Posted on PP before but probably more poignant today.
It's gone beyond any political solution now and the matter needs to be left to fester to it's logical conclusion before anybody can pretend to have an aviation safety organization that is transparent and has the confidence of what's left of the industry.
"Freeradicals/ general aviation/ flying instructors/ and of caged birds who thinkflying is a crime.
Asenior CasA Board identity once said that things will have to get worse beforethey can get better. Said with such sincerity it caused raised eyelids withmany already afflicted by the regulatory nepotism, the psychopathicincompetence, the arrogance, the indifference to adherence of the bureaucraticrole, a bipartisan and chronic lack of political will, and an apatheticindustry. Those quoted words above are becoming reality today and generalaviation in particular leads the stampede to destruction. Lemmings at the cliffface who don’t appear to care until the actual fall and then squeal for help on the way down.
Forall intents and purpose, it seems minority groups have little power ofpersuasion unless their cause is newsworthy, and appeals to at least 50% of thevoting public, (or at least enough as to make a dent in marginal seats). Suchminority groups need to be involved with activist groups of radicals and manyof these involve genuine moral and social justice or socialistic ideals. Ithelps if those radicals can involve their ideals with the teaching industry asit helps train the next generations to that way thinking.
Thegeneral aviation minority group has lost its opportunity to seize this status.The regulator has divided and conquered and now has the moral high ground. Theregulator controls the teachers of the next generations.
Anextract from a social media site came across my desk the other day, and withoutcommenting on the reason it was thought I may be interested, some remarkscaused me to capture a sample for reproduction here as it appears there arepeople who don’t think there is a problem of their own making in Australia. Onecontributor is a Chief Flying Instructor.
1.Malcontents and shonks are the only people who allege CASA corruption.
2.Dumb people, they’re everywhere agree with the summation of those who allegecorruption.
3.Bunch of idiots.
4.A poor reflection of a very small part of our industry.
5.Guards at work, bullet proof glass, airfields made no go areas to protect usagainst these whack jobs.
6.Worried that they will make the whole industry look like a bunch of yokels.
7.These guys are nuts.
8.With over 30 years and 150,000 hours of operation nationally andinternationally, I have never had a cross word, maybe 1 or 2 minor NCN’s andanything but cordial and civilized relations with CASA (or its predecessors).
9.Heavy jet international unrestricted world wide operations AOC gained in 100days flat.
Whilesome of these comments seem misguided, they are in answer to a question I hadnot seen about regulatory corruption, (nor was interested in enough to engagewith), I can only believe the people who wrote them, fervently believe theiropinions are true. Unfortunately they are at odds with what I’ve witnessed inmy 49 years in the industry and especially of late. Of note were the commentsfrom the flying instructor at point 1.
Thisaspect is of concern because it highlights the intergenerational radicaleducational agendas at work with a bend towards the “establishment” which isclearly replicated in society and educational socialism. It’s not a good systemto train people to a political, or other will of the day, when they may beforced to deal with self preservation strategy’s that evolve with otherpolitical, social or or bureaucratic environments.
Thenotion of flying training is a matter of manual dexterity. The subsequenttraining is for mathematical and engineering competence, physiological functionand maintenance of skills. To say flying training must include legalinterpretations, bureaucratic and political considerations or bending to thewont of the instructor is plain stupid and dangerous. To implant pre-judgmentsabout others misfortunes or their need to fight for their own crusades isstupid and dangerous and likely to alienate the pupil with his peers from othereducational establishments.
Oris this the new “compliant” flying school who has a business today only becauseof the kindly regulators model?
Ihave no great interest in flying any more in the current environment. I doubtit will get better before it gets worse. In fact I’m convinced that to hastenthe end would be a mercy. Further I believe we are well on the way to acomplete shut down of general aviation in Australia. When this happens the CASAgoal of only airlines and military will have been achieved and as these caneffectively self regulate within the confines of the national security needs ofthe day and ICAO.
Therewill be no need for CASA any more. There will be no need for a new DAS to passthe hot grenade to. There will be no need for a regulatory review process.There will be no need for government budgetary concerns and there will be noneed for the public servants who have engineered their own devolution.
Onlythen can the process start over again. Only then can someone put a regulatoryframework in place that can be tolerant, workable, forgiving, understandable,non confrontational, and cost effective. There is only a political solution tothe regulatory problem which the industry has allowed to be a self fulfillingprophecy. As there is no political will, the only option is to allow nature totake its course and let CASA self destruct. In the interim those who havesuffered from the regulatory malaise continue to push their case for justicewhich is denied them by delay.
Definition: Free radicals. Molecules with unpaired electronssearching to find other molecules during which they are very reactive and causedamage to surrounding molecules.
Frank Arouet.