KLN94
16th Feb 2004, 14:27
Seems the NAS debate has made it onto the online meeja outlet www.crikey.com.au ...
Dear Sole Subscriber,
Monday, February 9, 2004, 3.10pm
In today's sealed section we have the following items:
1. Two views on the Free Trade Agreement
2. Kunkel to retire from Foster’s
3. New stories: WA Libs, Latham files, Aussie Cricketers, Barns
4. Hillary Bray: Timing is everything in politics
5. Queensland election and the fall of Merri Rose
6. Peter Wilkins and ABC sport
7. Media kidnappings and court battles in Sydney
8. Here comes the airspace backflip
9. What’s wrong with the Queensland Liberal Party
10. Queensland election short-takes
11. How taxpayers are helping Michael Lee’s campaign
12. Kerry Packer’s shambolic casino
13. Democrats focus on the big issues
14. Eddie’s plugfest and sporting clashes
15. Henry Thornton on the FTA and monetary policy
16. Crikey’s Canberra correspondent crashes Capitol Hill
17. Troublesome Tassie trees footage
18. The sisterhood of St David Fagan
19. Wagner brings flash floods to Adelaide
20. Media briefs: Trenorden, 2UE and ABC TV
8. HERE COMES THE AIRSPACE BACKFLIP
A pilot writes:
“You may want to dig a bit on a story that will become big news next Wednesday and that is the expected ‘rollback’ of the new airspace system (NAS) that was implemented by John Anderson on 27th November last year. The response from active commercial pilots was bitter and there have been a number of “near misses” especially one in Launceston involving a Virgin Blue 737 and a light aircraft that is being used as the reason for the rollback.
The feeling among professional pilots is that John Anderson succumbed to pressure from Dick Smith, a previous head of CASA, who is the architect of NAS, because Dick apparently said that he would run against him in his seat of Gwydier if he didn’t relent. Hmmm.
The Australian has already picked up on the story but the link with Dick Smith is not promulgated yet. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8605680%255E2702,00.html
Apparently there is a big meeting Wednesday to decide the New Airspace System’s future.
If you want to know what pilots think, then have a look at their anonymous rumour network called PPRUNE at http://www.pprune.org then go to PPRuNe Forums.
You may need to register to get access. NAS is big there but the latest thread “Can anyone spell ROLLBACK?” says it all. Dick Smith even got on there as himself to defend NAS which produced plenty of lively quotes on the issue.
Concerned Pilot”
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sole Subscriber,
Wednesday, February 11, 2004, 4.20pm
In today's second sealed section we have the following items:
1. Government cranks up the Latham attacks
2. All the dirt on Centenary House
3. Packer public vs Packer private
4. Training train drivers and astronauts
5. John Cameron in damage control over Wilkins
6. Facts and spin on the FTA and foreign investment
7. Political punch-ups on the streets of Darwin
8. Dick Smith, John Anderson and aviation deregulation
9. Subs for mentions scandal
10. Courier Mail’s anti-Green bias
11. Warnie yet to bowl but booked for Sri Lanka
12. Time for the ACA to think of health consumers
13. ALP crisis in Liverpool and Melbourne Uni student union
14. Hinch gets a quasi apology from Today Tonight
15. More Hutton classics from Private Eye
16. Is this how Ron Walker got his portrait hung?
17. Media briefs: Daily Tele, Sunday Times, Central Coast
8. DICK SMITH, JOHN ANDERSON AND AVIATION DEREGULATION
A pilot writes:
“I cannot understand why the media are not crawling all over John Anderson, Dick Smith and the National Airspace System debacle.
Check out this Martin Ferguson speech here which fleshes out the argument:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=117728
It explains how Dick Smith, the PM and Anderson met in the lead up to the last election when Mr Smith was constantly describing Anderson as the worst transport minister in history. I would certainly like to know why the attacks on Mr Anderson by Dick Smith stopped so quickly.
This leads into the "reform" of the airspace, which is looking like being rolled back within 3 months of its implementation.”
Another aviation follower writes:
“Dear Crikey,
I have a few mates who are air traffic controllers.
Dick Smith's National Airspace System has already been canned. The controllers were advised of this over a week ago. And, yes, it was Dick Smith's idea all along. Never let power or authority for civil aviation matters rest in the hands of a man who flies only light aircraft and helicopters.
Also, without being anti-American, just because it comes from the USA does not mean that it works well.
On the gross mismanagement side of things, when is someone going to get stuck into the Transport Department for their gross mismanagement of Air Services.
