Ok, now maybe I am softening with the advent of grandchildren, or perhaps senility has finally overcome me, but I am going to give a very very rare display of 'kindness' to the regulator. Here goes;
Mr Byron - He did indeed try to realign us back with ICAO rather than with the Iron Rings interpretation of best practise. However just as he was about to deliver the money shot he shot a blank instead. The power of the Iron Ring overcame him and our regulations once again went back to their flaccid state.
Byron's 'intent' was at one stage very good.
Prescription and Outcome based compliance - The reality is this 'we will always have both'. Some rules are prescriptive to the letter, other rules can be complied with by the operator utilising its own best practise system to achieve compliance. It is the nature of the beast, it's aviation, and it won't change. The challenge however is finding the right balance.
RAAF - Have to agree to a certain degree that a number of RAAF individuals have failed at CAsA due to the disconnect between military and civil behaviour. In fact, there are/has been a number of compete knobs enter CAsA. On the other hand, I have known a couple of brilliant RAAF guys at CAsA, who like the rest of industry were shocked, dismayed and dissuaded by the upper levels of this out of touch and out of control regulator.
In my humble, honest opinion, there are some good folk at CAsA with good skills, experience and understanding of what goes on, on both sides of the fence. But Mr Truss is the
only person who can grab that large robust steel wrecking ball and fix the problem. Get rid of MrDak, the bureaucratic Board and each member and affiliate of the Iron Ring and you will have not only the complete fix, but the foundation for change. The results of the WLR will show is exactly what Mr Truss's 'intent' is. Let's hope that common sense prevails, however I am doubtful and I fear that VH-STYX is being prepared for departure.
In the mean time, it's party time for the Iron Ring;
(Footnote: Some of the below footage may offend those who don't like watching unaccountable CAsA management partying when they get word that their $89 million taxpayer funded trough injection was approved)
"Safe budgets and lederhosen for all"