Unique Sir Angus Houston AsA Requirement Will Reduce Safety
In just 12 months’ time all aircraft which fly IFR must be fitted with ADSB. No other country in the world has such a draconian and costly mandate.
Considering we’ve never had a collision between IFR aircraft in cloud, it’s clear that AsA are not addressing any known safety issue. The RIS shows that the cost to G.A. will be over $30 million.
The reason I refer to Sir Angus Houston and AsA is it’s clear that it’s Sir Angus and his Board who are pushing this requirement.
There is just one problem and that is that many pilots I talk to who currently fly IFR have decided to change their aircraft to the VFR category and save the $10,000 to $45,000 in ADSB fitment.
Clearly safety is most likely to be reduced, especially if you look at recent accidents like the helicopter at Cessnock and more recently the fixed wing aircraft at Port Lonsdale.
In the U.S. over 60 percent of pilots hold current instrument ratings. In Australia I understand it’s about 16 percent. This is clearly going to drop to even a lower figure, I would say 5 or 6 percent.
If you remember, John McCormick put in writing that the reason CASA could not give dispensations in relation to the unique Australian ADSB mandate was because of objections from Airservices.
When you consider, rather than pay for the 600 ground stations required to give proper coverage over our land mass, (as the FAA has done) Airservices have just put in a handful to save money and of course maximise profits and bonuses. They do not even have ADSB coverage between Moruya and Merimbula at 8,000 feet under the J Curve.
In the USA even after 2020 there will be no requirement for ADSB below 10,000 feet in D, E and G Airspace.
How many more unnecessary fatalities will take place before this unique mandate is removed?