Fact: there are three managers for every three controllers. Each controller earns about AUD100K pa which includes shift allowances (and fair enough too, I will add); the managers, who are little more than creators of staff rosters, earn in excess of that. Why are there so many managers? Well, have you noticed that every time Air Services embarks on cost-cutting exercises it is stated how many controller positions have been excised... well, now you know where they go.
C'mon, Iron Mark, even as a conservative voter I would have no objection to the Opposition landing some punches on the Government over this. John Anderson also owes the controllers an apology after insulting them publicly and privately for their "conservatism" and resistance to change. I don't know about you, but I like conservatism when I fly: I'm a very frequent flyer and safety must come first.
Cheers, The Aviator”
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sole Subscriber,
Thursday, February 12, 2004, 5.15pm
In today's second sealed section we have the following items:
1. Labor’s Cabinet leak and Question Time drama
2. Is the PM about to retire?
3. Centenary House – Robbie Realtor responds
4. Hedging blunders and Cozzie’s foreign investment claim
5. Classic Carlton – how to treat your listeners
6. Warnie still harder to play than Ray Martin
7. Gottliebsen eaten for dessert
8. Aunty’s David Kelly blunder
9. Ron Walker’s latest conflict of interest
10. Henry Thornton on jobs and who cares about healthcare
11. Slippery’s preselection victory
12. The Hodgman files
13. Not in my Hyde Park
14. Style police lay down the law
15. IT problems at the house on the hill
16. Mark Latham’s man – of the people
17. More pilot concerns
18. Corrections: Brandis and Grassby
19. Media briefs: The West and cover-ups at the Sunday Territorian
17. MORE PILOT CONCERNS
Another Pilot writes;
“Dick Smith championed the introduction of a new airspace system on the basis that this new system is in use in the US and it works well there so it will work well here. The fact that the US is 85% covered by radar and Australia only about 15% is immaterial. What he has done, in effect, is the aviation equivalent of causing all road users suddenly to have to drive on the right hand side of the road: ‘because that’s how they do it in the US and it works well there’.
It is incredulous that John Anderson and the government allowed this to happen.
Concerned Pilot”
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sole Subscriber,
Friday, February 13, 2004, 1.45pm
In today's only sealed section we have the following items:
1. The great superannuation backflip
2. How the media covered the acrobatics
3. Will Cozzie look after two mates?
4. Don’t panic, Mr Howard, don’t panic
5. Happy fourth birthday to Crikey
6. Crikey Melbourne pub night and special subscription offer
7. Another day, another $1.1bn AMP write-down
8. Downer embraces freedom from information
9. How banks ripped everyone off with a low dollar
10. Slippergate – was MP involved in nightclub punch-up?
11. Dick Smith answers his critics
12. The Parrot’s Myer backflip
13. Access Economics – a Labor front?
14. Drudge alleges Kerry infidelity
15. Political snippets: Bruce Baird, ACT Labor, Bronwyn and Qld Libs
16. Crikey’s grammar and McCrann dash eradication campaign
17. Newspaper circulation fact and fiction
18. Bill O’Reilly apologises over WMD
19. Beattie under the pump over Tugun by-pass
20. A memo from Fred Hilmer
11. DICK SMITH ANSWERS HIS CRITICS
Entrepreneur and aviation guru Dick Smith writes:
Readers may be interested in the fact that the airspace that pilots were flying in before 27 November 2003, and wish to revert to, was actually introduced by me as Chairman of CAA in 1991.
At the time, the pilots were just as against change as they are now. After 13 years it is interesting to see that they wish to revert to the system that they were originally against.
The fact that the US has more radar coverage than Australia does not mean we cannot follow the US system. Radar coverage depends on traffic density, and the USA has 20 times the number of aircraft in the same area of airspace.
The important safety issue is that with the new airspace changes, we have followed the same US procedures that are used in radar covered airspace in the USA, and we have followed the same US procedures that are used in non-radar covered airspace in the USA.
As well as that, we have added a unique mandatory transponder requirement in our airspace. This is not a requirement in similar airspace in the USA. A transponder is a black box which transmits a signal to other aircraft to inform them of its position. The extremely safe US system has proved that it is not required, however we have added this – at great expense to the general aviation industry – to give even further safety.
Australians fly all the time into places like JFK International Airport, which are covered by radar, and Steamboat Springs Airport in Colorado, which are not covered by radar. The US has the safest airspace system in the world, and that is what we are following.
