Originally Posted by
Sunfish
CASA have enough money for Mahindra to close the factory here and take all work overseas.
My guess is that is what will happen, much to the relief of CASA, because it then removes any accountability for continuing oversight of Gippsaero.
To put that another way, CASA doesn’t have a mandate to foster, or to at least not destroy, Australian businesses. The simplest method for CASA to fulfill the “safe aircraft” part of their “safety” mandate is to prevent aircraft from being built here.
My guess is that CASA will hit Gipps with audits and extremely expensive or impossible demands.
Folks,
I would agree with Sunfish, and we have a precedent with Victa, forced out of business and went to NZ.
It was established at an inquiry many tears ago, CASA admitted to blocking quite legal activities, based on the CASA perception of its own liability if it approved whatever. Just take note, this is not theory, it was answers to carefully crafted questioning by a Government of the day established inquiry ---- that entirely legitimate and responsible industry programs were refuse CASA regulatory approvals based entirely on the basis of CASA's perception of liability of CASA, if any approval were granted.
In other words, CASA's internal views on CASA liability for carrying out its job, and the resulting "unofficial" policies that have done so much damage to the aviation sector over the years. It is not just "mindless" bureaucracy that causes so much of the problem, but "minded" bureaucracy, where self-protection and organisational liability protection are all important. The interests of the industry sector or the economy in general just don't rate in comparison.
I could (but I won't) quote several examples of STC products that CASA refused certification, that went to US, were certified rapidly and at minimum cost by FAA, and were and are very successful.
Some of you will recall, it was only political pressure (John Anderson really cracking the wip) after a Ministerial visit to Gippsland Aeronautics, that the GA-8 got a C.of A at all.
Tootle pip!!