Crooks, cowboys and incompetents
Aviation has its crooks, cowboys and incompetents and that is why we need a firm authority to regulate aviation safety in the public interest. Mr Ilyk’s submission to the Senate inquiry http://www.aph.gov.au/SENATE/committee/rrat_ctte/casa/submissions/sub31.pdf argues this case persuasively and with comprehensive references to coronial findings, case law and judicial inquiries around the world. I totally agree with Mr. Ilyk.
Put bluntly, if self regulation worked God would have proposed ten guidelines; in a discussion paper.
In 1993, before Monarch, Seaview, Aquatic and other accidents attributable to our regulator’s “institutional timidity”, I wrote in the Canberra Times that Australia was following a recipe for disaster by ignoring US and Canadian sad experience of deregulation. I contended that Australia was deluding itself that industry would maintain standards without a robust, properly resourced regulator. At the time Mr Ilyk, on behalf of CAA disagreed. He accused me of selectively quoting from Justice Moshansky’s report into a fatal Air Ontario accident to support my contention. I note that Ilyk too is now quoting Moshansky to support our common viewpoint. I’m pleased that Mr Ilyk has come to my way of thinking.