[Peetwo]

Just a stray, quiet thought.

It is probably best that I put this as simply and plainly as possible and hope the minister grasps the message. The Glen Buckley case ain’t a shit-storm; not just yet. It could however become a serious matter when Angel Flight, Essendon, MH370 and a couple of other ‘items of interest’ get rolling. The matter of the Forsyth Report and some other ‘smoking guns’ in combination may not, as yet be ringing the tiny alarum bell in political circles; it should be.

Buckley is taking a legal approach – industry is watching; knowing, full well the battle he faces. We would all hope he can win a resounding victory and the government takes note of the outcome. Indeed, it is to be hoped that he manages to get the lid off the can of worms which is the aviation safety culture, as espoused by CASA. He may not; manifold are the ways of the unshriven.

Isolated and standing alone, Buckley’s chances are slim. This could be remedied by a call for everyone, who has – imagined, real or otherwise –complaint  to make a submission to the Senate. Clear the air, examine, in the blaze of jurisprudence, whether or not CASA are acting honourably and for the benefit of the nation.

If it turns out to be so, then those with ‘complaint’ must ‘shut-up’ – end of – no further discussion required.

If it turns out that CASA have been making a pig’s ear of managing aviation; then the government will have just cause to reform and correct the aberrations. With industry expertise and support, to make Australian aviation a thing of national pride again.

What must not; cannot, be allowed to continue is the doubt. Investors, career seekers, business – small and large simply cannot continue where there is doubt in the integrity, actions, expertise and ‘honour’ of the regulator.

There are some big questions out there. They need answers, faith in the integrity of government ability to honestly and openly address the major problems aviation faces, allegedly, sheeted home to the regulator must be addressed. World wide aviation is booming – everywhere – except in Australia. “Why is it not?” Seems like a fair question a reasonable man could expect an answer to.

There is a problem minister – your problem at the moment. The only sure bet is that it ain’t going away. Pretending there isn’t one is foolhardy. Your call.

“Is this glass leaking?”………….

Yesterday on miniscule Mick Mack's FB page he posted this -   :

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Michael McCormack MP
Yesterday at 7:51 AM · [url=https://www.facebook.com/pg/MichaelMcCormackMP/posts/?ref=page_internal#][/url]

When the small business sector is healthy, all Australians are better off.
It means more jobs, more choice, better living standards and more vibrant and connected communities.
Wonderful to address the Southport Chamber of Commerce on the Gold Coast with Angie Bell MP - Member for Central Gold Coast.

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Obviously BM and Mike Smith couldn't let that ride unchallenged...  

 

Benjamin Morgan You’re right... that’s why AOPA Australia has been calling on you to reign in CASA’s over regulation of Australia’s general aviation industry, seeking to stop small businesses from being pushed into closure... But instead of backing small businesses, you have continued to back Big Government!

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Mike Smith You are right Michael McCormack and there is a lot more you could do within your own portfolio to create more jobs, more choice, better living standards and more vibrant and connected communities. Australia's aviation industry, from light aircraft operation through to the major airlines is suffering under the weight of over regulation and unique Australian regulation. The whole Australian industry is missing out on a global boom starting from pilot training through to airline operations. Australia has for example, excessive and expensive regulation for flying training such that it is dwindling in our country when it is booming in the U.S.A. If you were serious about promoting Australian small business, you might look long and hard at the regulation of flying training and aircraft maintenance in Australia and compare that with how it is done in the U.S.A. where safety standards are arguably better than they are in Australia but with far less restrictive regulation. As well as the cost imposed by the regulator, look also at the cost of ensuring and maintaining compliance. A good place to start might be to review the Forsyth report and ask industry how many of its recommendations have really been implemented.

And on behalf of AP...

Sam Jackson What about the Glen Buckley small general aviation business? On track to become a successful mid-size business that was completely compliant with the civil aviation safety regulations with a tick of approval from CASA and then the next minute it was not?? https://auntypru.com/sbg-27-10-19-the-bu...-blind.../ & https://auntypru.com/glen-buckley-v-civil-aviation.../ 2nd the Benjamin Morgan leadership and proper oversight where your mouth is Minister Senator Susan McDonald Senator Rex Patrick Senator Glenn Sterle

Addendum:


Via Sen Mcdonald's FB page...

