Truss: Aviation Safety Regulation Review

[Sarcs]

Borg's message & Tezza MIA.

Mid-week around the traps...

Borghetti keen to ease regulation to improve productivity

Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti says government should ensure regulation does not stifle the growth and productivity of Australia’s airlines.

Speaking in Canberra to the Transport and Tourism Forum leadership summit’s audience of political and industry figures, Borghetti noted airline productivity had been a key driver of the growth in Australia’s aviation industry over the past decade, and said government had a key role to play to ensure regulatory burdens did not throttle that growth.

“Ensuring that the regulatory and compliance burden is not impeding the growth and competitiveness of the industry is an area where government can very clearly play a role,” Borghetti said on October 29.

“Undertaking the usual business approach of robust cost-benefit analyses before introducing new regulations and considering opportunities to streamline current regulations, or for that matter looking at new approaches rather than simply adding layers and layers of regulation over time, and keeping on putting bandaids in place, are cases in point.”

But your pitching your message to the wrong bloke JB... Our miniscule is currently either fluffing in the bath with his beloved boats or playing with his full replica Thomas the Tank Engine set...

Meanwhile over at Fort Fumble it is good to see someone in the airspace office is awake and did not miss Dick's broadside at the big "R" regulator - Dick Smith warns pilots to be wary of new rules at uncharted airports - here is the response as relayed by the Hitch crew:

CASA responds to ALA Frequency Question
05 Nov 2014



CASA has responded to criticisms over their advice to broadcast on the area VHF frequency when operating from a airfield not marked on charts.
Former CASA boss Dick Smith highlighted the issue on Friday with a scathing response to advice provided in a Civil Aviation Advisory publication (CAAP).

A CASA spokesperson reiterated the regulator's position in an e-mail sent to Australian Flying.

"The multicom frequency (126.7) is not appropriate here because pilots who are unaware of the unmarked aerodrome will be using the Area frequency, and will not hear multicom broadcasts," the e-mail stated. "Pilots transiting at low levels over uncharted aerodromes will not be monitoring multicom—they could be flying on the same track not knowing traffic is coming up.

"Multicom was never a national frequency—it was the frequency to be used at, or in the vicinity of, non-controlled aerodromes without a discrete frequency.

"The area frequency also has an advantage in an emergency, for receiving ATC alerts, and to receive a surveillance information service (SIS) if required.

"Uncharted aerodromes can be very busy. If you are concerned about frequency congestion, and wish to have an aerodrome charted, the best approach is for the aerodrome owner to work through the local Regional Airspace and Procedures Advisory Committee (RAPAC) to seek a change.
"It is not possible to develop guidance addressing every possible circumstance. This is because radio alerted see-and-avoid in Class G airspace is subject to many variables, not least of which is that not all aircraft will be VHF-radio equipped. So pilots must exercise judgement and airmanship to determine what broadcasts should be made and on what frequency.

"Pilots must check all applicable charts—WAC, VTC, VNC etc. This is important because chart limitations mean that an aerodrome may be marked on one chart but not another."
Smith's objection to the advice is based on the possibility that broadcasts on the area frequency may block out important instructions given to passenger jets.

Your Say
We're keen to hear what you have to say. Leave a comment below and tell us if you think 126.7 or the area VHF frequency should be used for airfields not marked on ANY chart.

Could someone send Hitch a link for the relevant thread on this subject - plenty of comments in there...

While on Fort Fumble it would appear that there has been some spring-cleaning going on pending the arrival of the new DAS... Trouble is they couldn't rouse Tezza from his arvo slumber to pen his moniker to this missive to the Heff...:

1.) Correspondence received on 31 October 2014 from Mr Terry Farquharson, Acting Director of Aviation Safety for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, clarifying evidence given on 20 October 2014.(PDF 684 KB)

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF AVIATION SAFETY

Trim Ref: SE1415

28October 2014

Senator the Hon Bill Heffernan
Chair, Senate Standing Committee on Rural
and Regional Affairs and Transport Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Senator Heffernan


Clarification of an issue raised at Estimates


I write regarding an issue raised at the October 2014 Estimates hearing regarding credit card transactions.

During the hearing, Senator Sterle asked the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to advise the Committee' ... how many employees have had to pay back money for private expenses that were claimed on cash or credit card' (Hansard (proof) at p. 153).

In responding to Senator Sterle's questions on this matter, Ms Gillian Savage and Mr Craig Jordan inadvertently overstated the number of employees who have had to repay money for private expenses made on CASA credit cards during the financial year 2014-15, and understated somewhat the estimated amounts of typical charges of this kind. The correct information is provided below.

Between 1 July and 30 September 2014, CASA had 13 instances of misuse with 11 instances being self-reported and the remaining two being identified through CASA's assurance processes. The misuse transactions ranged from $2 to $622.00 with the average total being $152.43.

As Mr Jordan advised during the hearing, all monies related to inadvertent purchases have been repaid. CASA also advises that no instances of fraud were identified.

I trust this advice clarifies matters on this issue.


Yours sincerely


Terry Farquharson
Acting Director of Aviation Safety

MTF...