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Stationair8
17th Jul 2010, 06:24
Fridays Australian, contained a story about certain operaters doing flights to check out anti-whaling operations in the Southern ocean last summer.

www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation).

Seems to be much confusion within CASA how far operaters can operate out to sea without an international AOC.

So do you require an international AoC for fishspotting in C337 when operating 100 miles of the coast of SA, flying to the Tiwi Islands, flying into Sydney in PA-31 if you get taken out to sea for runway 25 ILS, what about between say Merimbula and Flinders Island, what about chasing yachts in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in a helicopter?

ForkTailedDrKiller
17th Jul 2010, 07:06
"There were also concerns with one operator that the chief pilots had been bypassed. But the main thrust of the investigation was whether the charter operators were allowed to fly outside the 12-nautical-mile territorial limit.
He said Tasair's air operator's certificate covered domestic operations in Australia and it was technically in breach of regulations if it travelled beyond 12 nautical miles and not, as many people believed, the 200-nautical-mile exclusion zone.
"What we did find in that investigation was there was a misunderstanding in the industry -- and I will admit with some of our own people -- of what constituted 'outside Australian territorial limits' where you would require an operator's certificate permitting international operations. Technically, outside 12 miles is an issue."


Hmmm!

This just illustrates the joke that is the aviation regulator in Australia!

V134, the preferred IFR route from Townsville to Cairns puts you 22 nm off the coast at the BARIA waypoint. I assume from the above that anyone flying a charter on that route that is not operating under an operator's certificate permitting international operations is in breach!

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! I have flown it once in the FTKD, clutching my life jacket to my bosom - but that was a private op, not a charter!

Dr :8

Grogmonster
17th Jul 2010, 07:22
Guys,

Just to add to the confusion, yesterday, CASA issued a number of Variations to AOC to allow such operations for operators who have AMSA contracts. It appears that the regulator has done this, after discussions with AMSA, in an effort to legalize the operation and to help clear up any misconceptions.

So in my opinion they have approached this in a common sense and helpful manner. It's a pleasant change i must say.

Groggy

mcgrath50
17th Jul 2010, 07:41
The issue isn't CASAs fault (for once). The problem is in International Law Australian territory only extends 12nm and therefore that's the extent of domestic operation. Obviously the situations mentioned above, with common sense, are domestic but this conflicts with the 12nms

eocvictim
17th Jul 2010, 11:45
12nm perpendicular to the coast I assume?.. not like case to leave out the specifics of a definition.

Is that when the water means x depth or from the mean tide level?

There are dozens of waypoints all around the country WELL outside this.

:D Well done. :rolleyes:

megle2
17th Jul 2010, 12:24
Groggy - I don't believe you said that.
Obviously Saturday night, a few ales and the mind goes misty.
Fancy you giving Casa a tick!!
What about Forky's comment re Baria? Got a line on that.

Edition12
17th Jul 2010, 13:06
It means 12nm from the Australian baseline - which is normally the low-tide mark

bilbert
17th Jul 2010, 20:58
www.ga.gov.au/image cache/GA3746,pdf refers.

Falling Leaf
17th Jul 2010, 21:23
I remember the 12 nm territorial line being brought up at a RAAF airspace meeting relating to Restricted Areas. It was mentioned then that you couldn't actually restrict access to the airspace as it was outside Australian Territory. If you pull out a chart you will see that almost all of the Restricted areas off the coast are therefore in International Waters, where it was presumed you are free to come and go as you like.:confused:

Peter Fanelli
17th Jul 2010, 21:34
I would have though that international waters might have a bearing if you are in command of a boat but if flying surely the FIR is what counts.

I may be wrong of course, I've been out of the game for quite a while now.

