The only way to get meaningful change out of CASA is to make the Minister very uncomfortable. I say this because CASA is doing an incredible job in its primary function of preventing any nastiness from falling in the Minister's lap. Its their secondary and lesser function that needs changing.
Now, as this shambles has been going on for 23 + years this is not going to come from the Opposition benches as they once sat on the Government benches and also made a total cluster **** of it.
As a suggestion, I understand that the FAA did an audit on the Australian system and found it wanting. A time period was put in place for certain changes to be made which was done but only just. I understand a lot was left to be desired. What would happen then if lobbying the FAA led to a "fix or get out of our airspace" edict? The brown stuff would fly in all directions very rapidly with a monstrous kick up the behind to CASA. It is not unfeasible.
"Two months short of 23 years and they admit to burning over $200 million on the exercise." Refer Consultant: Donald Rumfeld (PS Don't turn up to work tomorrow. Check who's parking spaces are empty)
That's like 8 and half million dollars a year - WHO IS RECEIVING THAT MONEY? Refer the legal department
How many people are being eternally employed doing that? Employed? - please explain
That's like 100 people on a 87K pay packet for 23 years! There are 100 people on a 87K pay packet. Never stay longer than a year though
So has anyone been fired for corruption, wastage, stupidity, embezzlement? Promoted to the derivatives department. CASA junk bonds auction next week. Currently undertaking Lloyd Blankfeins correspondence course "How to screw the mug punters while they know about it"
FA - Perhaps we all should be asking every running politician in the next elections what their aviation policy will be and what they intend to do about the current state of affairs. We may not have 12 months so it's probably better to get and record the promises as soon as possible.
I am one of more than 100,000 people associated with aviation in Australia who will be voting in the impending Federal election. Like many of my colleagues I am deeply concerned about the present state of the industry, not only in terms of air safety but of the ability of the industry to remain viable under the present conditions. Could you please outline your party policy on the following important issues.
1) New Zealand, Canada and Papua New Guinea have each provided, using industry consultation, within a 5 year period an outcome based regulatory suite which has been welcomed by the national industry. Meanwhile, Australia remains internationally embarrassed by a suite of complex, prescriptive, criminal law based regulation which is legally and financially detrimental, unacceptable to and unusable by the industry, non compliant with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requirements, remains incomplete after 23 years and has so far cost in excess of two hundred million dollars.
2) The recent crash of an Air France Airbus claimed 256 lives; the report on the incident highlights many of the industry concerns related to pilot competency based training standards. These concerns were recently examined by the Senate and a 'white paper' was provided by the incumbent Minister. The industry believes the white paper to be a flawed, misleading, self serving document which solely allows the present Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to continue drafting incompetent regulation without the benefit of expert industry consultation or addressing the issues.
3) There is a strong support within the industry for dismantling the present Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and it's replacement with a Civil Aviation Administration as in other ICAO compliant countries. One major concern, amongst many, is the devastating effect the CASA is having on the industry in terms of operator, pilot and industry confidence. This is affecting the industry ability to attract investment, foster training and create employment. There exists a real, tangible need to examine all facets of the manner in which the CASA conducts business with the user pays industry it serves.
4) Air Traffic Services (ATS) to the Australian public are essential to safety. The current system has been progressively and systematically degraded to the point where, many believe the probability of a mid air collision has increased to crisis point. The service is understaffed, over managed; and, beginning to show signs of being irretrievably damaged by a shortage of skilled, qualified personnel. There exists in real time, a pressing need to provide the ATS with suitable equipment, the personnel to operate that equipment and a training system which returns Australia to a world class system for separating aircraft in the busy airspace surrounding our capital cities.
5) The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have through consultation developed an audit model which has been almost universally adapted by all responsible National Aviation Authorities. The industry believe that this model should be accepted and fully utilised in Australia. It is further acknowledged that Australia has one of the most lengthy 'differences' list with the ICAO system, approximately 2500 items, it is considered essential that this number be reduced and the industry returned to world best practice.
The points above serve to highlight just a few of the many aviation industry concerns. Would your government be prepared, through policy to announce an overhaul of the present system and return Australian aviation to its position as a world leader in safety and excellence?
Yours sincerely.
N. Aviator.
Last edited by Kharon; 24th Jul 2012 at 05:22.
Reason: You owe me a beer Voltaire. Bugger early retirement.
Kharon old son . . admittedly you've had a helluva a lot more to do with either writing to pollies and the bureaucrats or drafting letters than most of us. Even so, perhaps yours eight point draft letter asking the recipient to give a policy outline or indication is likely to be given a standard, dodging the material concerns reply, if not just binned. If the letter was framed so that each point was converted into a question, then there is a greater likelihood of receiving an answer to each one. .
Fantome – you old rascal, I concur; however I did offer it to Voltaire only as a 10 point starter kit.
Most of the chaps and chapessess who are interested can format the basic model, pose the questions and forward them on; not too difficult a task. Happy to draw up a formal if people would use it, perhaps they could attach the PPRuNe petition as a further expression of their collective feelings.
It appears from previous threads that GA is being fostered a lot more by our friends in NZ. Having read some of the articles kicking around, I am staggered by the impending costs that will be put on GA by our regulator. If those estimates are correct, then I have an out of the box idea.
