Dick
Thanks for getting the numbers. I think this is a clear example of CASA'a over regulation causing a reduction in safety.
I believe that having more IFR pilots would save lives. VFR flying is fun on a nice day. But when you have an impulsion to go somewhere its demonstrably safer not to be scud running but instead be at a safe altitude in IMC or better still above a cloud layer.
IFR no longer has the situational awareness complexities of interpreting abstract black & white dials now that we can just "follow the magenta line". The act of flying IFR is getting easier, why is licencing (of pilots and aircraft) getting harder?
Why are we not encouraging pilots to go beyond the VFR syllabus that is essentially the same as I did 40 years ago?