Fair comment.
I don't intend to single out the Army. I served in the Army so its the service I know best. I haven't seen this type of thing in the RAAF, thats not to say it doesn't happen. An old friend of mine died on Nias so I know it has happened in the RAN as well.
The comment on maintenence duty hours was made to me by an Army WO2 AME about five years ago, he went on to say that the RAAF does have strict limitations on duty hours and stated that he thought they were "soft".
"Might as well be civillians" he said. I am out now and don't know what the directive says so I can't verify wether his comments are valid.
Are there any current or former RAN pilots out there? Is it unusual to approach a Ships helo deck
downwind?
This is a systemic issue across the ADF, not just Army. CDF does have responsibility. He was CAF when the tri -ervice Directorate of Flying Safety was diluted with the addition of the Directorate of Air Force Safety a few years ago. What should have been a unit that identified risks within the Defence aviation community prior to an accident was sufficiently diluted so that it became a toothless tiger.
Agreed