Folks,
It's very sad that we have got to the stage where quite a few professional people I know (Sunfish is far from alone in his decision) will no longer fly as pilot in command, and/or attend major flying gatherings, for fear of the professional consequences of losing a head butting contest with an FOI with attitude --- I can relate several horror stories from Birdsville.
---- and there are a few, those of us (still) in the aviation sector who can name names.
What I am seeing increasingly (it seems to go in cycles, shades of the latter days of CAA) are extreme and/or novel interpretations of long standing regulations. Such has been the case in (amongst others) Avtex and Polar Air.
As to John Quadrio, as I read the judgement, the case was lost when Quadrio and his legal team failed to convince the Tribunal that the high angles of bank did not occur in the manner alleged by CASA.
The rest of the judgement logically followed. Reread Paul Phelan's details about finding the birds on the video.
As Clinton make clear, there is a big difference between an administrative action (and the level of "proof" required) and a criminal finding.
Nevertheless, I find it profoundly disturbing that that such severe administrative action, that it has effectively ended John Quadrio's aviation career, should be taken, when the CDPP did not proceed with the allegation of criminal offenses.
Tootle pip!!