Do not flights Perth/Melbourne go well south of the coast over the bight?
Passengers on these flights are not required to clear customs on arrival.

capt787
18th Jul 2010, 01:12
CIA: The World Factbook
territorial sea - the sovereignty of a coastal state extends beyond its land territory and internal waters to an adjacent belt of sea, described as the territorial sea in the UNCLOS (Part II); this sovereignty extends to the air space over the territorial sea as well as its underlying seabed and subsoil; every state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles; the normal baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea is the mean low-water line along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal state; the UNCLOS describes specific rules for archipelagic states.

contiguous zone - according to the UNCLOS (Article 33), this is a zone contiguous to a coastal state's territorial sea, over which it may exercise the control necessary to: prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea; punish infringement of the above laws and regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea; the contiguous zone may not extend beyond 24 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured (e.g. the US has claimed a 12-nautical mile contiguous zone in addition to its 12-nautical mile territorial sea).

exclusive economic zone (EEZ) - the UNCLOS (Part V) defines the EEZ as a zone beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea in which a coastal state has: sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, of the waters superjacent to the seabed and of the seabed and its subsoil, and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water, currents, and winds; jurisdiction with regard to the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations, and structures; marine scientific research; the protection and preservation of the marine environment; the outer limit of the exclusive economic zone shall not exceed 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.


We are claiming
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

I think it can be classified as domestic ops as long as operators are maintaining within 36nm (territorial sea + contiguous zone limit) from Australian territories. With regard to MEL - TAS ops as long as operators operate within VIC-Kings Island-TAS-Flinders Island it is almost certain that he is operating within the 36nm limit.

FRQ Charlie Bravo
18th Jul 2010, 05:21
Do not flights Perth/Melbourne go well south of the coast over the bight?
Passengers on these flights are not required to clear customs on arrival.

Passengers flying the QF flight from Melb (I think) to Melb via Antarctica without stopping do not even need to take a passport. I think that you have to actually land somewhere else. I could go check the AIP as I think that there may be something in there but maybe later.

FRQ CB

Roger Greendeck
18th Jul 2010, 10:22
Hobart - Adelaide as well. Hobart - Sydney, in fact pretty much any flight to and from Tassie. What about flights to Lord Howe Island? What about senic flights over the Barrier Reef? Taking a rigid approach to the 12 mile limit will make a massive change to commercial operations in Australia. Precident is such a huge part of international law I think it would be very hard for the Govt to insist now that anything that flies outside that now constitutes an international operation.

glekichi
18th Jul 2010, 11:10
CAR 2. "international air service means an air service which passes
through the airspace over the territory of more than one
country."

glekichi
18th Jul 2010, 11:18
Kind of ironic that the only complaint they have against someone for allegedly assisting the Japanese hunt whales in Australian waters was to in fact not be in Australian waters!!

Dog One
18th Jul 2010, 11:24
One can only consider the "regulator" a joke. Not a lot of fore thought has gone into this, but the outfall is going to cost a lot of money to repair. In zealously trying to nail the two operators to placate the green lobby, CASA has opened a large box of worms. Surely you think that there would be some one with enough IQ to have thought about the outcomes prior to going into print.

Timber
18th Jul 2010, 12:19
This whole business with domestic and international AOC's is utter nonsense. Is the air different outside Australia, other laws of physics maybe? No, of course not....... then why the difference in AOC's?

It gives some interesting opportunities though.... the route from Melbourne to Perth could then be flown by any company holding a FAOC because the flight ventures out far over the southern ocean on the way to Perth to duck around headwinds in winter. If 12 NM off the coast is where the flight becomes international ..... well you get my point.

Ejector
18th Jul 2010, 14:07
So does a float plane company flying tourist to the great barrier reef need an International AOC?

Lodown
18th Jul 2010, 16:44
Because of the general misunderstanding, CASA believed it inappropriate to take action against the charter operators.

Oh, that action by the CASA isn't politically motivated (like every other action that the CASA has done in the last 20 years). It's just being a considerate and honest regulator independent of any lobby or political influence. :yuk::yuk:

The CASA will be 12 months now trying to rewrite regulations to prohibit the anti-whaling aviation activities (without mentioning those activities specifically by name) while permitting the overwater operations of every other non-anti-whaling aviation activity. :yuk::yuk:

Difficult to believe that anyone would still want to work there.

FRQ Charlie Bravo
19th Jul 2010, 09:59
I'm just echoing sentiments already aired here but how does the S in CASA come into play here?

According to the Act CASA's decisions must be based on safety.

I personally abhor the [illegal] whaling being conducted by the Japanese but CASA is the wrong tool for the government to use in this case.

FRQ CB

LeadSled
19th Jul 2010, 10:52
Folks,

To determine the 12 mile boundary, you need to do some homework. It is a (vast) oversimplification to assume it is 12 miles from the beach, low water mark or not.

