Of cleft infinitives and them as use ‘em.

I reckon the vast majority of folk just want to live a peaceful life. It’s a tough enough job for most folk, making a living, bringing up the kids and surviving the things which occur that spoil the plan. There’s enough trouble and strife, in one form or another, encountered during a ‘normal’ life to prevent any form of real complacency. As if that was not enough, the world occasionally takes a dip in the really dark waters; war, strife, pestilence, famine – all the jolly old biblical Horsemen reeking havoc and generally being a bloody nuisance. You could add some thoroughly modern wrinkles to that particular reality of life – as we know it. In times of great trouble we look to those who are the anointed ‘leaders’ of our small world for solutions, security and a return to relative peace.

The verse from the bible – John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is,” has been adopted, adapted and brought into general use as Cometh the hour, cometh the man; or words that effect. So where is ‘our man’? The man who can take the matters aeronautical bull by the horns and best the beast. In short, Australian aviation is in deep crisis, it is, make no mistake about it. It is time to demand the desperately needed leadership be given. Why leadership? Well because without it, nothing will change, not for the better at least.

Yet with a simple wave of his magic wand, the PM could resolve 70% of the existing trouble by appointing David Fawcett to Junior Minister; then it would simply be a matter of time before the serious problems which will, eventually, have to be dealt with, by government will have disappeared. Darren 6D is becoming, through zero leadership, Australia’s greatest aviation disaster, a glove puppet used and abused for the entertainment of those who have landed a once proud, leading aviation nation in the bush leagues and spent a fortune doing so.

There is a call now for a Judicial inquiry into the CASA, perhaps it will gain some support; indeed, it may even happen. There are, on record, three decades of inquiry, investigation and reporting. Gods alone know the total cost, but every fool in the Souk knows what the results have been – sweet sod all – in the way of real reform of the regulator. Why? No bloody government leadership to make the demands, recommendations and requirements ‘stick’. Look no further back in history than the ASRR, to see a kings ransom wasted for no benefit.

The BRB are seriously considering supporting the general call for a judicial inquiry; there are at least 101 reasons to have one. No doubt the task of elaborating and illuminating the reasons will fall to me; not an onerous task. I shall simply wind the clock back to 2008 and begin with fine work completed by the inestimable, legendary Paul Phelan. Whozat? You all ask in wonder – well, start – HERE – and draw your own conclusions, particularly with regard to what, exactly, has changed. SFA is the right answer.

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By category you may examine the extensive list of why CASA must be reformed. This must be examined retrospectively, for despite the flat refusal to examine the aberrations of the past decade there can be no forward progress until the reasons for the complete lack of trust and respect in the CASA are understood and the wrongs set to rights. Until this occurs the wrongs will simply continue – unchallenged. Once those matters are attended to, the sheer incompetence and ineptitude of the regulator may be attended to, quickly, simply and with little fuss. But until CASA is straightened out, properly, then we are simply throwing good money after bad keeping a sinister Merry-go-round of deception, obfuscation and denial turning.

But enough ramble, to business. Australian Flying published a cracker-jack article by Hitch, he gazumped AP by Gad. May have to consider doing the SBG on Fridays. No, the Hitch offering nailed down at least two corners of the cover sheet CASA like to use when they believe they are vulnerable. The NPM on ‘aerodromes’ is skilfully confected to cover the gapping cracks in the safety walls. Once you have considered the Hitch article; consider this – HERE? – from P2. There is a shit storm brewing overhead the airports and the unbridled latitude those who would build stuff within the ‘safety’ zones of active runways have been granted. The history draws the infamous Dolan back into the mess, for he was hock deep in the original sleight of legal hand workings. (Aside, this has always been a favourite BRB puzzle for a rainy day – Mrdak, angel; or villain? I digress).

“Lawyers are men who hire out their words and anger.” – Horace (again) 

Then we need to examine a further justification for yet another inquiry – emanating from the ‘drone’ inquiry the Senators are running. You don’t need to watch and listen to the whole thing; just pick up the parts where Aleck is on stage. The amount of dust this fellah can kick up to waste time and energy is remarkable. You could sit there all day and not get a straight answer; every word spoken can be split up into a hundred conniptions, all debateable.

(Watch from 00:55, or read Hansard here: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/sear…%2F0000%22 )

Sentences to confound the most adept cryptic crossword puzzler. A master of smoke and mirrors. There may, through judicial inquiry, be a way to put an end to the chicanery. To explain I must digress, PAIN is helping Karen Casey investigate who authorised ‘surveillance’ of her electronic media and why. That surveillance took place is beyond reasonable doubt and the light is being shone into some pretty dark corners from which the rats are scurrying and seeking top cover. On the balance of probability, CASA is high on the list of the 61 agencies which can do this sort of thing; although why KC – aa victim of accident – should be treated in this manner is beyond comprehension. I’ll leave it there, but we ain’t done with this, not by a long march. Anyway; for an almost perfect example of why Carmody is simply a ministerial mushroom, happy enough to protect the ministerial arse end but useless to all practical reform measures watch the Drones video – and carefully consider the robust changes Carmody has made to the ‘Enforcement Manual’, to  the words and music which Aleck has crafted to use in just such a situation as he found himself in at the last ‘session’. Not certain he hoodwinked Fawcett, O’Sullivan or Sterle though. We shall see.

I‘ve banged on long enough here today; the ‘Drone’ debacle has been well covered in the posts; as has the dreadful, deceitful use of legal power and wriggle room to prostitute our airports, reduce public safety and provide deniability for any and all responsibility for the agencies and the inept minister. Do we need a warts and all judicial inquiry? We do; but first we need to establish the leadership and political will to drive not only the recommendations from that home; but to enact and enforce the many previously made, now diluted and discarded recommendations made over the past decade. We all believe David Fawcett is the right man – cometh the hour – cometh the man. That or we can all just stand aside and watch the industry progress toward the closed sewer after floating so long on the open drain.

No matter – I have a party to attend – Fathers day – the whole crew together. A rare event in an aviation family. But first I must sort out what the hell I’ve buggered up with a garden bench I’ve made. Cut the timber, made the joints, went to fit it all together – disaster; can’t even get it all to go together, let alone stand up four square. So, off to the workshop I go to mutter and curse.

Toot toot.

{Bow, exit stage left, whistle up dogs, find a tape and a square, get cracking}.