Ballina Base saga
The Ballina base saga.
The APTA team travelled to Ballina for the establishment as a temporary location.
We used the exact procedures that CASA suggested to us, provided to us, CASA approved for use by us, audited by CASA, and in fact CASA had previously used this procedures on previous bases.
In October 2018, when CMT 3 headed by Will Nuttall elected to apply a complete change of policy based on opinion only, the pilots at that base became concerned about continuing operations. I assured them our procedures were approved, but they elected not to fly, as is any pilots option if they are not comfortable.
I was concerned as the owners had made a significant investment of the belief that CASA had approved APTA (as they had), and future options would be secure, provided levels of safety and compliance remained high.
Unfortunately, once again despite my attempts to get resolution on this, CASA steadfastly refused to reply. Eventually as in my own case with MFT, the business could not sustain continuing operations and the Ballina base stopped delivering GA flight training.
The financial impact on persons who had invested in the base was significant and totally unnecessary. Whilst I don’t intend to include all the emails, I have included a sampling that clearly show CASA frustrating processes. I never received an answer, and 9 months later, still haven’t.
05/12/18
“Dear David, We had Ballina operating as a temporary location, after the entire APTA team travelled to Ballina to execute our procedures, strictly in accordance with our approved procedures.
The nature of the location is temporary as it will be awaiting CASA acceptance or rejection, and the Ballina base understands that is the procedure.
No surety of operations can be guaranteed until CASA processes are finalised.This base elected to cease operations shortly after the initial CASA action 6 weeks ago.
There hope was that this matter would be finalised by now, although as you will appreciate it is taking somewhat of a long time to resolve. My preference is to reactivate the base.
We followed all CASA approved procedures and I am fully satisfied that it should run as a temporary location until CASA makes a determination as to whether it will become a permanent training base.Therefore, in order to minimise the impact on APTA can we reactivate the Ballina base with me accepting full responsibility under APTA for that operation?Cheers. Glen.”
05/12/18
“Hi Dave, Just for further clarity regarding the previous email, can you confirm that Ballina is legal to operate? Yes or no,?Cheers. Glen”
12/12/18
Dear Mr David Jones, Please distribute within CASA as required. You are the only CASA recipient.
The Ballina operation is requiring a response as to their ability to reactivate operations. I emphasise again that we strictly followed all CASA approved procedures in activating this as a temporary location. It can only be a Temporary location as CASA may veto it as they did with Ballarat and Latrobe valley. We followed all procedures, and invested heavily in the induction process. This included onsite visits to Ballina over consecutive days with attendance by CEO, HOO, GSM, Internal Co-ordinator, two supporting administrative support workers and our HOO in Training.
There has been no breach. As an APTA base, I am very strongly of the opinion that the base should be operational. I must also respect the pilots rights to only fly on operations that they are 100% comfortable with. I need to be able to assure the pilots that they are not acting in breach of any CASA legislative requirements.Ballina has advised that if this matter is not fully resolved by Friday the base will be permanently closed. Three onsite staff are affected, and the costs associated with running a base that has ceased operations is obviously not economically viable.
Your assistance in providing guidance would be greatly appreciated. I am available at any time for a face to face catch up at the CASA office if my onsite presence will assist in a mutually acceptable outcome.Cheers. Glen.
07/01/19
“Dear Mr Jones, This email query was sent through a month ago, and you have chosen not to respond. Can you please provide an estimated timeline”
20/02/19
Sadly, I received this email below from the investors in the Ballina base.
Good evening Glen, I am writing to advise that White Star Aviation, having now grounded GA Operations since November last year and having now lost all of the students we had enrolled, have made the decision to focus on RAAus operations and as such cancel our membership with APTA.
We appreciate how incredibly disruptive and damaging the action taken by CASA has been on your organisation, as it has on ours and others. I truly hope APTA and CASA find a solution to allow your other not-yet approved bases to commence/re-commence operations as soon as possible.
08/04/19
After discussions with the Ballina investors I sent the following email to CASA.
Dear Jason and Regservices, I am writing to you regarding this Regservices task. I received the email from White Star on 20/02/18. I have established contact with the Director of White Star today, as a further 6 weeks has passed, and as could be reasonably expected, the additional delay has only made their situation worse. They will not be continuing with their APTA membership, and we will remove all reference from the APTA website within 24 hours.
Could you please cancel the task. I must point out that multiple requests were made by APTA to clarify the status of this base, and Mr Will Nuttall undertook to write to us.
Numerous written requests were sent to CASA and they were repeatedly ignored over almost 6 months, and it is important that is noted. Respectfully, Glen.