If you look hard enough, you will find where the 12 mile limit is, this will resolve all the questions about whether direct Melbourne - Perth "needs" an international AOC ( all the carriers I know of, do have one), whether you can fly from the mainland to Tasmania, and all the "apparent" anomalies that a fertile imagination can think up.

If you are a private operation, look it up ---- no problem.

The whole issue stems from one root cause, ratbag Australian regulation going back to before I started flying ---- and regulations that required ALL VH- aircraft to have "Government Permission" to fly beyond Australia.

The Attorney-Generals Department have long been aware of the issue, successive Governments have ignored it.

"Private" operations have a permanent exemption, ie; a permission. Putting a condition in an AOC "allowing" international operations is only another way of giving a (semi) permanent permission. Needless to say, CASA make a huge meal of it, as several medivac operators with an international AOC have found out.

In one case, a medivac operator flew several miles north of the northern limit of the AOC, to a resort in northern Philippines, to pick up a badly injured Australian tourist. The "AOC limit" was expressed as a latitude, and when drawn on a map, was just south of the airfield used. Caning the operator for such a grave breach of AOC conditions was obviously a matter of serious air safety, and to hell with the life of the seriously injured tourist.

The real answer is to get rid of these virtually Australian unique regulations, they have no place in this modern day, they had no place years ago, and are just another example of " All is prohibited, that is not expressly permitted", aka All Rights Are Reserved To The Crown.

One thing is absolutely certain, Australia's vast "off shore" military restricted areas have no legal validity, and have never had any validity, in international law ---- as various organizations ( particularly the US Navy) and individuals have demonstrated --- by flying "without permission" in said restricted areas to invite retaliation ---- and, of course there is none, because there is no legal ground to take action against operations in international airspace --- notwithstanding pretty red lines printed on Australian produced aeronautical charts.

The US Government has a widely publicized policy of challenging claims to "territorial waters" that do not accord with the Law of the Sea treaties.

The US is far more punctilious (or law abiding, or less arrogant) in the matter of military exercise areas, the US complies with ICAO and other relevant treaties, and published "Warning Areas", where a military exercise area is beyond the 12 mile limit.

Tootle pip!!

PS: US Jepp charts clearly depict the US 12 mile limit for the continental US.

glekichi
19th Jul 2010, 12:33
Indeed Leadsled!

http://www.ga.gov.au/image_cache/GA3746.pdf

This map here provided by the Australian government confirms that a direct flight between Devonport and Melbourne, or even a crossing via King Island, would require an international AOC, under the interpretation in question. (As would Melbourne - Perth, etc.)

However, noone seems to have an answer to CAR 2 and the interpretation explicitly stated by CASA that an "international air service" is one that flies from one country to another, not one that leaves one country and returns to it without entering another country's territory.

Where is that law about needing permission to leave the country? I don't doubt its existence, but I can only find the part about student pilots not being able to operate outside of Australian territory.

CharlieLimaX-Ray
19th Jul 2010, 23:04
Let's see do the various Police rescue helicopters have international Aoc's?

Lets's see Qantaslink must have an international AoC to do the Lord Howe Island run?

What about the helicopter operaters that do the crew the crew changes on the oil rigs on the northwest shelf?

So are Tasair in breach of there AoC if they do a charter from Hobart to Saint Helens and the pilot conduct's the runway 26 GPSNPA which starts at 15 nm off the coast?

What about the RNC route from Williamtown-Entra-Nowra that takes you 25 nm off the coast, do you requir an international AoC if you plan that way?

So many questions, so many answers.

schoolboy
20th Jul 2010, 11:31
So just where does this all leave those operators that have, until now, conducted what they thought were legal operations? I mean those who head to Cairns via BARIA? Those who head into Nowra via ENTRA? Those who head to King Island or Lord Howe Island, St Helens or for that matter Tassie? And what about the operators who take tourists to the Reef? The operators in the Straits who head to remote communities daily? There must be some rational decision (I know, an oxymoron when calling on our regulator!) made very quickly by CASA to sort this mess out.

Do all of these operators cease to carry out what up until now, were presumed to be legal ops? Do millions of dollars that are generated by these ops just die up and go away? Waht of the hard working souls who rely on this business to keep a bottom line or sink further into debt? All while a legal department of a government regulator sits on their hands after making a quick and rash ruling on something of such importance, something that no doubt will require legislation to change. How many months or years will this take to sort out?

