LM Hitch Oz Flying...A neat enough nutshell:-
Hitch - "How do you solve a problem like Mangalore?'
The cost to this industry and nation of 'air safety' is a significant one. Part of that great cost is the salary paid to the so called 'experts' in various disciplines; the reason given being that they are in place to solve 'problems' - usually this happens 'after the fact'. IMO the true 'expert' anticipates 'problems' before they emerge and make moves to prevent the 'problem'. For how many years now has there been the potential for a mid air in the Mangalore area; a busy pinch point, the only reasonable training aid, many varied activities etc - ... IF Blind Freddy could see the potential - surely our 'experts' could see the same. 29 months have passed since the mid air event and our expensive genius group cannot provide a solution. Seriously?
Hitch - "It was once thought a Surveillance Flight Information Service (SFIS) was the trick, but now apparently not. CASA's Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) report came out this week ruling out a Mandatory Broadcast Area (MBA) around Mangalore, which knocked out the main supporting pillar of SFIS.
OK, the wizards of the OAR have ruled; so where is the detailed analysis, explanation and solution? For that class of money, surely those operating in the area with a legitimate vested interest have a right to be made aware of the reasoning, not to mention 'strangers' visiting or transiting; or even those who pay for 'safe skies'. Why was the ASA 'fix' knocked out?
Hitch - "Instead, the OAR has recommended a safety seminar and updating some documents.
Stellar; ducking brilliant solution. The locals and regular users have probably more idea about 'situational awareness' and how the airspace is used than anyone; highly aware of others, when to avoid and how to dodge through. Instructors fully alert through practice and use, Talk about preaching to the converted. Education and document changes just insult every pilot using the airspace.
Hitch - "Sorry, Mangalore is a much bigger problem than that. The area is criss-crossed daily by every imaginable form of aviation from GA training to parachutists, hang glider, gliders, transiting aircraft and IFR aircraft doing training on the VOR. It's congested airspace and an area where safety is compromised by traffic volumes. So what was it that prompted OAR to scotch the MBA idea?
Good question - valid argument - both should have been answered long before the mid-air; 29 months later and this dribble from OAR is the qualified response from our 'safety watch-dog'? Disgraceful. The ignorance, arrogance and disrespect appalling, but it is what we have come to expect. And; where the hell is the ATSB in all this - it is a 'safety case'; ain't it?
Hitch -"That's a contentious question right there. It wasn't Airservices; they were the main proponent of the SFIS idea in the first place.
So; those who separate traffic all day every day, have the equipment to do so and are responsible for doing exactly that come up with a 'fix'. Perhaps not 'the' perfect solution but a working model which is within their ambit of expertise. No, no say the doyens of dribble -- WTD would ATC know about sorting traffic?
Hitch -"Could the local stakeholders have raised objections robust enough to over-power the Airservices proposal? It is very hard to believe that the recommendations in this report adequately address all the problems the stakeholders raised. In the meantime, Mangalore CTAF continues on in its own frenetic way, tempered slightly by Airservices' promise to keep up the Safety Alerting Service, a temporary fix that–like so many other temporary fixes–looks to stay in place for some time.
Spot on Hitch - a classic example why Australian aviation is in such a bloody mess; another band aid from CASA - 29 months on without risk mitigation in any meaningful form, ASA carrying all the load and the poor old flight crew carrying all the legal and operational responsibility for not hitting anything - its Grade 1, Class A bullshit from the 'experts' shovel. All care, lots of hot air, no responsibility - but we'll take the big money and hide behind our expert, armour plated arrogance, covered all the way by the 'law' we drafted.
Great work if you can get it - I just need a bucket.
Hitch - "How do you solve a problem like Mangalore?'
The cost to this industry and nation of 'air safety' is a significant one. Part of that great cost is the salary paid to the so called 'experts' in various disciplines; the reason given being that they are in place to solve 'problems' - usually this happens 'after the fact'. IMO the true 'expert' anticipates 'problems' before they emerge and make moves to prevent the 'problem'. For how many years now has there been the potential for a mid air in the Mangalore area; a busy pinch point, the only reasonable training aid, many varied activities etc - ... IF Blind Freddy could see the potential - surely our 'experts' could see the same. 29 months have passed since the mid air event and our expensive genius group cannot provide a solution. Seriously?
Hitch - "It was once thought a Surveillance Flight Information Service (SFIS) was the trick, but now apparently not. CASA's Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) report came out this week ruling out a Mandatory Broadcast Area (MBA) around Mangalore, which knocked out the main supporting pillar of SFIS.
OK, the wizards of the OAR have ruled; so where is the detailed analysis, explanation and solution? For that class of money, surely those operating in the area with a legitimate vested interest have a right to be made aware of the reasoning, not to mention 'strangers' visiting or transiting; or even those who pay for 'safe skies'. Why was the ASA 'fix' knocked out?
Hitch - "Instead, the OAR has recommended a safety seminar and updating some documents.
Stellar; ducking brilliant solution. The locals and regular users have probably more idea about 'situational awareness' and how the airspace is used than anyone; highly aware of others, when to avoid and how to dodge through. Instructors fully alert through practice and use, Talk about preaching to the converted. Education and document changes just insult every pilot using the airspace.
Hitch - "Sorry, Mangalore is a much bigger problem than that. The area is criss-crossed daily by every imaginable form of aviation from GA training to parachutists, hang glider, gliders, transiting aircraft and IFR aircraft doing training on the VOR. It's congested airspace and an area where safety is compromised by traffic volumes. So what was it that prompted OAR to scotch the MBA idea?
Good question - valid argument - both should have been answered long before the mid-air; 29 months later and this dribble from OAR is the qualified response from our 'safety watch-dog'? Disgraceful. The ignorance, arrogance and disrespect appalling, but it is what we have come to expect. And; where the hell is the ATSB in all this - it is a 'safety case'; ain't it?
Hitch -"That's a contentious question right there. It wasn't Airservices; they were the main proponent of the SFIS idea in the first place.
So; those who separate traffic all day every day, have the equipment to do so and are responsible for doing exactly that come up with a 'fix'. Perhaps not 'the' perfect solution but a working model which is within their ambit of expertise. No, no say the doyens of dribble -- WTD would ATC know about sorting traffic?
Hitch -"Could the local stakeholders have raised objections robust enough to over-power the Airservices proposal? It is very hard to believe that the recommendations in this report adequately address all the problems the stakeholders raised. In the meantime, Mangalore CTAF continues on in its own frenetic way, tempered slightly by Airservices' promise to keep up the Safety Alerting Service, a temporary fix that–like so many other temporary fixes–looks to stay in place for some time.
Spot on Hitch - a classic example why Australian aviation is in such a bloody mess; another band aid from CASA - 29 months on without risk mitigation in any meaningful form, ASA carrying all the load and the poor old flight crew carrying all the legal and operational responsibility for not hitting anything - its Grade 1, Class A bullshit from the 'experts' shovel. All care, lots of hot air, no responsibility - but we'll take the big money and hide behind our expert, armour plated arrogance, covered all the way by the 'law' we drafted.
Great work if you can get it - I just need a bucket.