Certainly it does appear that CASA would like GA to disappear…I have it on good authority that they estimate that 20% of GA operators will shut down as a consequence of the current regulatory “reform”….and CASA are quite OK with that decrease in industry.
statistically, there is currently one CASA staff member for every VH registered aircraft in Australia (that’s my maths, so willing to be corrected if wrong).
however, when we think of GA, the common perception is of ageing crusty Chief Pilots forcing newby pilots to work 26 hours a day 8 days a week for less than pittance to fly ageing aircraft in ****e weather.
when we think of GA, we should also include:
firespotting / firefighting
aeromedical transfers
tuna / whale shark / whale spotting
freight / bank runs.
parachute ops
animal surveys / culls
bore runs / mustering.
endangered species translocations
scenics - over the Reef, horizontal falls, the Rock, the Bridge.
passenger transport on routes where there aren’t enough passengers to make RPT viable.
a more emotional picture would be -
aeromedical evacuations, saving the lives of people across Australia.
medical professionals to remote communities,
grocery deliveries to remote communities, cut off by flood waters.
I am getting a bit sick of being told GA is as dodgy AF, and needs more regulation to make it “safer”. What we need is a regulator who actually gives AF, who:
recognised GA as a viable and vital part of aviation, rather than a nuisance to be regulated out of existence.
Allows staff to fly in GA aircraft. Better known as “put your money where your mouth is”.
Did not micro manage the training sector, which now means organisations that employ low time pilots now have to have a C&T training syllabus equivalent to a training school, to make up for deficiencies in the approved training.
looks to Canada (same land mass, similar population) rather than USA for aviation inspiration.
stops with the “ego projects”. The manufacturers of GPS must have been delighted when CaSA mandated GPS to all IFR aircraft ahead of the USA. Gave the manufacturers a golden opportunity to iron out any bugs before releasing units into their largest market.
I have been flying long enough that I can remember when working for CASA was by invitation, and was considered a real feather in the cap. Now - pilots are having to explain to the regulator the real time effect of the regulations, rather than the regulator having the knowledge to assess for themselves.