Shame on you CASA, you didn't think this through properly! :ugh:

LeadSled
20th Jul 2010, 12:12
Folks,

Following on from my last post, and another has contributed a link to where you can see a pictorial depiction of the Australian territorial (12 mile) limit.

That this is the territorial boundary that applies to operation of Australian aircraft is covered in the Air Navigation Act 1920, S.3.

That all aircraft have to have (CASA) permission for an international flight (outside the 12 mile limit) is the Civil Aviation Act 1988, S.26.

In addition to CASA "safety" requirements, there are many requirements for (commercial) permission under the Air Navigation Act 1920.

There are a number of permanent exemptions from the (commercial) provisions for permissions under the Air Navigation Act 1920. These generally cover operations by smaller aircraft and/or only a very limited number of flight.

As far as I can see, there are only two exemption to the CASA requirement under S.26 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988, that for private operations is detailed in AIP GEN 1.8.3.This covers all international private flights.

As I recall, this exemption is in the form of a Legislative Instrument, but I haven't spotted it in the very long list on the CASA web site.

The second is that there is provision for a limited number of flights by a foreign AOC holder to Australia, after which the operator must obtain an Australian CASR Part 129 AOC.

Therefore, per the Civil Aviation Act 1988, S.26, all CAR 206 operations outside the 12 mile limit require a CASA permission, and this is generally given by way of a statement to that effect in the AOC/Operations Specification. It may also be given by alternative methods, this latter would normally only be for a one-off operation.

Without a permission/exemption under S.26, you cannot go beyond the 12 mile limit.

Whether an SID/IAL procedure that takes you beyond the 12 mile limit ( if there is one) constitutes a permission or exemption is something, for which I don't (yet) have an answer.

One point almost universally missed is that all regulations that apply to Air Service Operation also apply to private operations, unless stated otherwise, see Civil Aviation Regulation 209.

Don't take any of this as gospel for your own operations, but do your homework very carefully. At least the above is a start.

Tootle pip!!

PS: Without being too categorical, most of the Torres Straight islands, and some but not all of the Barrier Reef islands are within the territorial limits. Re. Bass Straight, have a close look at the map of all the various international boundaries.

beer bong
20th Jul 2010, 12:27
Adelaide- Port Lincoln- kingscote?

LeadSled
20th Jul 2010, 12:49
beer bong,

Go look up the map on glekichi's post, and work it out for yourself.

Nobody claimed the law is sensible, but there are some savage penalties for non-compliance, and believe me, "The law's an ass, M'lud" is no a defense.

Tootle pip!!

glekichi
20th Jul 2010, 14:18
Leadsled,

26 Aircraft on international flights to have permission
Permissions
(1) An aircraft shall not, except with the permission of CASA and in
accordance with any conditions to which the permission is subject:
(a) arrive in Australian territory from a place outside Australian
territory; or
(b) depart from Australian territory for a place outside Australian
territory.

I would have said that the flight in question did not depart from Australian territory for a place outside Australian territory. Rather, it departed from Australian territory (Hobart) and was also for Australian territory (Hobart).

This use of the term "for" in reference to the landing place of the flight is common aviation terminology as can be found in several instances in the AIP.

Same would therefore apply to all those domestic flights that briefly leave the territory enroute.

LeadSled
21st Jul 2010, 13:41
glekichi,

Beware being a bush lawyer, the legal opinion CASA is quite clear, apparently.

I assume that a "place" outside Australian territory does not necessarily mean a landing place, it could be a geographical position. This assumption on my part, and that is all it is, would be consistent with the CASA rulings flowing from the legal opinion.

Flying outside of Australian territorial waters, the 12 mile limit, departing from Australia, is flight outside Australian territory, as defined by the Air Navigation Act 1920. As far as I can see, there is not suggestion that the flight outside Australian territory need to be to anywhere in particular, it only needs to cross the boundary.

Tootle pip!!

glekichi
21st Jul 2010, 17:20
I know I am not a lawyer but I can find any number of references throughout the AIP and the CARs that suggest my interpretation is right.

Here is yet another for argument's sake: (from the AIP)

1.3.1 Definition of Non‐scheduled Services. Non‐scheduled service,
in relation to an aircraft that possesses the nationality of a
Contracting State, means a flight by that aircraft over or into
Australian territory other than under the authority of an
international airline licence.

