CASA audit their own approved/accepted operating system for Pel Air and find it deficient???? WTF??
Maybe old age and booze are carrying me off – however. Let's suppose (for the sake of argument) that tomorrow you decide that an AOC is required.
Step 1) write an exposition (Operations Manual), fill out the form, write a cheque and send it all off into the 'black hole" of CASA. Now Brisbane will send it off (eventually) to a Regional Office near you.
Step 2) An FOI and if required an AWI will emerge from the ruck, these are now, your guys (or girls). They will take an almost endless amount of time to "assess" the manual as being 'acceptable', unless of course you are required to go CAR 217 then, they will formally approve it. So far so good. After the inevitable rounds of "amendments", with luck, fortitude, patience and an almost unlimited bank balance, the "Safety Authority" will accept/approve your operation and issue an AOC.
The curly bit is, next year they are going to audit your operation: fair enough you may say. But should you, while complying (religiously) with your approved/accepted COM be found to be 'illegal' (as suits), then you will be prosecuted – if it pleases them.
Must be me; Pel Air were working with an approved (CAR 217) accepted parts A + B but "suddenly" the CASA approved operating system is "in breach" and you are deep in it. Seems strange to me. The other (and slightly bizarre) side of the coin is of course Airtex where they were prosecuted, not on a revised, as required by CASA manual, but 'mostly' (as suited) on an old one. CASA had 'unfortunately' not accepted the new one ?. Oh, how strange and wonderful are the ways of "the Gods".
All I can say is I hope someone who understands all of this can explain it to a fairly hostile Senate inquiry, in a way that makes sense of it all.
Grip Pipe –
where are you?; I need a rousing chorus of Ah Bollicks here. Preferably elephant sized ones. At least I can throw them at the silly buggers as the prance and preen in front of the cameras next week. Popcorn ordered, fridge full and a day off to boot.
PS. Spike, nice to have you back - in one piece.
Selah