Via the AP forum 20/20 thread:
McDolittle promises to do something with 20/20 Inquiry – 
Via EWH on the Yaffa:
![[Image: susan-mcdonald-21.jpg]](https://yaffa-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/yaffadsp/images/dmImage/StandardImage/susan-mcdonald-21.jpg)
GA Inquiry to go ahead Despite Lockdowns
6 August 2021
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The Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport (RRAT) inquiry into the state of general aviation in Australia will go ahead despite being frustrated by a string of COVID lockdowns.
A lack of progress in the inquiry, which is bound to issue a final report in December this year, has many in the GA community believing the inquiry will produce nothing of any substance.
Committee chair Senator Susan McDonald from Queensland told Australian Flying this week that she shared the concerns but the inquiry would go ahead.
“I am equally frustrated at the lockdowns, which unfortunately have disrupted so many senate inquiries,” she said.
“The aviation inquiry hearings will still go ahead but it’s likely many witnesses will have to give evidence via video conferencing. I realise this is not ideal, but it’s important that we still hear evidence and pursue the aims of this inquiry.”
At this stage there are eight proposed hearing dates scheduled, but are subject to the rapidly-changing COVID situation around the country. The hearing program is:
- Wagga Wagga 6 September
- Alice Springs 7 September
- Darwin 8 September
- Rockhampton 16 September
- Toowoomba 17 September
- Hobart 29 September
- Sydney 30 September
- Brisbane 1 October
Senator McDonald also said she was concerned about the low number of submissions from the GA community. At the time of writing, only 54 submissions had been lodged. The Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR) conducted in 2014 attracted 269 submissions.
“I have to say I’m disappointed at the lack of submissions from aviators regarding their concerns,” she said. “I understand the reluctance of many to give public evidence but I can assure them they will be doing it in a neutral environment.
“It’s crucial that we get as many points of view as possible to ensure we have a successful and thriving aviation industry now and into the future.”
“I encourage anyone with an interest to lodge a submission.”
Submissions can be lodged on the RRAT inquiry website.
Comments in reply:
Sandy
Well fair dinkum Susan McDonald, please excuse a little frustration here. Yes your 54 submissions versus 269 of the 2014 Forsyth review doesn’t look like there’s much enthusiasm for your inquiry.
Sit back and ask yourself why?
Look at it another way, there’s not been any progress away from the ever more stultifying and fee gouging trajectory by the out of control regulator emanating from any of the inquiries since 1988. With much hope and with the firepower of David Forsyth, and his very well qualified fellow members, General Aviation was galvanised into action believing that there would be reforms to relieve GA, stop the rot, and even put us back on a path to growth. Result? nothing but more of the same and worse, ask Glen Buckley, or any of the GA businesses being evicted from their hangars at Moorabbin.
Dear Senator, question; have you read all 269 submissions to the Forsyth inquiry? May I suggest you add those submissions to you 54 and now you have 353 submissions.
You might understand that all this free work contributed by GA business people has to be prepared by them when they are already overworked with mountains of unnecessary CASA paperwork and having to pay for new and unnecessary permits. Then you ask them to do it all again; but what has changed since Forsyth? Fewer people left, regulations worse see Part 61/141/142 (just for starters) and 135 coming to wreck even more GA businesses and reduce the aerial services, especially to your outback residents.
Why did they spend umpteen hours writing all these reports for you and Forsyth?
To help government through what should be the extremely obvious, not forgetting that we employ via our taxes through the government’s own ‘experts,’ CASA, to advise on the efficient means to have a sustainable GA industry. To an industry being crushed by the very government body that should be helping it and you ask why aren’t you getting more submissions?
One could be forgiven for a lapse into cynicism, hopes dashed again and again because there’s not been one government MP stand up for GA and demanding action now.
But we keep on hoping and you gave hope to me, one example, during one of your sessions you understood that there was great difficulty for helicopter pilots to obtain their regular flight checks as required by CASA. In session you, impressively, made to ask CASA to rectify this glaring wrong. Well, what has happened?
And now we read the latest Statement of Expectations (SOE), obviously written by CASA or at least for the CASA brethren, signed off with indecent haste minutes before Barnaby Joyce took over from M. McCormack, with not one concrete requirement. And yes motherhood is a wonderful institution.
Give us some runs on the board immediately, it’s easy if you can persuade Barnaby. He can change the SOE requiring some exemplary reforms within the next two or three weeks. Independent instructors, private pilot medicals in line with the low weight category (car driver), cancel Cessna SIDs for private operations. Then have Barnaby talk to Peter Dutton and implement the Forsyth recommendation and remove the expensive and ineffective ASIC two yearly imposition and call a moratorium on the further alienation of airport land away from aviation uses.
