I was having a chat with family a few days ago they reminded me that as a child all I wanted to do was be a pilot some 40 years have past now and I am and have been in the industry for many years. I have worked in the industry in most countries and it is so sad that here at home pilots and aviation as a whole in my eyes are probably the lowest lifeform in the human chain we only have to look at these posts to see how we attack each other at the slightest comment. I admit to attacking others at times myself usually on the basis that they are pushing their own barrow and distorting the truth and the system to prove they are right.
There are so many untruths sitting in this post it shows only how ignorant some of you are. For example WHO ARE NASIG?, easy unlike some of you may think they are not hand picked by dick or some other political party to field their dreams, they are in fact men and or women from a cross section of the industry chosen to do a job. They have no hidden motives they may have their own personal opinion of NAS the group in fact change after this stage to try and keep NAS objective. Some of them are experts in their own right and are well aware of the problems outlined in some peoples minds. Each of you are only expressing self interests they have to look at the whole picture in the interests of us all. They also have to return back and work in the very thing they are changing so please stop attacking them.
Next for the rest of you that think you know better for each of you that have a particular barrow to push a representative from your field or organisation has been at the workshops to identify and where possible mittigate safety issues both on US compliant and non compliant issues and that has been done in my eyes to the best of all presents ability. Next 2b has been signed off by CASA I dont know where this one has been dreamed up, not so dedline 20th OCT 2003 that is why the training package is not out yet why spend squillions on printing what woud be toilet paper if it does not get signed off. Arms are not being bent here if it is not accepted there has to be a very valid reson why not dreamed up reasons or percieved issues. My suggestion to those that are not happy with the representative from your particular organisation is stop wasting time here with inane rantings and take your issues up with him or her.
Personally I have no hidden motives here I have been in a position where I can express safety issues and help with training my mind is not one sided my goal is to make aviation safe for all users, My personal view is aviation in Austrailia statistically speaking is not safe for many reasons and airspace reform will eventually help this, perhaps 2b is not perfect but it is another step forward and I believe it is as safe as it can be if we compare it to current model then perhaps not but did we need the current level of safety in the first place or was it just belt and braces.
Perhaps some of you out there would like me to put an extra rib in you wing or another bulkhead in the fuselage just in case it may fail, wake up aviation is all about a compromise why dont I put another bulkhead in your fuselage when I know it would be far safer and stronger? simple because it would cost you more and you would have to carry less so I compromise because under normal circumstances it will be safe.
In our current airspace system regionals go into busy CTAF's in some areas this has not caused that great a problem in the past so why should it in the future. If representatives show me a good reason then fine I will support them. A valid reason is not that just because radio carriage is not mandatory or calls compulsory GA pilots wont do them how stupid are you. Some years ago give way to the right on our roads was removed from the rules, tell me how many people out there don' t give way to the right? easy answer no one and why because it would be stupid to not do it, driving instructors still teach giving way to the right the same as flying instructors will still teach radio calls at appropriate points as recommended. One good thing will happen and that is they will be able to spend more time on teaching flying and airmanship that getting the average pilot to understand complicated airspace procedures and rules, some of you may have actually forgotten how hard that was or is now.
For those of you that think they know what NAS end state is dream on sure there are are goals for a model but it is clear that with the process so far it will not be exactly the same as the US model and as long as I am invited to help and I have a hole in my A#SE then I wont agree to anything that I do not see as safe.
The simple truth in all this is the process is being delayed by people with vested interests and hidden agendas sadly they are not always valid safety issues. Thats why its hard to get information out. How can a goal be scored when the players are moving the posts. Blackmail tactics do nothing but make the system dangerous because people dig in and wont budge and objectives and real issues become clouded, scaring the Australian public is criminal. A real fact now no GA no aviation everything starts somewhere and everything needs somewhere to start and GA is the very foundation its built on from engineers to pilots. 152 pilot to 747-400 in 6 years for a close friend of mine, where does he go if there is no GA in 10 years circuits in a 152 sim perhaps or 747 sim with no real flying experience how scary. Do yourselves a favour help look after GA as they helped and will continue to help you meet your dreams we are all pilots something to be proud of and admired by others after reading some of this I wonder what I should realy be proud of.
Sorry this is so long passionate I am dangerous I am not, I have lost many friends to aviation and been to far to many funerals. If I can make a change and loose less friends then pardon me if I care. Keep flying (A VINCULO TERRAE).
