Scran
You appear to make out that because I have been held a couple of times that that is the reason I want to follow modern international procedures.
In fact, what I am concerned about is that in twenty-five years the military hasn’t been able to make any changes to their procedures.
As I pointed out, it was in 1983 when flying around the world in my helicopter that I was first held at Williamtown – I think it was for about ten minutes orbiting at Nobby’s.
In my whole world flight of some 350 hours, the only other time I was held was by the military going into Darwin. It was obvious that the procedures the controllers were forced to use were archaic.
What surprises me is that twenty-five years later nothing has changed.
What I am told, of course, is that when they have lots of traffic – say, in 1986 when the Hornet arrived – that the military controllers can bend the rules, break the regulations, and handle a lot of traffic safely.
However, what I have wanted is the rules to allow controllers to make professional judgements – as they do all around the world in other countries – and do this without breaking any rules that could hold them personally liable and most likely result in them losing their licence and jeopardising their career.
I would have thought controllers would be supporting me on this, not abusing me.
What I am told is that the old analogue radar would allow target resolution (if we actually had the procedures promulgated), but the new digital radar isn’t as accurate so it won’t allow this.
Now that’s exactly what I am saying about the military. Whereas the rest of the world has moved from clappy old black-and-white television to colour television and now high definition with far greater accuracy and resolution, from what you are telling me the military has gone backwards.
Imagine if we do have a war and they can’t even tell the separation difference between aircraft – whether they are three miles or one mile. Of course I wouldn’t be surprised if the radar they have installed is absolute crap. They never ask advice. You only have to look at the Super Seasprite fiasco to know that there is a culture in the military to never ask advice, never copy the success of others, and resist change in every way they can.
Of course, the Williamtown “lane” cannot be compared with the Victor one route. In fact, the Williamtown “lane” isn’t a “lane” at all, as it’s in controlled airspace under total control. It’s more of a mandatory route that puts single engine aircraft at low level over the ocean when, in most cases, there is no need for this.
Of course, it was probably designed in about 1932 and no-one has been game to change it ever since.
Why would someone design a system that requires single engine aircraft – quite often with pilots with young families on board, to hold over a densely populated beach at Nobby’s and then orbit out over the ocean where a ditching would most likely result in everyone being drowned.
I can assure you that such incredibly irresponsible and dangerous actions are not seen anywhere else in the world.
Yes, I agree that it doesn’t happen all the time. But it happens enough to add to risk to an extent that is totally unnecessary.
Scran, I do understand that modern radar systems use multi-radar tracking to cover blind spots, but I am not referring to aircraft in a blindspot overhead the Willi field. I am talking about an aircraft which is flying along the beach in very good and accurate radar coverage from the head at Williamtown.
Scran, you say that you are not actually against “Dick wanting to improve things” but then you go on to say “I actually think there is scope”, but then you criticise me by saying “it’s the way he goes about it that is wrong”.
Scran, I have been on this point for twenty-five years. For about the first fifteen years I worked quietly behind the scenes. People in the military hierarchy said that they agreed that we should follow modern procedures and that’s what we would be doing. But in fact it didn’t happen. These people were simply not game to make a decision because – presumably – they did not want to be held accountable. Why would they fib to me in this way? Why wouldn’t they simply state, “Dick, we have no interest in what happens overseas. We have done it this way for over fifty years and we are never going to change - get lost!”.
I will say it again here – anyone who works for the military must have very low morale because the leadership is incredibly deficient.
The fact that no-one in the military makes a public statement or even a statement on this site explaining the reason(s) why the modern procedures that are used in other leading aviation countries cannot even be considered here shows how deficient they are.
Never fear. One day if one of these small planes drops into the ocean killing everyone on board, including young children, there will be a major public outcry, huge royal commission costing anything from $50 to $100 million, and then the changes will be made.
I am suggesting we do this before this unnecessary and avoidable accident occurs.
Peuce
no, your majority opinions don’t get overridden by CASA – they get overridden by an individual in CASA who is probably ex-military and who probably never in their life made a decision that he or she could be held accountable for.
Those of you who work for the military know you are being let down and I realise you can’t say anything about it. Let’s hope some changes can be made – hopefully because of some of the pressure I try and apply before lives are needlessly lost.