Folks,
I have just become aware of this thread, and I have registered in order to respond with the facts.
As the CEO of the RAAA I found the thread interesting reading. I was particularly impressed by dragonflyhkg's comments, especially since the RAAA's position was and remains one of support for TCAS for all IFR passenger transport with 10 seats or more, despite Dick's opening salvo.
For the record, the Regulation Review Task Force of which Dick is a member recently made a recommendation to the SCC that TCAS and GPWS (types not specified) should be mandated for all passenger transport aircraft with 10 or more seats. The SCC asked the RAAA for its position. After an exhaustive consultation process with our members, I posted the formal RAAA response on the SCC website on 15 October.
Dick appears to have posted his initial post on this thread several hours before our position was published, and without any communication with this office on the subject.
For those who are interested in the facts, I will post our response to the SCC in full on our website
www.raaa.com.au
We support the use of TCAS, but buying TCAS without universal transponder carriage is a bit like being required to buy an expensive belt without a buckle. TCAS can not work unless conflicting aircraft have transponders, so it is not cost effective expenditure unless there is simultaneous fitment of transponders to all aircraft that can reasonably power them.
We do not want to unnecessarily restrict GA or to impose unnecessary costs. After all, we rely rather heavily on GA for our crews and many of our members are also GA pilots and aircraft owners. However, if the carriage of TCAS is so important to the safety of the travelling public that it should be mandated for all passenger transport aircraft with 10 or more seats, how could there possibly be any argument against the concurrent mandatory fitting of transponders to all potentially conflicting aircraft in the environment in which we operate?
That is the question that we (including the Regulation Review Task Force) as an aviation fraternity have to face.
Thanks for listening.
Regards,
Terry