[Peetwo]

The Yaffa back from hols -

From off the Yaffa today:

The Last Minute Hitch: 22 January 2016
22 Jan 2016

CASA announced today that they have developed special low-viz category of operations for safe landings in large passenger aircraft. According to them, this will save many dollars, prevent flight delays and enable aircraft crews to use technology available to them. As I stand to applaud CASA, the question that starts rattling around in my mind is: where was that logic when they removed RNAVs from 30 airports around Australia in 2010? In a move of bewildering mis-logic, CASA canceled the RNAVs at any airport that wasn't certified or registered. The spiel from Aviation House at the time was that they couldn't guarantee an obstacle-free path to private airports, therefore, to increase safety, the RNAVs had to go. That sort of ignored CASR 139.365, which requires builders of such obstacles to notify CASA. They also pointed out that the runway condition could change and the pilot on the RNAV wouldn't know; a completely redundant argument if the RNAV was to only a circling minima, not a runway. So now you have aircraft who can't use technology built into their GNSS units blundering home blind over mountains, which is apparently safer than an RNAV approach that may have an obstacle in its path that CASA already know about. Maybe the problem really was that Qantas doesn't use ALAs.

CASA DAS Mark Skidmore has called for an end to the vitriolic spleen-venting manner in which many members of the aviation community and CASA staff have prefered to deal with each other over the years.

CASA DAS Mark Skidmore has been charged with implementing the recommendations handed down in the Forsyth Report. (CASA)


Skidmore calls for Mutual Respect
22 Jan 2016

CASA Director of Aviation Safety Mark Skidmore has called for mutual respect to be shown by both the regulator's staff and members of the aviation community.

In his CASA Briefing Newsletter for January 2016, Skidmore noted the sometimes vitriolic relationship between CASA staff and operators and pilots.

" ... we need people and organisations that have problems and concerns to work with us towards a common understanding of the issues and to find workable solutions," Skidmore said.

"In other words, there needs to be a culture of mutual respect between the aviation community and CASA. Too often in the past some CASA people and some members of the aviation community have taken a defensive or ideological approach to matters on which reasonable people can and will differ.

"Trading hostile and provocative barbs across a barren space benefits no one, and certainly does little to advance our shared interests in aviation safety. Let’s all agree to take a mature and professional approach in what can and should be a concerted effort to achieve better relations and better outcomes."

Skidmore also acknowledged that respect had to be earned, linking it to CASA's obligations to implement the reforms demanded under the Aviation Safety Regulation Review.

"I have already seen feedback from people who are experiencing a real and positive change in the way CASA is working and in how our people are interacting with the aviation community. I will work tirelessly to ensure this kind of improvement continues and is maintained."

The full text of the CASA Briefing Newsletter is on the CASA website

This is absolutely necessary for general aviation in Australia to go forward. I have said it before, but will repeat it now: only good, considered argument is of any value. No-one is listening to wailing and teeth-gnashing from either side. All it does is further entrench positions on both sides, which means stagnated reform, which in itself just generates more vitriol. So, to go forward, those voices need to be ignored, which makes them pretty pointless in the long run. I apply that equally to members of the aviation community and to CASA staff.

Cirrus has delayed the certification date for their SF50 Vision until July-ish. News outlets in the USA are saying that the company is blaming the hoops the FAA is putting them through for the target date being pushed out. All aircraft manufacturers who release new types are subjected to this. After years and millions of dollars in development, the National Aviation Authorities scrutinise the aircraft almost to death. So, can we really blame manufacturers who keep presenting us with old platforms rather than modern designs? It's cheaper and less onerous. The NAAs really have to look at this, because certification and the associated cost is holding back progress in the aviation industry. Let's hope Cirrus doesn't have to delay their jet again; it's been on the cards for long enough already.

AMROBA's Ken Cannane is keeping the pressure on the CASA Board to legislate on Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR) reforms to make them permanent. Cannane says this is unlikely to happen before the next Federal Election, due in the second half of this year. The prime question should not be "when", but "if". The CASA board can't present legislation to the house; a member of parliament, most likely the responsible minister, needs to do that. Right now, Warren Truss is on the cusp of retirement, and is likely to abdicate the task to his successor. All it needs is for that successor to take a negative stance on aviation and we're back in the mire. I would love to see a statement from CASA Chair Jeff Boyd on what they intend to do, and when they intend to do it.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

MTF...P2

Ps Almost forgot there was comment from the Yaffa's resident Plane-spotter :

..Observation Deck

21 Jan 2016

There are a few issues resurfacing now that we are well into the New Year.

There’s talk that we might have a new federal minister at some point in 2016 and if that happens then there will clearly be ramifications for the industry. We currently have a minister who has had considerable experience in the aviation portfolio and who generally has an ‘open door’. If some things have been a little slow to progress that’s got a lot to do with the size of the Minister’s portfolio, plus the fact that he is also Deputy Prime Minister, rather than anything else.

Maybe we needn’t be apprehensive about the likelihood of a ministerial change, there are some pretty capable alternatives out there, but unless the current portfolio is split the workload problem will persist and Aviation will continue to suffer.

We’re also fortunate to have one of the very best heads of departments in Canberra, so unless we get considerably unlucky, there will be top quality continuity at least at that critical level.

Another issue is the fate of our next generation of air traffic management, the ambitious but laudable OneSKY project. This absolutely essential program is time critical, in that it will service both civil and military requirements (hence the project name). But the RAAF needs new ATM technology urgently, so we can not afford delays in what is already a tight schedule.

But the cloud that settled over OneSKY last year, in terms of questions of probity, is still there and nobody appears to be doing anything to clear the air.

We also need that report card on action taken as a result of the Forsyth report into CASA which was released 18 months ago, again to clear the air. The government accepted most of the report’s recommendations but industry’s perception is that very few of them have indeed been actioned...

 
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