Sunday for some, Monday for others.

What can I say – tempus and fugit collided.

It is certainly worth finding a mug of your favourite brew and five minutes to sit and read the FAA Safety Briefing from Susan Parson. It does not offer ‘perfect’ solutions; nor, (IMO) the answer to all questions; but, by Golly it makes a shed load of sense. In purely ‘academic’ debate between experienced ‘professional’ examiners of airmen there are some areas which could stand further amplification and discussion which could add value to the excellent briefing, but simply in the area of a really ‘in-depth’ improvement of the ‘thinking’ training of ‘examiners’, instructors and the like. That said, the briefing should be made a must read for all CASA officers. Once you have read the Parson’s offering and your coffee is cooling take time to compare the dribble pumped out, by the yard from CASA and comment on that from one experienced instructor.  Then have a wander through the unbelievable mess of the infamous Part 61. The question which needs an answer is simple enough – does Australia get value for money and improved safety from CASA? The answer is a resounding, crashing NO!

The Drone wars saga continues to polarise the for and against camps, the erstwhile RRAT committee standing, once again, in the middle as referee, trying to strike a balance. It’s just as well the Senators can do this, as the interest level CASA have shown in taking any form of responsibility, control or offering of education, assistance to local councils is negligible to the point of negligence.  Civil Air, the air traffic controllers association have presented an excellent submission to the Senate committee which, in a subtle but strong message puts at least one area of CASA disinterest in clear focus. The local wits have created a scenario which puts a man on duty, in the control tower, glued to a pair of binoculars scanning the last three miles of final approach watching for drones and being responsible for separation. I’ll leave that to your imagination.

Mind you, it is easy enough to see why CASA is such an expensive disaster area; political interest in anything in Australia seems to extend no further than ‘what’s in it for me’ (Senate committee excluded). It seems the only real crime is getting caught ‘at-it’, salvation depending on silence, ensuring that any form of ‘wide brush’ inquiry can be safely ruled out.

Susan Ley the latest in a long line of them as wuz caught. I think I’d prefer a level playing field with open, honest ‘Baksheesh’ the general rule; at least then everyone gets ‘a taste’.

The MH 370 story is not going quite according to the script; simply refusing to die and drift into legend.  The governments involved have the script, the power and the money to force an end to it all, relying on the public interest slowly, but certainty diminishing. Then, there are those who will not hear a bar of that song. Who knows how this will end; we shall see, but I find a smile in the coincidence that Trump signs in on the 20th as Fugro signs off on the search.

That’s my page done; time to hunt down a second coffee and sit still, just for a little while.

Toot toot.