The CAA called a meeting at Wellington Hospital before Christmas to inform local operators they would need to prove they were following the rules.
I have a better idea.....let the CAA prove the operators were violating the rules!
Let the lazy Sod's get off their arses and do something for a change!
It is pretty damn arrogant to make an accusation without any documentation or investigation and then demand the operators to devote time, resources, and money to providing the CAA with the information they should be digging up on their own damn dime.
Let the CAA document their case then come forth with their demand for a response and proposed corrective action by the Industry and individual operators.
I suggest the CAA has its cart before the Horse on this one.
How many single-engined helicopters have crashed while using these heliports?
Have there been any persons on the ground injured or killed?
How many lives have been saved by these operations?
Are you willing to throw the baby out with the bath water here?
Lets carry it to the extreme....doesn't the use of non-class one helicopters during winching or short-hauling rescues endanger the victim and thus should not those rescues not be conducted by those means? After all....a rescue does not always mean life or death situations that could be handled by other means despite being more difficult and prolonged?
JimL,
Does it matter if it is local NZ CAA rules, JAR's, EASA, or a city ordinance that is being used as a basis for this action? The whole attitude of looking for reasons "not to do" something is what gets up people's noses.
What happened to the concept of looking for ways to facilitate operations and perhaps the industry in concert with the bureaucracy examining the current regulations to determine which ones are in need of modification or outright elimination in order to foster improved service, eliminate unnecessary costs and admin burden while at the same time keeping the public safety in mind.
Recall this action stems from an administrative decision and not as a result of an accident, injury, or death.
I would suggest the thread about Licensed/un-licensed airfields serve to point out the sad state the current system has gotten to.