Give us some real hope and be a hero to thousands of dinkum Aussies who will support you to the hilt.
Kind regards, Sandy Reith.
P7_Tom
McDolittle and the gilded Lily.
Or, Wanna dance – then face the music………
“I have to say I’m disappointed at the lack of submissions from aviators regarding their concerns,” she said. “I understand the reluctance of many to give public evidence but I can assure them they will be doing it in a neutral environment.
BOLLOCKS~!
“It’s crucial that we get as many points of view as possible to ensure we have a successful and thriving aviation industry now and into the future.”
BOLLOCKS~!
The story so far reads something like this – (horse’s vocabulary being limited). McDoNought pulled McDolittle aside and said, something like “present as many recommendations as you will – but my CASA will not, nor is it required to accept any one of ’em”. “In fact they will not; not on my watch”.
McDolittle then scampered back to a position where she was playing for those poor sods in the NT and FNQ; but – Spence got the guernsey – as part of the gracious withdrawal.
Now, BJ is back; and, suddenly, the politician is playing merry hell because no one had any more faith (being politically more attuned than she) and decided not to waste any more time and effort – flogging a dead horse’.
If, and it is a big IF, McDolittle wants now to revitalise her pointless, non productive, two long years of doin’ nuthin’ then she only has to refer to the Forsyth recommendations and make bloody sure that they are made ‘the’ corner stone of the reform which MUST happen.
Playing hell because no one has any faith left in our ‘politicians’ is the ultimate straw – we have tried for three decades; tried hard for justice, rule of law and a reasonable chance of not getting a criminal record for a log book error. The Senator must know by now that CASA is a complete shambles, an expensive wart attached to the industry, endlessly growing, endlessly costing more; endlessly making mock of an industry which should be flourishing. Commit to setting this to rites and industry will back you – otherwise – just another politician – full of piss and wind – signifying NOTHING.
Dear Senator – either piss in the pot or get off it – two choices – no options. It is ‘disappointing’ (in the extreme) to see that an elected Senator can be ‘persuaded’ to back off, in self interest against the hopes of an essential industry at breaking point. No matter; hope the continued salary and ‘ready acceptance’ as being an easily manipulated part of the ‘system’ helps you sleep at night alongside zero credibility. Too little – too late, too much damage to repair perhaps? Credibility = Zero.
So say the BRB (unanimous)..
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Wombat
With the greatest respect to the august and venerated members of the BRB, I wish to point out that you have failed to take into account Einstein’s theory of Relativity.
Not Albert Einstein, but Fred Einstein at the Steam Packet Hotel. His immortal theory; “ a moment with your backside on a hot stove seems to last forever while the same time in a session with Flo on the couch seems to last only a few seconds”.
CASA, the Department and politicians do not count time in days and months like mere mortal pilots, nor business owners who reckon in financial years, no, they reckon time in ‘Parliaments”. By that relative clock, it is already too late to reform anything because the next election is due soon.
Members may know that if there is a change of Government at that time, all working papers, briefs and suchlike are hoovered up and put into storage for the statutory thirty years. So your new Minister starts with a completely blank slate apart from published, public documents. All the dirt has been swept under the rug. The new Minister arrives literally knowing nothing about what went before.
So the Minister, CASA and the Department are playing for time. Forsyth is a Parliament ago. Shortly it will be irrelevant ancient history. Same with Glen Buckley, Jabiru, Bristell and goodness knows what else. They are lost in the mists of time. This is especially so if we play fast and loose with the public records act – critical documents, usually incriminating ones that explain who knew what and when, seem to vanish.
Being cynical, the role of a good public servant can ensure that the Minister doesn’t find the dirty linen until the next election. This is not too hard since the Minister needs at least two years to learn his job and the last year is spent with an eye on elections…
So all CASA and the Department have to do is to deny, obfuscate and delay for about another six months and we all start again from square one. Bristell, Buckley, Jabiru, AMROBA, AOPA, etc.will have to start again to try and educate a deliberately clueless Minister.
……..and next time there is an enquiry or review there will only be 25 submissions.
Kharon
The IOS have their say.
Ah Wombat; quite correct, forgotten happy memories of Fred and Flo at the Steam Packet hotel, the laughs, the hopes, dreams and of course the solutions to the woes of the world, washed down with fine Ale in good company. When “we were young and free.”
All grown up now; alas. Older, wiser and experienced in the wicked ways of the real world. Response to McDoolittle’s trite complaints being a prime example of the industry’s ‘weltschmerz’.
