Dick
Now you may be onto something – a reduction in cost by stealth! But not at the expense of safety.
That would require a fundamental change in Government policy, something a man of your influence in the Canberra halls of doom should be able to advance?
In the mid 1980’s aviation became the big Government cash cow – the introduction of en route navigation charges, introduction and escallation of airport landing fees, ALOP disposal of regional and rural airports, “corporateisation” of DCA into CASA and AsA (with - as someone quoted - a disproportionate increase in fat cats and shiney bums on fatter salaries and bonuses), DCA/CASA user pays charges and the best of all – “selling” city major and secondary airports, first to the Federal Airports Corporation recovering the total airport market value (not cost) plus interest, and now, re selling again – albeit on extended leases – to the highest bidder at inflated rates.
In time the Government will "sell" the airports again, at which time most secondary airports will finally be sold off for other development.
Aviation policy in Australia is dictated by the fiscal policies of the Federal Treasurer. Ned Kelly is alive and well and on the Government payroll! The Minister for Transport has little say and even less comprehension.
But government imposed costs are not the sole or singular reason for the decline in general aviation. Other more prominent reasons include: significantly reduced airline fares (in real seat/mile terms), improved communications methods including telephone services, internet and audio visual conferencing, improved road structures, more economical and efficient motor vehicles and surface transport services, old general aviation aircraft with high operating costs which have long since passed their used by date, a plethora of new regulations which have failed to deliver improved safety outcomes, the regulator's legal fraternity which has systematically decimated aviation and failure to develop and acquire more efficient, cost effective general aviation aircraft.
Since the good old days of "The Department", the ANR's and ANO's, how many attempts have their been to re-write the regulations - and the job still isn't done! How many millions of dollars has that cost? And in the end - who pays? You guessed it - the aviation industry!!
The general aviation industry in Europe is dead. It also appears to be dying in the USA – despite the FAA having a diametrically opposed philosophy to CASA with regard to promotion of aviation.
Your aspirations to bring aviation and in particularly private flying to the masses has been idealist's objective since Richard Peace beat the Wright bothers into the air in 1903. But it will always be just that, a dream. Private flying never was and never will be avialable to all Australians - only to the financial elite.
Here endeth the lesson.............
My comment which you quoted were a summation of the comments posted generally to this thread. These comments too are simply personal observations.
I’m here to moderate without bias – not to participate in the debate. If I have a personal opinion on any matter I post under my own user name.
In this thread I - personally - have been unusually quiet!
Woomera