Spoke to a former very senior ministerial advisor (not transport minister) last night and explained, as best I could, my opinion of what “the problem” is. In essence, the CASA game is to talk legislation and regulation BS to the aviation community but when talking to their bosses, they switch and talk technical aviation BS. They calculate, correctly, that neither group has the ability to see through the particular fog that CASA is emitting at them. They threaten us both with different things and it works.
Unfortunately the advisors opinion is that CASA can successfully do this almost indefinitely. A fatal regional jet accident isn’t big enough to stop them either. Only a catastrophic accident or the potential for electoral disaster will get the politicians talking to the aviation community and galvanised enough to make the effort to understand and force radical reform.
To be fair to CASA, I would have employed the same strategy if I were in the chair and convinced myself it was best for Australia that way.
Pilots and Engineers haven’t helped themselves over the years either. Too many egos get in the way and divide and rule is a very effective tactic.
As for Qantas and the RAAF, they couldn’t care less. CASA can’t touch them.