RadioSaigon
30th Sep 2008, 00:22
I'm surprised that this hasn't been mentioned before... a friend of mine (non-aviation) sent me this last night:
An effort to reduce the noise of small planes in a top tourist spot is causing a lot of noise in Queenstown's aviation industry.
Companies were made to compete for the rights to fly into Milford Sound and those who have missed out are not happy.
It was the noise of all the aircraft flying in and out of Milford Sound that drove the decision to limit the numbers there.
Thirty-six operators ended up contesting 23 concessions for commercial landings. Aspiring Air says it was one of the first to fly into Milford, but after some 40 years it has missed out.
"Eighty-percent is flying planes to Milford and at a stroke of a pen the Department of Conservation has denied us the right to earn our livelihood," says chief executive David Horsburgh.
But DOC says it stands by its decision making.
"I can certainly understand that one of the applicants, who isn't one of the successful, isn't going to be able to take part in the 9,500 landings, would be disappointed and upset but the process was designed to protect the values of Milford. It was a competitive process," says spokesman Martin Kessick.
But those who missed out say the problem is the way DOC chose to pick the winners. The flight operators could only apply for a concession with a certain number of landings and if they missed out on that, they were out of the running altogether.
DOC says it chose applicants that could show they would minimise the impact on Milford, but critics say it's not what they have achieved.
Hank Sproull from the Queenstown-Milford users group, says DOC is choosing larger aeroplanes that make less noise to fly over Milford. But he says the problem with that is that there are no landing strips for planes of such sizes anywhere around the area.
On Monday the weather in Milford stopped flights, giving time for the users group to hold yet another meeting as they consider how to appeal.
So the bleeding-heart greenie brigade has had a win... disgusting.
This action by DOC has added massive value to the businesses annointed with a concession to operate commercially into NZMF, whilst in the same action all-but ensuring the certain failure of the businesses not awarded a concession -their business case and model is gone. As part of the concession process, DOC at a minimum implied they were interested in seeing larger, quieter aircraft operating on this route.
Hank Sproull of Air Milford in NZQN is no longer allowed to operate his 14-seat C-208 Caravan on the route, but does have minimal approvals to operate his C-206 and C-185 -so instead of one quiet gas-turbine hauling 14 bums, he has 2 noisy -520's hauling a maximum of 10 pax!!! Bizarre!!!
Aspiring Air in NZWF has missed out completely on movements. A 40-odd year old business wiped out at the stroke of a bureaucrats pen!!! The bureaucrats and bleeding-heart greenies don't give a toss -their jobs are secure,and becoming more-so with every pandering action of Helen Clark's oh-so Politically Correct government!!!
FFS Enough!!! Civil disobedience boys. Find or create a way to screw these idiots in a place the sun don't shine. The contribution these businesses make to society locally and nationally is far beyond any slight noise impact. If this government is sincere in its desire to reduce the noise impact on the environment, then why are they not encouraging the development of GA as an industry, allowing the operators the opportunity to return investment in their machinery and move onto quieter, more efficient, later technology airframes??? Instead we have a government and administrator that apparently perceive GA as a thorn in their sides which they are actively seeking to suppress.
I'm a little isolated from the facts and realities of this current debacle so would appreciate any information available. Who has the concessions? Who missed out? Is this process being used as a blunt instruments to reduce the number of NZQN GA movements? What are the impressions of the process and fairness of allocation?
I have spent a huge part of my working life in the NZMF area, as a guide on the Milford Track and as a pilot for a few of the operators around the area, but haven't been there for about 7 years now. I know many of you operating there personally and am deeply concerned for the vability of your businesses and for a group of individuals I like & respect.
Hang tough boys, there will be a solution. We've just got to find it.
An effort to reduce the noise of small planes in a top tourist spot is causing a lot of noise in Queenstown's aviation industry.
Companies were made to compete for the rights to fly into Milford Sound and those who have missed out are not happy.
It was the noise of all the aircraft flying in and out of Milford Sound that drove the decision to limit the numbers there.
Thirty-six operators ended up contesting 23 concessions for commercial landings. Aspiring Air says it was one of the first to fly into Milford, but after some 40 years it has missed out.
"Eighty-percent is flying planes to Milford and at a stroke of a pen the Department of Conservation has denied us the right to earn our livelihood," says chief executive David Horsburgh.
But DOC says it stands by its decision making.
"I can certainly understand that one of the applicants, who isn't one of the successful, isn't going to be able to take part in the 9,500 landings, would be disappointed and upset but the process was designed to protect the values of Milford. It was a competitive process," says spokesman Martin Kessick.
But those who missed out say the problem is the way DOC chose to pick the winners. The flight operators could only apply for a concession with a certain number of landings and if they missed out on that, they were out of the running altogether.
DOC says it chose applicants that could show they would minimise the impact on Milford, but critics say it's not what they have achieved.
Hank Sproull from the Queenstown-Milford users group, says DOC is choosing larger aeroplanes that make less noise to fly over Milford. But he says the problem with that is that there are no landing strips for planes of such sizes anywhere around the area.
On Monday the weather in Milford stopped flights, giving time for the users group to hold yet another meeting as they consider how to appeal.
So the bleeding-heart greenie brigade has had a win... disgusting.
This action by DOC has added massive value to the businesses annointed with a concession to operate commercially into NZMF, whilst in the same action all-but ensuring the certain failure of the businesses not awarded a concession -their business case and model is gone. As part of the concession process, DOC at a minimum implied they were interested in seeing larger, quieter aircraft operating on this route.
Hank Sproull of Air Milford in NZQN is no longer allowed to operate his 14-seat C-208 Caravan on the route, but does have minimal approvals to operate his C-206 and C-185 -so instead of one quiet gas-turbine hauling 14 bums, he has 2 noisy -520's hauling a maximum of 10 pax!!! Bizarre!!!
Aspiring Air in NZWF has missed out completely on movements. A 40-odd year old business wiped out at the stroke of a bureaucrats pen!!! The bureaucrats and bleeding-heart greenies don't give a toss -their jobs are secure,and becoming more-so with every pandering action of Helen Clark's oh-so Politically Correct government!!!
FFS Enough!!! Civil disobedience boys. Find or create a way to screw these idiots in a place the sun don't shine. The contribution these businesses make to society locally and nationally is far beyond any slight noise impact. If this government is sincere in its desire to reduce the noise impact on the environment, then why are they not encouraging the development of GA as an industry, allowing the operators the opportunity to return investment in their machinery and move onto quieter, more efficient, later technology airframes??? Instead we have a government and administrator that apparently perceive GA as a thorn in their sides which they are actively seeking to suppress.
I'm a little isolated from the facts and realities of this current debacle so would appreciate any information available. Who has the concessions? Who missed out? Is this process being used as a blunt instruments to reduce the number of NZQN GA movements? What are the impressions of the process and fairness of allocation?
I have spent a huge part of my working life in the NZMF area, as a guide on the Milford Track and as a pilot for a few of the operators around the area, but haven't been there for about 7 years now. I know many of you operating there personally and am deeply concerned for the vability of your businesses and for a group of individuals I like & respect.
Hang tough boys, there will be a solution. We've just got to find it.