Dick Smith
CRIKEY: It looks like heads are starting to roll over the New Airspace backflip but naturally the Minister John Anderson won’t be affected: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/12/1076548166167.html
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sole Subscriber,
Monday, February 9, 2004, 3.10pm
In today's sealed section we have the following items:
1. Two views on the Free Trade Agreement
2. Kunkel to retire from Foster’s
3. New stories: WA Libs, Latham files, Aussie Cricketers, Barns
4. Hillary Bray: Timing is everything in politics
5. Queensland election and the fall of Merri Rose
6. Peter Wilkins and ABC sport
7. Media kidnappings and court battles in Sydney
8. Here comes the airspace backflip
9. What’s wrong with the Queensland Liberal Party
10. Queensland election short-takes
11. How taxpayers are helping Michael Lee’s campaign
12. Kerry Packer’s shambolic casino
13. Democrats focus on the big issues
14. Eddie’s plugfest and sporting clashes
15. Henry Thornton on the FTA and monetary policy
16. Crikey’s Canberra correspondent crashes Capitol Hill
17. Troublesome Tassie trees footage
18. The sisterhood of St David Fagan
19. Wagner brings flash floods to Adelaide
20. Media briefs: Trenorden, 2UE and ABC TV
8. HERE COMES THE AIRSPACE BACKFLIP
A pilot writes:
“You may want to dig a bit on a story that will become big news next Wednesday and that is the expected ‘rollback’ of the new airspace system (NAS) that was implemented by John Anderson on 27th November last year. The response from active commercial pilots was bitter and there have been a number of “near misses” especially one in Launceston involving a Virgin Blue 737 and a light aircraft that is being used as the reason for the rollback.
The feeling among professional pilots is that John Anderson succumbed to pressure from Dick Smith, a previous head of CASA, who is the architect of NAS, because Dick apparently said that he would run against him in his seat of Gwydier if he didn’t relent. Hmmm.
The Australian has already picked up on the story but the link with Dick Smith is not promulgated yet. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8605680%255E2702,00.html
Apparently there is a big meeting Wednesday to decide the New Airspace System’s future.
If you want to know what pilots think, then have a look at their anonymous rumour network called PPRUNE at http://www.pprune.org then go to PPRuNe Forums.
You may need to register to get access. NAS is big there but the latest thread “Can anyone spell ROLLBACK?” says it all. Dick Smith even got on there as himself to defend NAS which produced plenty of lively quotes on the issue.
Concerned Pilot”
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sole Subscriber,
Wednesday, February 11, 2004, 4.20pm
In today's second sealed section we have the following items:
1. Government cranks up the Latham attacks
2. All the dirt on Centenary House
3. Packer public vs Packer private
4. Training train drivers and astronauts
5. John Cameron in damage control over Wilkins
6. Facts and spin on the FTA and foreign investment
7. Political punch-ups on the streets of Darwin
8. Dick Smith, John Anderson and aviation deregulation
9. Subs for mentions scandal
10. Courier Mail’s anti-Green bias
11. Warnie yet to bowl but booked for Sri Lanka
12. Time for the ACA to think of health consumers
13. ALP crisis in Liverpool and Melbourne Uni student union
14. Hinch gets a quasi apology from Today Tonight
15. More Hutton classics from Private Eye
16. Is this how Ron Walker got his portrait hung?
17. Media briefs: Daily Tele, Sunday Times, Central Coast
8. DICK SMITH, JOHN ANDERSON AND AVIATION DEREGULATION
A pilot writes:
“I cannot understand why the media are not crawling all over John Anderson, Dick Smith and the National Airspace System debacle.
Check out this Martin Ferguson speech here which fleshes out the argument:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=117728
It explains how Dick Smith, the PM and Anderson met in the lead up to the last election when Mr Smith was constantly describing Anderson as the worst transport minister in history. I would certainly like to know why the attacks on Mr Anderson by Dick Smith stopped so quickly.
This leads into the "reform" of the airspace, which is looking like being rolled back within 3 months of its implementation.”
Another aviation follower writes:
“Dear Crikey,
I have a few mates who are air traffic controllers.
Dick Smith's National Airspace System has already been canned. The controllers were advised of this over a week ago. And, yes, it was Dick Smith's idea all along. Never let power or authority for civil aviation matters rest in the hands of a man who flies only light aircraft and helicopters.
Also, without being anti-American, just because it comes from the USA does not mean that it works well.
On the gross mismanagement side of things, when is someone going to get stuck into the Transport Department for their gross mismanagement of Air Services.
