#SBG 15/05/22: Downunder – the Land of Wonder.

Ref: https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/j…20pandemic. & https://www.catherineking.com.au/2022/03…arch-2022/ & Albo’s historical culpability on destroying an industry?

Downunder – the Land of Wonder. – AP forum version.

After 30 years of ‘dream time’ we all got so board it was decided to switch to ‘wonder-time’ – just for a change like….

And; there’s much on which to wonder: the small items – like can the non airline sector survive another year of ‘legal’ uncertainty? As matters stand the law which governs matters aeronautical can be manipulated to support any and all claims by the regulator that a ‘thing’ is ‘unsafe’. Anything which takes their fancy can, in a heartbeat, will be turned into a mountain of ‘evidence’ supporting the safety case, backed by unlimited public money. Problem is, every time CASA is tasked with providing a ‘safety case’ – or analysis of a reduced ( or increased) safety margin – they cannot. So complex, contradictory and confounded is the tangle of open to ‘opinion’ legislation that industry is never sure just who is Martha, whom is Arthur and when it is their turn to use the privy. “I wonder if this is legal” thinks the operator – (quick check of the rules) – “no matter, I’ll leave up to the pilot and then my ass is covered”. And so the liability is removed from government, the ‘authority’, the operator and everyone, except for the mutt designated PIC. The ‘mutt’ is then hauled onto the coals – charged under strict liability, cannot mount any defence, gains a criminal record and perpetual unemployment. “Next” calls the operator as CASA toddle off with another scalp on their ‘safety’ belt to negotiate, in the name of ‘safety’ an even larger chunk of change to perpetuate the myth of aviation safety. Great work – if you can get it; and, you can – with the right government.

---

“In the little world in which children have their existence, whosoever brings them up, there is nothing so finely perceived and so finely felt as injustice.” ― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

---

Ah -ah – what then is the ‘right’ government? Well, it can be any of the parties – they’re all so ducking bipartisan don’tcha know. United in avoiding any and all responsibility or accountability for the complete buggers muddle the failed system of ‘government business enterprise’ has created. Happy to just throw more public money and look away, blithely ignoring and ignorant of a potential revenue generating industry going down the tubes at a fast clip.

---

“Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule.”― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

---

Then, we may all wonder at why thousands of words, contained in hundreds documents provided to the almost annual ‘Inquiry’ – at great public expense – into the complete shambles aviation has been unwillingly dragged into by the Government sponsored (not controlled) GBE which calls itself ‘expert’ (and world class). But, alas, there is little to wonder at – government of every stripe is quite content to stay well out of any accountability and simply approve the next outrageous (egregious) budget and not become embroiled. Great work – if you can get it; and, you can – with the right agency covering your arse.

---

“In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong.” ― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

---

Now we need to wonder even more – what will Albo do, should the public be silly enough to grant him the leadership of this nation – another useless soft white paper of abrogation; another never ending levy on fuel – to support the excuses made after another failed ICAO/FAA audit; more power and money to a Board we never needed or wanted; even more distance from the Westminster system of democratic balance; or, will we have the Greens pulling the strings and see all non solar powered aviation doomed to the graveyards of history.

---

“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.” ― George Orwell, 1984

---

But, when all said and done; the greatest wonder of all is how this industry has managed to keep going – despite the hindrance of unaccountable ministers, an overbearing incompetent authority, a rule set designed for nothing but safe conviction and maximum budget, despite almost being bowled out by a very poor showing in audit by international experts, having created the most risible, unusable, incomprehensible rule set on the face of the planet. That is the great wonder; closely followed into second place by WTD is the government and it’s mandarins drinking.

---

Tales of embuggerance

Ref: Bring back Senator Fawcett

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.” ― George Orwell, 1984

---

For example; Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) by pilots operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) has been and continues to be one of the highest fatality count accidents – it has been happening despite all regulation and ‘advice’. Yet CASA bear no responsibility, nor have they instigated any form of preventative measure, education, initiative or alternative to reduce the accident rate, as the body count rises. They bear no responsibility – yet half a million spent on Buckley; as much again pursuing Angel Flight; back flip on CVD pilots etc; all seem to convince the responsible minister that ‘all is well’. Well, it ain’t – not by a long chalk it ain’t. We wonder when reality in aviation safety is going to get a look in. We do, quite seriously wonder where its all headed. To Hell in a hand cart seems to be the right response.

But then, there are still some small wonders left to gladden – visitors today – I was in the stable, finishing the layout for a job – (beautiful Tassie Black-wood) when their eldest ‘lad’ appeared at the end of the workbench – he watched quietly as I lay in the dovetail markings (48 of) with knife and template – “how will you make those?” he asked. I explained the process (briefly) then, after a moment’s thought – “could you show me how please”. So, I hunted up some scrap and explained the way the template worked and how we measure up the joints. Nary a word during my short discourse – then – “can I try to do them – please?” The ‘please’ prevented a curt reply; and so we began; but not the easy way. The saw needed a touch up; two chisels needed a new edge; these must come first. I filed the first two inches of the saw teeth to show him ‘how’ – he finished the remaining eight inches – faultlessly. I sharpened the first chisel (old school style) he damn near got the second almost perfect. And so we began – I cut the first end of four boards – he cut the rest; the first ‘ordinary’ the last spot on. I showed him how to ‘chop’ out the tails and pins – he did the rest. He took home a small dovetail box, lid and hinges 75% of it all his own work. The smile and thank you was enough recompense for time spent – but the “Wow, that beats the internet any day” blew my socks off – there is hope yet if that ‘lad’ is representative of his generation: Hell the kitten didn’t even scratch him.

Selah…