Congratulations to the RAAA – TCAS cost savings
Most people know that we in Australia have the most onerous transponder requirements in the world for VFR aircraft. I am proud of this because I introduced them at the time I was CASA Chairman and Mark Vaile was the Minister for Transport.
This was introduced with the agreement of the general aviation associations even though a cost benefit study would have most likely shown that the criteria was not met. Of course, if the industry agrees to a more onerous and safer requirement that is allowed by the legislation this is ok.
Now look at the regional airlines – their organisation the Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) has been incredibly successful in preventing the introduction of TCAS requirements, which are mandatory in every other modern aviation country in the world. That is the requirement that air transport aircraft between 10 and 30 passengers have TCAS.
The situation at the present time is that there are airline aircraft operating in Australia that could not be operated in any other modern aviation country in the world.
I also find it interesting that the chief pilots of these regional airlines that have fought so strongly against the introduction of the North American NAS with more Class E controlled airspace remain silent about this major safety deficiency.
We all know the history of TCAS – if a professional pilot has the TCAS actually turned on and complies with the resolution advisory there has never ever been a collision – ie 100% safety record.
Of course, TCAS in regional airlines would work even better in Australia because we have the mandatory requirement for transponders in Class E. For example in the USA, there is no mandatory requirement for transponders below 10,000 feet in the E airspace above Class D.
It is an extraordinary compliment to the lobbying powers and the political influence that the RAAA has with the regulator that has prevented this safety requirement from being introduced in Australia. And it is all just to save a few dollars.
It seems strange to me that an organisation that purports itself to be there promoting safety for regional airline passengers can be so powerful in preventing the introduction of a basic safety requirement – that would cost no more than 60 cents per passenger per flight.