Originally Posted by
Geoff Fairless
There are a couple of threads running elsewhere on Class E airspace that cover the issues at Ballina because this is a national problem, as many have alluded to in this thread.
When I worked for CASA, as an ATM Inspector, I was tasked with audits of the two CA/GRS units, Ayers Rock and Ballina, and the Airservices run AFIS at Port Hedland. I advised my superiors that of the two models AFIS was far superior, and when Ballina was being set up, that I considered an ATC Tower with Class D airspace was more suitable. Unfortunately because of the business model imposed on Airservices Australia by successive governments, ATC Towers are considered to be very expensive and because of the rules imposed on the controllers, very restrictive to non-airline flyers.
I would like to see Australia adopt a new model for a less expensive airport ATC solution. This would give airports the choice of setting up local ATC to enhance their service to their flying customers, have ATCs working for the airport and with the customers, in buildings that are more the C172s or BE58s of ATC instead of the A380s that Airservices prefers. And before you all start on about remote or digital towers, they too are also very expensive, require bandwidth that Australia lacks, need the same number of ATCs, and I would argue, add nothing in enhancements to a simple local control operation. I envisage a single-person operation such as Hamilton Island, Launceston, and Camden staffed by retired Airservices ATCs, happy to live in some beautiful little towns and not have to work night shifts. The Americans call them VFR Towers and support them with Class E-services provided from the nearest ATC Centre.
Why re-invent the wheel....?
Geoff, you touch on a couple of key issues.
1/. ASA business model as imposed by successive governments. Agreed. This business model requires that ASA provides a dividend to the government of the day. This distorts the allocation of safety $$. I have argued that a model more akin to the Canadian ANSP (NavCanada) would be better suited.
2/. VFR Towers. Great idea and with the number of VRs being handed at the moment there would be a long line of retired ATCs happy to live in (or commute to) some beautiful little towns. "Living the dream" (thanks Brian).