TGIF on the AP Forum: 18/08/23

First this week’s #SBG: Of Skeletons and closets…..

Should your curiosity be piqued, then muster some courage, find a candle and venture down into the deep dark vaults beneath the capitol. To the place where documents are carefully placed and allowed to moulder and fade into the distant memory of past promises made, passing into muddled legend.

But over all things brooding slept

The quiet sense of something lost.

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There are several worthy of the time taken to consider; the Chicago Convention for one. A binding agreement, made in good faith with the very best of intentions at its core; all happily manipulated to a fare-thee-well with the tacit, twice removed approval of successive governments, happy to be rid of any and all direct responsibility. Another large pile comes from the august aviation pinnacle body, ICAO. Spirit, intent and obligations all reside within that mouldering pile; yet treated with same disrespect, disdain and blatant manipulation to suit purpose. But, these things are now more matters for history than resurrection: Alas…There is however a more modern document gracing those shelves; another that began it’s life full of promise, hope and good intentions; this too is being mauled in the same suffocating damp, stagnant, turgid atmosphere; I refer of course to the SSP.

Freely available _ HERE_. “Australia’s fifth edition of its Aviation State Safety Program (SSP) and the inaugural National Aviation Safety Plan (NASP), have been finalised following stakeholder consultation.”

The indefatigable P2 (legend) has for a long while now monitored the ‘use’, application and results of the SSP tenets and principals in relation to ‘real life’ events. One could expect that a high profile, important, expensive ‘program’ – with some real teeth – would be well supported and active; alas. Take for example the sterling (gold star) work done by Aus ALPA in one narrow, but essential to ‘safety’ area of air operations; – HERE – and again – HERE – . Serious commentary, completed by professionals based against a wide range of ‘experience’, exposure and current operational knowledge. Then (for a Choc frog) find the SSP response and actions either promised or delivered. Anyway; it is P2’s hobby horse, and there is much MTF. Suffice to say that once again; good advice is consigned to the basement; the expense and spin remains, once again, unchecked; and, not only does the nation pay for this glossy top cover – but has little of intrinsic or practical value to show for the investment (once again)….

Well,” said Pooh, “we keep looking for Home and not finding it, so I thought that if we looked for this Pit, we’d be sure not to find it, which would be a Good Thing, because then we might find something that we weren’t looking for, which might be just what we were looking for, really.

The BRB crew are watching to see if Master Hitch can make a hat trick Choc frog, having just achieved his second in a row with his last LMH offering. The opening line, in a nutshell, clearly defines the incumbent government’s lack of interest in the aviation industry, the folk who work within it, the revenue it generates or even that it is, in a country this size, an essential machine which must be serviced and maintained properly. Spare a moment to read through the latest LMH. Choc frog 2.

“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth.”

Enter (stage right) the ‘normalised deviance’ – this character is presented by our very own Air Services – the supposed peerless, efficient, seamless provider of a system of air traffic efficiency, which is supposed to be as safe as any on the planet. All bollocks of course; the only ‘safety risk’ being promoted is one that protects ‘the service’. ATCO under pressure; aircrew under pressure; air schedules under pressure; operating costs significantly affected; passengers highly pissed off. – why? Well that is a question for the powers that be to answer. The matter which is of great concern is that not only is the deviance being ‘used’ it is becoming accepted as ‘the norm’. Take the time to watch the following video; then decide if it is time to stop ducking around with the ‘situation’ and get it sorted out. Toute de suite – the tooter the sweeter. Disgraceful in a first world country….

Item last – HERE – Two separate aircrew; two discontinuity events; same approach into Cairns. In this day and age – why does this quasi ‘dive and drive’ approach still exist? I worked out (roughly) the cost involved to redesign the approach to a seamless, constant etc. (+/-) slope. The design of the plate, the changes to the charts; the publication and distribution; the cost of amending aircraft data base; associated paperwork, and man hours involved. It is a significant amount of money. It seems as though ATSB, hand in glove with ASA have decided that ‘data entry’ errors by two professional flight crews created the elevated risk level.

”These occurrences highlight the risks associated with data entry errors that result in incomplete or incorrect information being entered in flight management systems,” said ATSB Director Transport Safety Stuart Macleod. –

Bollocks !; and a cheap shot. Two ‘step downs’ in one approach – WTD? The approach is flawed; out of date with modern best practice and remains a potential trap for any crew unfamiliar or in ‘trouble’ on a dark and stormy.

Aye well; that’s me done. Missed last Sunday – stayed home nursing four broken ribs and a 16 stitch head ache. I do intend to have a word or two with the fellah who erected the scaffold. Apt word for that occasion; I enjoyed the fall; but, I regret, the landing was not one of my best efforts. Got the animals confused though; the Mog cannot work out why, suddenly, my chest is not a good place to park on a cold night, (seems cats can actually fly quite well): dog however seems not to mind my slow progress around the usual haunts. No matter; the good news (the best) is that medication has ceased and I am allowed (theoretically) two Ales this evening – can’t wait for sunset – curse this daylight saving and Ben Franklin.

Selah…

Next from the Mount NCN thread: SSP ignores Airport and ATC safety issues??