Goana a Very Professional Organisation
Having had quite a bit to do with GOANA Air Safari's (I never had the privilege of going on one), I did observe their whole operation to be highly professional.
They would pick up their passengers in a bus, take them to their 5 star accomodation in the city of Brisbane, check flight and briefing the following day. Their briefing room resembled an Air Force Officer's Mess. (I was an Air Force Officer) and then all the well maintained, immaculately presented Cessna 172's would take off, for their first overnight destination.
This was a typical well run Australian enterprise, which brought many wealthy overseas visitors to our country, all spending big bucks.
The aircraft were meticulously maintained, cleaned and polished to the extent that they looked like they were just "out of the factory".
As well as being a Pilot, the tour director for each group was a LAME, and many of the participants became "regulars", returning often to their favourite part of the world, the land downunder.
But the bureaucracy made things difficult at every turn, until under the "security threat to our nation", it was decided that a person couldn't hold an Australian Pilot Licence, for such an excursion, unless they had been known personally for 12 months by an Australian of bona fide credentials. Obviously, a Passport is insufficient identification to prove who a person is.
Anyone can see, that a terrorist, let loose near Ayr's Rock (sorry Ularu), with a Cessna 172, and full fuel, could destroy the nation.
State Governments and Councils too all had their input, to make things difficult. The Northern Territory bureaucrats refused to register one of the Goana vehicles, left at one of the airports they visited, as the owner wasn't a permanent resident in the NT, and the battle went on and on with common sense going ot the window at every turn.
There is a saying, that when there is a flourishing activity, and a government steps in to regulate it, then that activity will eventually cease.
So the staff lost their jobs, aircraft and equipment sold off, and places like Africa now collect the $$$'s that enterprises like GOANA brought into Australia.
But of course, any country that can pay its Telco CEO's $22 million p.a. doesn't need little enterprises like GOANA ...
R.I.P Goana, you are sadly missed.