Gobbles, Jaba,
I agree with you both. I might be simplistic, but to me the decision that has come about, despite the quality of the analysis of the video by some 3rd parties is unrealistic.
The fact I stare at, is that the DPP's opinion that there was not enough evidence to prosecute this guy and get a qualified criminal conviction, should have been backed up by the AAT.
I'm no legal eagle, but to me that is wrong. If CASA cannot get a conviction recorded in the regular courts (or enough evidence to get that far), then the pilots application to the AAT should have been upheld.
Maybe this is something Sir Xenophone needs whacking on the back of the head about. He seems a reasonable bloke (despite the fact i hate him) who knows right from wrong.
In my lowly aviation experience, i've been on the end of 2 CASA ramp checks, the first wasn't too bad, they checked my documentation, and questioned me on my preperation. No probs there, and then gave me some tips on local operations.
The second one..if i had my chance again, i'd punch the CASA FOI in the mouth. He was arrogant, and overstepped his authority. I dropped into Avalon East with max POB in a warrior. His first line was that he wasn't going to bother asking me for my W&B calcs as he could see I was overweight.
By this time my Pax had dissembarked. I replied that when I departed my home port I was 45kg below max. With that he rips off the closest tank cap and says no fuel in there, proceeds to the other wing, rips the cap off and states not much fuel in there either. I had more than enough fuel for the mission required and had done my sums.
This FOI crossed several boundaries..................the worst i'll make number one.
1) he discussed a low (?) fuel status in front of uniformed passengers (non pilots)
2) He unlawfully interfered with an aircraft. He had NO permission to touch the aeroplane, much less interfere with the fuel system. Had I been as informed as I am now, I would have told everyone to stay where they were, grabbed the nearest copper and had the prick arrested.
No pilot wants their passengers to have an unneccesary fear put into them! They trust you, and to have some muppet come along looking for a promotion to break that trust just wants me to bang em in the head.
That all being said, I am still at a loss as too why the AAT upheld CASA's decision with no conviction
Jas