Sorry to have initiated thread drift. Perhaps we should go elsewhere, as this is supposed to be about why Hardy was grounded. In calling for one standard for all transport of the paying public, I was alluding to adopting the FAA/NZ models, not some CASA-contrived 'improvement' of same. Clearly no-one would expect B747 standards be applied to BN Islanders, but is it not reasonable that a charter category Islander is operated and maintained to the same standard as one approved for RPT? It p!sses me off as much as the next guy that here in Oz we have to re-invent aviation because no one else in the world knows better than us. The sheer arrogance!
As for airfields, we are not geographically-challenged as they are in places like PNG, where they DO have an excuse. A lot of our sub-standard 'strips' are only the way they are because the farmer/shire/community can't be bothered to get the grader and chainsaw out occasionally. Not helped by the other morons who put microwave towers right in the circuit area because it is easier to do that than grade a kilometre of access road.
Now, let's get back to Hardy. What is the state of play....anyone? Seems all the focus of pre-Xmas shut downs has been on Barrier.
Last edited by Mach E Avelli; 29th Dec 2012 at 02:00.