Could it be that Australian PPRuNe posters are a reasonably accurate representation of Australian aviators, ATCs, engineers etc?
Midnight,
I think that is quite probable, which, in my opinion, tends to validate Mick's comment.
The very anti US tinge in the "regulator" and the sector goes back a long way (remember when US built aircraft were prohibited on "Imperial" routes, and when non-British built aircraft were subject a heavy tariff coming into Australia) at least to Kingsford-Smith, and was greatly reinforced with post WWII migration from UK to Australia.
Remember having to buy Rolls Royce built Continental 0-200 and 0-300, and they were garbage compared to US built engines, with about 70% of the TBO.
Re. more recent (late 1990s on) airspace management reform, to quote the then AFAP Technical Director to me, (late 1990s?)face to face and with witnesses, after he had just been sponsored to the US to see for himself:
" I don't care how well it works, we are not going to have septic (septic=septic tank=yank for those of you not into cockney rhyming slang) airspace in Australia".
--- what a balanced, open minded assessment. That is why I was so pleased to read the statement of the current AFAP President on the subject last week.
Bloggs,
Just so you can date the major starting point for the move to "real" regulatory reform, it was near enough to same time as AMATS, (1991??) when, amongst other things, we dropped the "nose" rule and adopted harmonization with ICAO cruising levels ---- over much domestic objection.
It is a thoroughgoing indictment of the resistance to change in Australia, that what "reform" has been "achieved" so far, with the exception of CASR Parts 21-35, is an operational and financial disaster.
NZ had a false start to reform at the same time, realised their mistakes (long before the recent EASA discovery)and started again, and were largely complete by about 1997 --- and they have been reaping the rewards of an ever expanding aviation sector ever since.
Tootle pip!!