What would be the costs in putting GA aircraft on the NZ register, and getting NZ licences to operate and maintain them? Surely the costs would be cheaper than the overheads quoted in recent articles.
Yes I know there are other issues, but if industry seriously is going to get slammed with these costs, then maybe a more radical solution than writing letters needs to be found. Whilst I admire those that do write letters, I am yet to see any good come from it. Even if every owner/operator wrote to ministers, they can all be ignored.
Actions speak a lot louder than words, and a significant portion of Aussie aircraft on the NZ register, would send a loud message.
Yes you can shoot me down, but if all this is already law, the time for letter writing is long past.
Toliman - Yes you can shoot me down, but if all this is already law, the time for letter writing is long past.
So very true – letters need to be sent at the beginning, not when the thing is done and dusted. The scary part, there is a lot more of the same coming to a bank account near you. Only hope the election comes before the industry grinds to a halt; perhaps someone will have a policy related to fostering aviation, rather than choking it to death with Red tape.
Since the moderator Tinny, got a smut in the eye about the model litigant obligations thread, I throw it in here with the other CASA misdemeanors.
While the High Court and whoever say that Commonwealth agencies MUST behave with moral and honest intent and oblige by the Directions, quite frankly, from experience of mine and others, CASA just doesn't give a sh*t.
So, what's it all mean really. Not much, and obviously not worth the paper its written on. CASA will just deny any liability and is quite prepared to fight to the last taxpayers' dollar to NOT abide by the MLO. Their theory is "Get stuffed,we have more money than you, wanna do anything about it?, see you in court"...the very thing the MLO states as it is simply written, to avoid. Merit review at the AG's office cant get their heads around it either and AG Roxon must have a severely injured arm because she doesnt respond to any queries about how MLO might occur, or how recalitrant agencies might be made to respond. So there you have it. MLO is yet another smoke screen for bullsh*tting bureaucracies to hide in. The citizen might think it means something but alas, its all CRAP.
Well – there you have it. It would have sent a powerful message had the thing gone the other way – but sadly, it's not to be.
It took a long time; cost a load of money, determination and some courage to go 'toe to toe' with a government sponsored heavyweight champion, no disgrace in that defeat.
So, full credit for the effort to one of the best blokes about the place, who contributes more to the industry than he takes away.
Quote:
Woe to the makers of literal translations, who by rendering every word weaken the meaning! It is indeed by so doing that we can say the letter kills and the spirit gives life. Voltaire
(Rant resistor enabled).
Last edited by Kharon; 8th Aug 2012 at 20:53.
Reason: "nuf said.
For six decades I have observed the growing decay of our various Government Departments.
There isn't one, State or Federal, that is doing the job it should be proud to do; ie, serve the people of Australia.
Government departments exist to assist and encourage the people undertaking the various enterprises connected to each individual department.
They are NOT there to put obstacles in their way, or give incorrect or false advice, or go into business against them. They are NOT there to taunt and belittle, to threaten with punishment or destroy the livlihood of the hard-working individual and his/her family.
They are there to HELP, to CARE, to NURTURE. Why don't they?
Why doesn't CASA?
I found this site and cheered.
Good on you PPRUNERS.
Keep up the good work exposing the rot that is CASA.
I think we need more Gandalfs in this world. Perhaps CASA should be called Saruman!
From what I have seen and read and heard lately, I liken CASA to a slimy ugly Hydra. As soon as you cut off one of its long tentacles, worm-like, it grows two more, each with a head and each bent on revenge.
Each tentacle targets an individual, directed by the weird machinations inside its head.It has nothing to do with safety, education or compassion.
Hydra has a nest lined with tax-payers money which it uses to deprive individuals of their rights. It is the worst type of arrogance, a nascent, aggressive behaviour which creates a strong desire in those of us who are not privy to large sums of government hand-outs, to light the flame of rebellion.
Its sole aim is to destroy by any means it can. It appear to glory in its cruelty.
Unfortunately something that is grand in the Australian psyche, is lost forever.
Where is the fair play, the justice, the democracy that was given to us at the time of Federation in 1901?
Where is our hero with a sharp sword?
Beware Hydra!
Heroes are all around you and their swords will not be stilled.
They will cut out the sickness you seem to thrive on and Australia will be a better place.
Kharon - I guess you're referring to the article "Pioneers and Places," by AB (Banjo) Paterson, where people came to this country with little or nothing, didn't know where they were going, but made a go of it anyway and succeeded.
I'm more in favour of shooting the b******s, then they can't come back.
BUT - they're not worth going to gaol for, so, winning by attrition may be safer.
Poor little ugly Hydra!
You must feel sorry for the little worm.
By choosing HEADS instead of HEARTS, he has opted for multiple headaches.
The only cure for such jealous hate-filled pain is complete annihilation.
Come my friends who fly the skies.
Show pity for this pitiful little worm and put him out of his misery.
This slug has no imagination, but thinks, by playing the same game over and over, despite the diminished capacity of its renewed heads, that it can win!!
I concur; however I did offer it to Voltaire only as a 10 point starter kit. 