Under your interpretation, why is it necessary to separate flights that are "over" and "into" Australian territory? What is the difference? Would a flight flying "over" Australian territory not already be flying "into" Australian territory? I'm pretty sure they are not talking about spaceships! :}

Sounds more like CASA trying to backpedal and save face at the same time.

Has all Tasmanian traffic across Bass Strait come to a halt or changed course to fly the RNP approach-like track required via Flinders Island and all the other little islands?

Has the Sydney curfew departure that pretty much takes you via NZ been amended? Don't we all just wish!!

All that said, I (thankfully) don't have any plans to fly beyond Australian territory in the near future, so my bush lawyerism isn't going to land me in any hot water for now. ;)

FlyToyota
9th Aug 2010, 07:25
Australian territorial limits clarified

Air operators have been reminded of the need to have appropriate authorisation to fly into and out of Australian Territory. CASA has written to all holders of air operator’s certificates setting out clearly the requirements in relation to commercial operations outside Australian Territory. To fly outside Australian Territory operators must have an appropriate authorisation on their air operator’s certificate and operations specifications covering those activities. This applies to all flights beyond 12 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline of Australia (the baseline being the low water line along the coast). Section 27 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 states that except as authorised by an air operator’s certificate, an aircraft shall not fly into or out of Australian territory. Section 3 of the Act defines Australian territory as the territory of Australia; every external territory; the territorial sea of Australia and the airspace over such territory or sea. The term territorial sea refers to the sea surrounding Australia and each external territory that extends up to 12 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline. This limit is and has long been the norm under international law.

Operators are being reminded about the need for authorisation to fly beyond the 12 nautical mile limit after CASA became aware of some doubt in the aviation community about the requirements. Some people confused the 12 nautical mile territorial sea limit with the 200 nautical mile economic exclusion zone and the even more extensive reach of Australian administered airspace. (The CASA Briefing, Released 29 July 2010)

Now that CASA has decided to use this issue against one operator (whether it's due political motivation or not), CASA may have lost the ability to go back to ignoring the matter for the rest.

Through various speeches and other channels the Director has made his views quite clear regarding a prescriptive approach to regulation and applying the big stick approach to enforcement. That an AOC variation has been rushed through to protect AMSA flights would suggest that CASA intends to hold the industry accountable against this section of the act.

The effect would be widespread, with the core business of many operators being over routes crossing and or air working outside the territorial sea. Assuming each operator complies with the other regulations and with the instructions contained in the orders, it is difficult to see how any interest in enhancing safety can be claimed.

Despite what common sense would expect, the chart on the Australian Government website (glekichi’s link above) shows the waters of greater Bass Strait are NOT included in Australia’s Territorial Sea.

Before the AOC search feature of the CASA website went offline for maintenance last week, I had a look at a few AOCs:
* A couple of AWK fish spotters operating in the bite & off WA - authorised for operations "In Aust" only.
* A few RPT and or Charter operators going between Melbourne and ports in TAS/FLI/KII - AOCs limit their Charter operations to "In Aust" only.


For RPT the AOC’s just authorise operate between ports #X,YandZ# within Australia. I suppose an operator could argue a case for that being an authorisation to leave and re-enter Australian Territory for the purpose, but it would be at the discretion of their CASA field office as to how much it would end up costing the operator for the privilege of trying.

I did here from one someone near the start of this debate that, after opening this can of worms and suffering a crucifixion from the senate committee; CASA/The Director had issued a moratorium of three months for operators to apply for a variation to their AOC’s.

Has anyone actually received CASA’s “written” clarification regarding operations outside Australian Territory? I can find nothing other than the article in The CASA Briefing on their website.

Trojan1981
10th Aug 2010, 00:08
Cairns via BARIA Tried this a couple of weels ago with an aircraft I hired out of YBTL. I was told I was not permitted to plan that and must remain within 12nm.
I think CASA would only be happy if the skies were empty. It is time to scrap this organisation, make ALL of it's staff redundant, and start again without re-hiring any of them. In fact why stop there, the Govt. next:E.

Baldnfat
10th Aug 2010, 01:17
I reckon its better to not "shoot the messenger" trojee.
Let us spend $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ on a referendum/royal commision etc...:ugh::ugh::ugh:

The constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia first.

Roger R Abbot

The Ranga ( and the next stabbing victim)

Damm outta time, boss says I gotta fly this 70's time machine to the mission with Senator X and his "neice' pronto.