Senator Susan McDonald
October 27 at 2:08 PM ·

*CIVILIAN FLIGHT LAW CHANGE*
The Liberal and Nationals Government has passed the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill to ensure the economic and cost impacts on aircraft operators are considered when the Civil Aviation Safety Authority develops safety standards.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack, said the Bill sought to maintain safety as the highest priority without unnecessarily restricting innovation and growth.

“This amendment is one element of the Liberals and Nationals Government’s support of aviation which also includes the new Regional Airports Program, the Women in Aviation initiative, continuation of the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program and the increase to the student Higher Education Loan Program loan limit," he said.

And in reply  :

Bob Fulton Or a joke on the aviation community? Which part of that amendment forces CASA to do anything?

Glen Buckley tried to implement some common sense initiative and innovation to collectively establish, improve and monitor training standards and look what he got for his effort! It is not that the Leopard won't change his spots, but like CASA, the leopard CAN'T can't change it's spots.

Last month was the 31st anniversary of the commencement of the regulatory re-write at an unknown cost way north of $500 million and all we have is a truck load of ambiguous, micro management regulations that will one day cost another $500 million to resolve, condense and sensibly re-write or face Australia totally losing it's general aviation sector. New Zealand and Canada took five years to re-write their regulations ..... 31 years so far for Australia and the job still isn't done!

This the calibre of those involved regulating our industry and re-writing the regulations:
Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee hearings of 14 Feb 2005 - over 14 years ago!

Mr Byron—"I anticipate we would start sending some of them from about the middle of this year. I do not see this delaying the overall program excessively. We have an action item to develop a plan to forward to the minister about when we plan to have them to the minister, and I assume that plan would be done in the next couple of months. I would be hopeful that it would not be long after early 2006 that most of the draft rules are delivered to the minister."

Fortunately Australia has a history of departmental change or "rebirth".

1921 - 1938: Civil Aviation Branch (Dept of Defence)
1938 - 1973: Dept of Civil Aviation
1973 - ????: Dept of Transport, Air Transport Group
???? - 1995: Civil Aviation Authority
1995 - ????: Civil Aviation safety Authority

CASA can't be made to work, it has passed its 'Use By Date'. We can only hope one day a politician of sense, understanding and responsibility calls Time Out and creates a new, workable Civil Aviation Act and creates a more responsive and responsible Department of Civil Aviation.

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Sandy Reith Bob Fulton is totally correct in his analysis of this token piece of legislation, a useless amendment to the Civil Aviation Act. A complete waste of time by the Parliament. Only Senators Susan McDonald and Rex Patrick have an understanding of the huge and ongoing disaster that is the sorry plight of General Aviation in Australia. $billions of good economic value, jobs, businesses and services all forgone for no good reason.

Safety? What a dumb joke. Safety the primary consideration? Well fine, stop flying altogether, drive your cars instead. Safety is a by-product of a healthy industry, not by the invention of complex rules and massive fees for unnecessary permissions. The waste incurred by the inappropriate forcing of Cessna special inspections resulting in the unnecessary destruction of capital value of aircraft that we can ill afford given the sorry state of our weak dollar. The CASA induced collapse of flying training has resulted in our airlines having to look overseas for pilots. Where we had many locally trained and experienced commercial pilots who graduated from charter flying and experienced all the rigours of single pilot operations in our great continent, now more likely the simulator trained pilot. Where’s the safety in that? Its well known that pilots that fly regularly are safer, if they can’t afford to fly because of the numerous government hurdles, including the very costly Aviation Security Identity Card, then this primary safety issue suffers. The whole CASA induced fear of retribution psychology towards flying is completely wrong and thoroughly counterproductive to safety. By migrating the rules into the criminal code (strict liability) no one will admit to any transgression. Even many minor such matters, and some that don’t even get a mention in the US, can land you with a criminal conviction. Try traveling or getting a job with that thrown around your neck.

Where’s the safety in that?

Pushing out hundreds of experienced instructors, where’s the safety in that? Causing outback folk to drive hundreds of miles on rough roads, where’s the safety in that?

High time for truth to be told and for politicians and regulators to stop hiding behind the pathetic mantra of “safety.”

MTF...P2