Wally I agree circumstances are different to the 20's and 30's as aviation was trying to find its feet along with the regulators. However it seems every golden age of aviation came with the support of government. Look at the incentives to aviation in the 70's offered to aviation. They recognised the importance of stimulating regional growth.
Government now be they federal or state seem to be very city centric.
Stimulate regional growth and money flows to the city. Mining and FIFO don't stimulate regional growth as money bypasses the regions. All except WA where a certain amount of royalties are quarantined and fed back via royalties for regions.
The ability for everyone to share costs are even more important when times are tough. If mines were forced as part of their licence to use more local services, employees, we as regional operators would get more work. Instead they keep it all in house and fly contractors in from the cities or that is what we hear from a multitude of local services.
Reg 206 restricts the local electrician sharing the cost of a flight with the local computer geek and plumber with a tourist to visit an aboriginal community once a week, or three different government departments being billed for visiting a small town to setup shop for a day once a fortnight is so important to community services in the outback community.
Now each department have to drive sometimes for 8 hours and overnight at the community to provide theses services because some been counter in a gov dept in a city office cannot justify the cost of a sole charter and an 3 hour return charter flight. The local sparky or plumber cannot afford a sole charter and the residents of some of these communities have to wait up to a month to get these services and are all combined with a regular driving visit once a month.
Small aviation business less than 5 aircraft that make up the majority of charter operators in Australia according to the latest statistics are the most cost effective. This is because most of the times the CP is also main pilot, freight loader, HAAMC and CEO second pilot is son daughter or mate and partner is also in charge of manning the phones,quoting and book work and keeping everyone on the game.
My experience shows cost go up rapidly when you move from this to 5 to 10 aircraft and you have to employe office person, line pilots with it also comes more responsibly to check that everyone is being compliant as you relinquish a bit of control and take up more of management role. You also have to go harder on quotes to keep it all in the air and make payments.
I like those of us stay in the business's because we love our job, and dream of the day that common sense will prevail and CASA allow us to do what we do best and that's provide a service to those in the bush that rely on us and are also our friends.
We live for the day 206 will be relaxed and we can setup services for less than 9 pax on a schedule on a per seat price into dirt strips 700-1000 metres long in 206's,210's and caravans the same as they do in South Africa and Alaska.
We also hope to be able to keep maintenance on our aircraft on a schedule that is more suited to a small operation and aircraft we operate. Eg VFR day.
I know fairies are alive and living at the bottom of the garden, but were would you be if you couldn't dream.
Hope Senator Fawcett can keep the pressure on he certainly understands our issues.
MS