I'm glad its not just me that the wonderful folks at CASA are screwing with.
I passed my PPL flight test on Aug 11 and they got the complete paperwork on the 19th....they sit on it for about a month and decide to tell me that the the UK CAA isn't replying to their emails (I'm converting my UK licence). I email the UK folks and have a reply in an hour - they report no record of CASA emailing.
On the phone to whinge at CASA...they say they are going to resend the email. A week later I hear nothing - I check with CASA: bloke in the office flick through the email inbox and says he can't see my name....so on the phone to the UK they give me the exact time and date they sent verification of my licence. Back on the phone to CASA armed with this info and suddenly they discover it, told my licence is flagged for processing.
A few weeks pass, nothing in the post so I call the whinge hotline (1300 737 032) and politely enquire how the difficult job of printing a piece of paper is going. CASA tell me they are waiting for security to approve my ASIC...call the security folks (probably sitting at the next desk) and they tell me everything is done and they are waiting for licencing. Several days and phone calls later so bright spark adds two and two and says all is done and the licence should be printed and in the post.
This was last week, so I am hoping it may show up sometime soon. I'm not holding out too much hope as they tell me that the ASIC won't even be printed until the licence is sent, so even if I can legally fly I won't be allowed on the airport! I haven't flown for two months (no SPL), so I'm pretty sure I've forgotten how to fly.
For the record, Vicroads took 2 days from having my 5 minute appointment and in the US it took about an hour (including a coffee and a chat) to issue me with a US PPL. Here's to CASA!
Gareth.