Australia would be very well served to do a complete rewrite and follow suit of the FARs with maybe a few minor variations.
Aussie027,
That is what we started doing in 1996, see CASR's 21 to 35. Those involved would argue that (in theory -- without the resistance of CASA to any use of the new rules) our Part 21 is more flexible ---- see the "intermediate" category, one up from the Primary Category, and Part 21.189, Limited Category.
By 1999, a Part 91, 61, 137 and 43 were complete in draft form, then the wheels fell off. Enter a new CASA CEO, and a Minister who couldn't control his ministry, and the rest, as they say, is history, along with a good proportion of the Australian aviation industry.
Have a look at the FAA Part 137 (Ag) (the CASR 1997 draft was almost identical) and what we have now.
It is not just the fault of CASA, there are too many in industry who see vastly complicated regulations as industrial protection --- they have an AOC or CAR 30 Approval, and it is too expensive, in time and $$$$ with no necessarily positive outcome, for a potential new entrant/operator.
Year ago, now, the RAAA shouted down a Part 135, "they" all "operated to much higher standards" -----which was rubbish, the charter operators have been paying the price of not having a Part 135 ever since, have a look at the steady decline in AOC numbers.
Now we are going to finally have a Part 135, but nothing like US, NZ, PNG or the Canadian equivalent, regulatory overkill.
The newest "new" maintenance regulations are another nightmare, of the various objectives in the project goals (all good aims, like internationally harmonized an competitive blah blah blah) it is very clear that NOT ONE of the goals has been achieved, god help any LAME who doesn't follow his "exposition" line by line, word by word, any deviance is a criminal offense.
Literally, if the manual requires spark plugs be taken out of your IO-540 in a particular sequence (it does) to take them out in a different order --- and get caught ---- cop an administrative fine and a few points.
Can you find this sort of thing elsewhere --- certainly not US/NZ/CA/EASA land.
But this will continue until one of two things happens ---- the aviation community develops a collective backbone, or shrinks into invisibility.
Tootle pip!!