"There were also concerns with one operator that the chief pilots had been bypassed. But the main thrust of the investigation was whether the charter operators were allowed to fly outside the 12-nautical-mile territorial limit.
He said Tasair's air operator's certificate covered domestic operations in Australia and it was technically in breach of regulations if it travelled beyond 12 nautical miles and not, as many people believed, the 200-nautical-mile exclusion zone.
"What we did find in that investigation was there was a misunderstanding in the industry -- and I will admit with some of our own people -- of what constituted 'outside Australian territorial limits' where you would require an operator's certificate permitting international operations. Technically, outside 12 miles is an issue."
Hmmm!
This just illustrates the joke that is the aviation regulator in Australia!
V134, the preferred IFR route from Townsville to Cairns puts you 22 nm off the coast at the BARIA waypoint. I assume from the above that anyone flying a charter on that route that is not operating under an operator's certificate permitting international operations is in breach!
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! I have flown it once in the FTKD, clutching my life jacket to my bosom - but that was a private op, not a charter!
Dr 