But wait.... there's more
The prosecutor made the grand pronouncement to the court... and I quote..
"No person can take a photograph from an aeroplane in Australia without a CPL and an AOC"
WE know that's bullsh*t of course, but when CASA is on a roll any old BS will do. ( Wow, Is that right !, thinks the magistrate, this is serious.!)
What they dont say is that "bugger's muddle" Reg 206... which makes the act of photography for money, illegal.ie a crime... Is a) probably illegal in itself
since CASA cannot be a regulator of commerce, so states the Act... and b) it does not even fit the Government guidelines on what constitutes a crime.
And of course, where is the "safety" case, that is required to apply to a Reg, if you can do exactly the same thing for free.!!!
There isnt one, but dont let that get in the way of fcuking someones livelihood when they can flex their penile power muscle, while pretending to save the world from falling aeroplanes.
As a taxpayer, you may be interested to know that while CASA was wasting 10s of thousands of dollars ' in hot pursuit' of one solo PPL photographer ...
in FNQ over the same period there were 7 fatal light GA Charter accidents and 22 fatalites. And these are the people that claim that the safety of paying passengers is their primary concern. Dont make me laugh.!
So like much of CASA's convoluted Reg rubbish... it becomes a grey area that is only hauled out for some.
Yellow pages lists over 5000 Photographers - Aerial.. and only 5 of those had AOCs..!!
And there was one I spoke to, who did low level pics from a powered pararchute around a city in controlled airspace.! He also flew hard stuff and had a CPL .. but no AOC.
But that's CASA for ya... different strokes for different folks.!
They might use the aurgument that they all hire an aeroplane from a Charter Co. with an AOC and a CPL. But they wouldnt know wtf they do....see above prosecutors comment... its just the crap of the day.
Until there is serious political will to drag CASA into the 21st century,
with a set of Regs for the Industry, by the Industry, that will allow the industry to flourish, GA is on the slippery slope to nowhere.
Currently,CASA is like the dropped bedpan in the hospital.. who wants to clean it up.?