:=:=

niece spullin' ererror ( :mad: public school system of 76)

seneca208
6th Oct 2013, 04:54
Hi all,

Sorry to be dredging up an old thread, but I'm interested to hear how this legislation is effecting operators in 2013. For example, for offshore marine spotting operations, is it as simple as applying to CASA for an operational exemption within particular boundaries or is an international AOC required?

Any ideas or comments would be helpful. I'm also waiting to hear back from CASA- but who knows when that will happen.

Ex FSO GRIFFO
6th Oct 2013, 10:43
I guess that more than a couple of helo operators operating out of YKPA, YBRM etc to the various rigs situated well off the coast, not to mention our beloved 'Coastwatch' flights....
Would be more than interested - as would a son-in-law who travels quite regularly via the said helos to his job of choice.

How would the insurances stand up I wonder in the unhappy event of ....

Are these helo flights actually illegal flights then..??

:uhoh:

LeadSled
6th Oct 2013, 14:17
Griffo,
Thye AOCs of offshore helo. operators are quite specific, and very detailed, I think we can take it that, for the purposes of the operation, the "international" bit is covered.
There are now many charter AOCs that are "international", with little more than a supplement in an FCOM that details the "details" that have to be covered, in addition to a domestic operation (ie; a PIC signature on the Flight Plan to satisfy CAR 233, not required for domestic flights) and a few more magic words on the AOC itself.

compressor stall
6th Oct 2013, 21:58
a PIC signature on the Flight Plan to satisfy CAR 233

And what a dinosaur of a regulation that is....

But off the top of my head, doesn't 233 refer to other FIRs, not "outside Australia"?

LeadSled
13th Oct 2013, 08:17
compressor stall,
Regardless of what you think the wording might mean, the practical effect of the regulation is that, pre-flight, the PIC or his designate must sign a certificate to the effect that CAR 233 has been complied with.

Don't ask me for an ICAO reference, but somewhere in the back of my mind something tells me it is an ICAO requirement --- which, of course, refers to international flights.

Whether a country requires the same for a domestic operation is a domestic matter. Australia does not, US/FAA does for RPT and any other operation subject to an IFR flight release/Operational Control.

Tootle pip!!

seneca208
13th Oct 2013, 08:23
Just to anybody interested, looks as if CASAs current view is an international AOC is not required, but merely a letter of approval to operate such flights.

Creampuff
13th Oct 2013, 10:00
Maybe they worked out that the substance of the problem was flying into the territory of another signatory to the Convention, rather than flying outside of and back into the territory of Australia without entering the territory of another signatory to the Convention.

I doubt whether any signatory to the Convention would give a (diplomatically-expressed) toss about flights that extend beyond the limits of Australian territory and into international airspace, in accordance with proclamations of the Australian Governor-General in accordance with UNCLOS and the Commonwealth Seas and Submerged Lands Act, if those flights return without entering the territory of another signatory to the Convention.

The claimed EEZ around Australia’s claim to the AAT causes complexities, but most of those complexities are irrelevant to operations that originate from the mainland of Australia and end in the mainland of Australia.

Ovation
13th Oct 2013, 10:21
How far offshore was John Quadrio, the helicopter pilot crucified by CASA using a passenger's video as evidence?

More or less than 12 NM?

aroa
13th Oct 2013, 12:06
The alleged reef and pontoon nearby are within the limit.

As for the accused and bastardised victim JQ..he wasnt offshore at all.!!!
There were NO ops by that company on THAT date.

Unfortunately there is no limit to the activities of certain employees of FF aka Buggery Central.:mad:

As this very sorry tale unwinds, hopefully the CAsA perps will end up in the calaboose where they belong.

And JQ gets justice instead of justarse. A CAsA specialty.
What is the CAsA code again? Oh thats right "Fcuk over the clientele".:mad:...whatever it takes.

thorn bird
14th Oct 2013, 07:10
Should have been there long before this A!!! The calaboose that is.

thorn bird
14th Oct 2013, 07:14
For anyone contemplating applying for an International AOC just to be on the safe side, Make sure you have plenty of Dosh in the bank. Heard of one operator who paid out fifty grand for two CAsA numpies to sit in the back while a "Proving" flight was carried out, sheesh the numpy wasn't even type rated!!