I was lucky to be part of the industry in the Golden Era. First as a passenger as a boy and then finally got into GA and then a domestic airline. Left the industry many years ago and feel for the younger guys and girls who fought hard to get into the airlines like me. The industry has changed so much that I feel the regulator has lost touch with the real life challenges of both GA and RPT ops. Despite my age I gained a lot of skills from the old timers who were my instructors and examiners of airmen in the DCA in the late 1960's onwards. There are now so many restrictions and rule changes that I feel are there to protect the regulator from indemnity rather than focusing on safety. Can still remember when, during my initial twin endorsement in a Twin Camanche, we unintentionally got into a flat spin with the late James Hazelton who suggested we try a full power stall, We were lucky to get out of it but Jim had a technique for recovery talked me through it rather than taking over. The next day we told the head examiner of airmen DCA at Bankstown and he had the flight manuals amended so as to prevent such incidents.
In those days the DCA and Bureau of Air Safety worked together. The great thing about those days were that if you experienced an abnormal incident you could be honest with the regulator in the interests of safety. Although I have a lot of experience in the industry and would like to impart the knowledge to the younger generation I do not have faith in either the regulator nor the ATSB in its present form. Thus because of my age and my distrust of the industry in it's present form I doubt if I will ever return.