I can't help thinking that there is not a shred of evidence that the tens of thousands of pages
of Australian regulations have had the slightest impact on improved safety.
There is however ample evidence that the tens of thousands of pages of regulations has
had a major impact on the costs associated with committing aviation in Australia and
therefore the viability of the very industry the regulations are purported to regulate.
Balance between safety and cost, has not been very well managed in Australia, in fact it has
been an unmitigated disaster as clearly illustrated by the continued decline in participation.
Being the big "R" regulator has demonstrably failed as an approach to lifting safety standards.
It has been very effective in the decline of the industry along with all the rest of the perfect
storm of costly impositions imposed by various Government thought bubbles over the past
twenty years or so.
They may have seemed a good idea at the time, and done with good intentions, but failed
miserably to foresee how vested interest could subvert the original intent in pursuit of the Holy Dollar.
Much like the guy in his tinny at the weekend GA is in part a hobby for many people, it also has
aspects of commercial enterprise, small businesses by and large, that provide essential services to the
community as a whole. The tragedy for GA is that politically there is no recognition of its value nor its
contribution to the nation, nor its potential if it were allowed to grow.
There was an interesting article in the "Weekend Australian" how over only a few months Australia's
space regulations had been completely reformed, removing much of the red tape that stifled its
development and how this opened the door to investment in the space industry and the benefits
that investment could bring.
Yet here GA sits after thirty years and hundreds of millions of dollars pissed up against the wall, stifled,
in rapid decline, an industry that could very easily, given the political will, rival space in its contribution
to the national economy.
The Americans have a vibrant, growing GA industry, they also have the safest. Why don't we swallow
our pride admit to ourselves we screwed up and copy the best.