Sorry to get up your nose snarek but I believe in subjects like this one it is usefull to have an idea of the posters background.
Manwell,
I find it very difficult to believe the US airspace system is responsible for the GA industries alleged vibrancy. Far more likely to be the critical mass of relatively affluent population I think. Also the form of democracy that is practised in the US basically makes it anyones RIGHT to fly an aircraft if they want and therefore the system is biassed that way...in Australia it is deemed a priviledge at best but most of the time, for private ops anyway, a nuisance caused by silvertails with too much money.
Australia's GA industry is depressed for many reasons...just one of which is we're taxed into an early grave by those morons in CB, so many people just don't have the spare cash to fly. Particularly when we, as an industry, have our coastline/watersports to compete with. 19 million odd people just can't spawn as many aeroplane nuts as 260 million!!
But to the subject.
Dick has made claims of 70 million annual savings...how can this be...he's not telling and no-one else seems to be able to fathom where they are either. VFR aircraft already use the system (mostly) free anyway...and in my opinion there are so few VFR aircraft airborne AND going somewhere far enough to warrant the term cross country that if they were included in the system as if IFR in terms of service it would not be significant.
Safety.
It should be self evident that excluding, even a small part of the traffic, from the system is going to be less safe.
The Class E procedures are a classic example...VFR aircraft, unless in receipt of RIS, should monitor Class G area freq. VFR aircraft don't require a clearance in Class E but IFR do, unless operating VFR before an IFR 'pickup'.
While the IFR aircraft in the same airspace are on a different freq!
Tell me how any sane person can believe that is a good idea!! It's analogous to some drivers being allowed to drive at night without headlights. It might work if no-one ever needed to turn right across the flow of traffic.
While we are at it lets remove all the frequency boxes from the charts so the pilot will have to look up an a list to find the frequency he/she needs....great idea that one!!
VFR pilots, where possible, to avoid published IFR routes...How? Show me some routes between airfields that don't have IFR published routes.
CAR 163A is a crock.
Simpler yet...a significant proportion of the price of fuel is tax of one kind or another. I'm already paying for the service and I demand value for my money!
That does not mean I expect to be able to charge willy nilly and operate within/ in close proximity to major airports, like Sydney, with 30 seconds notice. As a VFR user it is my responibility to fit into a system which exists for IFR users who are operating commercially. Not theirs to fit in with me.
I think the claimed savings are BS.
I think the NAS is less safe for no good reason.
I think DS is, while probably well intentioned, totally misguided.
I don't care if the Kings have flown here once or 5 times...they are not qualified to be employed by ASA/CASA as roving ambassadors for a bad idea badly implemented. We are NOT getting the US system we are getting a cherry picked retarded cousin.
What's really sickening is the whole airspace thing is really dog**** simple.
Class A/B/C/D/GAAP remains as is. 30nm MBZs around airfields that warrant it, 15nm CTAFs everywhere else.
Everything else is OCTA...Class G/F if you must.
If you're VFR you fit into the IFR system if above 5000'. Free!!!
If you're travelling more than 50nm/in/out of CTA you put in a plan. It's not hard fer crissake...1x 2 minute phone call gets me out of YBCG VFR. For long distance flights a full flight plan is the absolute minimum preparation you should be doing anyway...doesn't take much more effort to hit 'submit'. Full reporting ensures attention to navigation, fuel planning, etc. It makes it more likely that a pilot will actually read notams/weather etc. It's all there free via the
WWW...any pilots/flying schools/charter companies out there who are not online?
DS KISS!!
Chuck.