I cannot be bothered to list every single ‘inquiry’ and investigation in the aviation saga over the last three decades. To even estimate the man hours invested and private funds expended responding to these events. Let’s just say it has been a staggering amount and leave it at that. Almost the entire industry got behind the Pel-Air inquiry, Fawcett, Xenophon et al did a magnificent job; which led to the ASSR; and the Rev. Forsyth did the honours in good faith. We all held our breath, not daring to make a sound lest any chance of meaningful reform vanished in a puff of smoke, lost in the mirrors of Sleepy Hollow. I forget the accurate numbers now, but the Senate committee put up some 60 odd ‘recommendations’; the ASSR about the same; all dismissed as ‘opinion’ – agreed to in principal and sent down to the tomb of good intentions. Nothing, absolutely nothing changed for the better; despite the incredible cost in time, effort and money; expended in good faith.
Now McDolittle wants to make a comeback on the aviation band wagon. Two years to reaffirm that which has stood out like the proverbial dog’s balls. Angel Flight, despite the rhetoric still stuck with silly requirements; Buckley another victim of the system to add to a very long list of those treated to the great embuggerance.
Very few were fooled by the McDolittle sudden application of political reverse thrust; internal party politics not being that closely guarded a secret. Yet, ‘we’ are now to be the source of McDoolittle’s ‘disappointment’. Well, you show me yours Senator and I’ll show you mine, alongside a disappointed industry’s. Don’t bleat on at industry – get the DPM to include the changes demanded writ into his ‘statement of expectations’ and make it stick- that would be of more value than another few days spent drafting yet another submission doomed to end up in the basement to rot.
But please; don’t use industry’s lack of enthusiasm for yet another two year wait to arrive back in the same place for your failure to be effective or useful. L&K the Ills of Society.
Toot – toot…..
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BJ Paddy Whacked by Mick Mack
Via the BJ thread:
Ghosts of McDonaught and dazzling Dazza continue to haunt BJ – 
Ref:
Civil Aviation Act 1988—
Civil Aviation Legislation Amendment (Flight Operations—Consequential
Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2021 [F2021L00200]—
Replacement explanatory statement. P2 – Hmm…what about the amendment?
Civil Aviation Regulations 1988—Civil Aviation Order 20.16.3 Amendment
Instrument 2021 (No. 1) [F2021L01026].
Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 and Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998—
Carriage of Children with a Serious Medical Condition (Regional Express)
Instrument 2021—CASA EX79/21 [F2021L01052].
Carriage of Children with a Serious Medical Condition (Virgin Australia
International Airlines) Instrument 2021—CASA EX80/21 [F2021L01046].
No. 107—3 August 2021 3813
Civil Aviation Safety Amendment (Unmanned Aircraft Levy Collection)
Regulations 2021 [F2021L01027].
Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998—
ATC Licence (PARM Endorsement) – Exemptions from Recency and
Currency Requirements Instrument 2021—CASA EX06/21 [F2021L01051].
Canopy Latching—AD/LANCAIR/1 Amdt 2 [F2021L00969].
Cessna Aircraft (Cessna Supplemental Inspection Documents
Requirements) Exemption 2021—CASA EX67/21 [F2021L00861].
Flight Reviews, Proficiency Checks and Related Matters (Extensions of Time
Due to COVID-19) Exemptions Instrument 2021—CASA EX92/21
[F2021L01045].
Life Jacket Standard (Heli-Aust Whitsundays Marine Transfer Operations)
Exemption 2021—CASA EX75/21 [F2021L00977].
Maintenance Control (Certain Class A Aircraft Only Engaged in Private
Operations) Exemption 2021—CASA EX91/21 [F2021L01041].
Medical Certification (Private Pilot Licence Holders with Basic Class 2
Medical Certificate) Exemption 2021—CASA EX69/21 [F2021L00867].
Nose Gear Lower Shock Absorber Assembly—AD/BEECH 200/45 Amdt 5
[F2021L01010].
#1Statement of Expectations for the Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for
the Period 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023 [F2021L00929].
Civil Aviation (Unmanned Aircraft Levy) Act 2020—Civil Aviation (Unmanned
Aircraft Levy) Regulations 2021 [F2021L01028].
Strangely it has not been published on the CASA website, however if you go to this link HERE you will find the current SOE.
This is where it gets bizarre because the SOEs for CASA, ASA and ATSB would all appear to have been signed off by Mick Mack the day after he was rolled and on the same day BJ was sworn in as DPM – WTF?
MTF…P2 🙄
