to potter about in aircraft <600 Kg, in good weather and take the Missus along with on the one hour tour of the local landmarks. All well and good if that is the limit of their aspirations – but the safety case is on very shaky ground.
The term ‘General Aviation’ (GA) is a misnomer: there are some pretty classy operations lumped into the classification; from long haul, top deck business jets to sophisticated turbine aircraft; from Agricultural applications to the RFDS; from aerial mustering to rescue helicopters. It is a diverse field, providing services and employment, which contributes much to society - and the GDP.
RAoz does non of these things. Compared to ‘commercial’ GA, their training standards well below GA, their airworthiness certification is below the GA bench mark, the maintenance standards are well below GA norm. In short, the average RAoz aircraft and pilot are much more likely to come to grief (on a risk analysis) than a commercial GA aircraft; or even an Australian registered aircraft, privately maintained and operated by a 'private' pilot under the current CASA rules. And yet, CASA in it’s infernal wisdom is granting more and more latitude to a bunch of amateur Tupperware thrill seekers, while increasing the regulatory burden, exponentially on ‘commercial operations’ which already work under a regulatory impost. Don’t make any sense to me; penalise the ‘real’ operators and pamper the amateur crowd? This passes for ‘reform’? Bollocks it does.
I don’t have a quarrel with ‘home built’ or experimental aircraft; or those as build ‘em. In fact I’d encourage it. BUT, with the two megalomaniacs running the RAoz outfit trying to make it into something other than the original, as intended system, aided and abetted by a purblind CASA – it is time to call halt and bring in some realism. The illych system of divide and conquer, modified by Jonathan (where are my marbles) Aleck is a canker on the industry rump; part 135 is the slow poison seeping from that malefic.
Commercial, professional, top end GA driven into spectre of the past – while the Tupperware crowd revel in their unfettered freedom. Lunacy and arse about face logic. Only in Australia. CASA's current thinking is giving me a serious dose of the screaming Heebeegeebees - truly, loose marble scary........
Done with it – the only hope is for this industry to collectively scream their bloody heads off; get Part 135 and those as wrote it sent back to Hell; where they all rightfully belong.
Aye, I know, more a mini rant than a Gazette: but sometimes it’s better to get things off one’s chest than stew on it. Time the commercial operators joined hands and spoke the one word, with one voice – unacceptable!
Selah……