Mr. Arm Out The Window once again wishes to talk "sweet reason" and criticises anyone who finds fault with CASA and argues that the status quo is really quite good as far as he is concerned. I fail to see how he could possibly believe that this is so.
Perhaps his most telling fault is that he studiously avoids any mention of the Forsyth Review and its conclusions.
For the record AOTW, The Forsyth review made the most damning statement it is possible to make in polite company about a public servant or public institution words to the effect that CASA has lost the trust of the industry.
I cannot over emphasise the significance of this conclusion!
WIthout trust, as the review observed, it is impossible for industry to build an effective working relationship with CASA.
No matter how nice and trustworthy Skidmore may appear, he is merely a figurehead of an organisation that has demonstrated that it is untrustworthy and the same trustless people are still running it behind the scenes.
Hence the rejection of the Forsyth review by CASA management.
Hence i fail to see the point of engaging with an untrustworthy organisation. No good can come of it except by accident.
To put that another way, Mr. Horatio Leafblower asked for and received an exemption from the regulations, he could just as easily have been refused one, been targeted, harassed,, bullied and driven out of the industry for his temerity.
To put that yet another way; CASA has been declared by the Forsyth Review not to be a "fit and proper person" to have anything to do with aviation, to use the same weapon beloved of CASA lawyers.
Real reform requires that CASA be broken up, its senior management retired and a new vision implemented. Listening to platitudes about relationships from a well meaning AVM. Skidmore would be reassuring, but he isn't the inspector banging on your hangar door the next morning.