Fact: there are three managers for every three controllers. Each controller earns about AUD100K pa which includes shift allowances (and fair enough too, I will add); the managers, who are little more than creators of staff rosters, earn in excess of that. Why are there so many managers? Well, have you noticed that every time Air Services embarks on cost-cutting exercises it is stated how many controller positions have been excised... well, now you know where they go.
C'mon, Iron Mark, even as a conservative voter I would have no objection to the Opposition landing some punches on the Government over this. John Anderson also owes the controllers an apology after insulting them publicly and privately for their "conservatism" and resistance to change. I don't know about you, but I like conservatism when I fly: I'm a very frequent flyer and safety must come first.
Cheers, The Aviator”
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sole Subscriber,
Thursday, February 12, 2004, 5.15pm
In today's second sealed section we have the following items:
1. Labor’s Cabinet leak and Question Time drama
2. Is the PM about to retire?
3. Centenary House – Robbie Realtor responds
4. Hedging blunders and Cozzie’s foreign investment claim
5. Classic Carlton – how to treat your listeners
6. Warnie still harder to play than Ray Martin
7. Gottliebsen eaten for dessert
8. Aunty’s David Kelly blunder
9. Ron Walker’s latest conflict of interest
10. Henry Thornton on jobs and who cares about healthcare
11. Slippery’s preselection victory
12. The Hodgman files
13. Not in my Hyde Park
14. Style police lay down the law
15. IT problems at the house on the hill
16. Mark Latham’s man – of the people
17. More pilot concerns
18. Corrections: Brandis and Grassby
19. Media briefs: The West and cover-ups at the Sunday Territorian
17. MORE PILOT CONCERNS
Another Pilot writes;
“Dick Smith championed the introduction of a new airspace system on the basis that this new system is in use in the US and it works well there so it will work well here. The fact that the US is 85% covered by radar and Australia only about 15% is immaterial. What he has done, in effect, is the aviation equivalent of causing all road users suddenly to have to drive on the right hand side of the road: ‘because that’s how they do it in the US and it works well there’.
It is incredulous that John Anderson and the government allowed this to happen.
Concerned Pilot”
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sole Subscriber,
Friday, February 13, 2004, 1.45pm
In today's only sealed section we have the following items:
1. The great superannuation backflip
2. How the media covered the acrobatics
3. Will Cozzie look after two mates?
4. Don’t panic, Mr Howard, don’t panic
5. Happy fourth birthday to Crikey
6. Crikey Melbourne pub night and special subscription offer
7. Another day, another $1.1bn AMP write-down
8. Downer embraces freedom from information
9. How banks ripped everyone off with a low dollar
10. Slippergate – was MP involved in nightclub punch-up?
11. Dick Smith answers his critics
12. The Parrot’s Myer backflip
13. Access Economics – a Labor front?
14. Drudge alleges Kerry infidelity
15. Political snippets: Bruce Baird, ACT Labor, Bronwyn and Qld Libs
16. Crikey’s grammar and McCrann dash eradication campaign
17. Newspaper circulation fact and fiction
18. Bill O’Reilly apologises over WMD
19. Beattie under the pump over Tugun by-pass
20. A memo from Fred Hilmer
11. DICK SMITH ANSWERS HIS CRITICS
Entrepreneur and aviation guru Dick Smith writes:
Readers may be interested in the fact that the airspace that pilots were flying in before 27 November 2003, and wish to revert to, was actually introduced by me as Chairman of CAA in 1991.
At the time, the pilots were just as against change as they are now. After 13 years it is interesting to see that they wish to revert to the system that they were originally against.
The fact that the US has more radar coverage than Australia does not mean we cannot follow the US system. Radar coverage depends on traffic density, and the USA has 20 times the number of aircraft in the same area of airspace.
The important safety issue is that with the new airspace changes, we have followed the same US procedures that are used in radar covered airspace in the USA, and we have followed the same US procedures that are used in non-radar covered airspace in the USA.
As well as that, we have added a unique mandatory transponder requirement in our airspace. This is not a requirement in similar airspace in the USA. A transponder is a black box which transmits a signal to other aircraft to inform them of its position. The extremely safe US system has proved that it is not required, however we have added this – at great expense to the general aviation industry – to give even further safety.
Australians fly all the time into places like JFK International Airport, which are covered by radar, and Steamboat Springs Airport in Colorado, which are not covered by radar. The US has the safest airspace system in the world, and that is what we are following.
Dick Smith
CRIKEY: It looks like heads are starting to roll over the New Airspace backflip but naturally the Minister John Anderson won’t be affected: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/12/1076548166167.html
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