Wake for GA in Dick Smith's Hangar

[Dick Smith]

Next Thursday, 21st July from 12:00pm to 2:00pm, I will be holding a wake for General Aviation in my hangar – Hangar 631, 23 Miles St, Bankstown Airport. Sandwiches and coffee will be provided and everyone is welcome. I will be catering for 50 people (anyone after that will have to starve).

At the end of the wake we will farewell my beautiful Citation CJ3, which I have owned for ten years. It’s off to the Northern Hemisphere to get the TCAS fixed and will no doubt never return.

Now that Honeywell and Collins has no direct presence in Australia, resulting the aircraft being grounded for up to two weeks at a time because there is a simple fault, like a flat mercury battery for the GPS data base.

I’ve attempted to sell the aircraft in Australia but that’s impossible because about $240,000 would have to be spent on ADSB, plus another $250,000 on a flight data recorder.

That extra half million dollars and the complete lack of competitive servicing arrangements at Bankstown, means it would be unlikely for someone to purchase and keep the aircraft operating here in a viable way.

Everyone is welcome for this really sad wake. I have invited the media along as well. As everyone knows, I see no life on the horizon at all. I am selling my aircraft now because I know, if I keep it any longer in Australia, I will lose even more money.

[Sunfish]

Sorry to hear it Dick.

[pithblot]

Yes, sorry to hear it Dick; times sure have changed.

What a sad comparison GA is now, compared with the heady days when VH-DIC belonged to a PA30 and Tony & Lee Mulchay (Navitron) employed apprentices to repair & install avionics in the GA/Private fleet at Bankstown and Essendon.

[wishiwasupthere]

I have invited the media along as well.

I'm sure the general public will share your sorrow and feel great pain that you had to sell your business jet.

[Ultralights]

might want to focus on the loss of jobs in the GA maintenance business throughout the country, due to over regulation and business clearing out of Oz.. Jobs and growth remember!

[Dick Smith]

Wishi. No great pain for me and the good news is that every cent from the sale will be donated to good causes.

Come up with some ideas if you want. Some can go to financing Wx cams that Transport Canada provides to their industry free of charge.

With the aircraft going offshore there will be less pilots and maintenance people employed.

[thorn bird]

Maybe you should extend your wake to include the airport Dick.
A good thing your getting rid of your fixed wing.
From the rumour's I hear, a new road running through roughly where Skofields is now to the new multi million dollar fling wing centre and TOLL will cut off your access to the runways anyway.
The past few weeks these strange characters have been wandering through peoples hangers allegedly doing fire inspections. They seem far more interested in structure than fire compliance however. Rumour is they are adding up the cost of demolishing rather than a fire sale.
Seems the new Airport owner is formulating a "Master Plan" to develop another third of the airport from the grammar school to the high flyers. Of course the Murky Mandarin will get that signed off by do nothing Darren, few bucks in the re-election fund works wonders.
All this of course is contrary to the airports act and the head lease for the airport.
Then again an association was specifically excluded from owning an Australian airport in the act, as well as property sharks.

Aint it amazing what political donations can achieve you can completely circumvent the law. The law is for everyone, justice is for them that can afford it.

Surprised you didn't get dragged in to the Lawyer fest on the southern side, seems like anyone with money is a defendant, almost twenty I hear. The advice is a three month trial and around $60 million in legal fees. Rumour on the street is Mercedes can't keep up with the orders from lawyers for new cars.

[Trent 972]

I fear that if the shear weight of bureaucratic bullsh!t from government oversight starts to pull Dick Smith down, most of the rest of us are already on our knees.
Simple though long term plan.
Every election both state and federal, toss the incumbents out.
Next election repeat.
Maybe they'll eventually get the message on who they work for.
I'm sorry for what they've done to you Dick.
I've enjoyed following your exploits over the years and even having had an insignificant, trivial, minute, forgetful (except for me) part in one of your early helicopter adventures.
You are a truly worthy inspiration to the younger generations, and a lot of us old farts too.

[Stanwell]

Thanks for raising the Bankstown/Schofields issue generally, thorn bird.
"Progress" is just a one-word phrase to cover grasping, greedy developers and their wholehearted assistance to the political fundraising industry.

I won't be able to be there on Thursday, Dick, but I'll raise a glass in fond remembrance of an industry we once knew well. :{

[airtags]

Well done Dick especially re: the donations - it is also an opportunity to highlight a broader message affecting the industry.

RE: the Weathercams they have merit - suggest local company Captiveye (captivaction.com) is worth having a chat to regarding a trial - their product is better than the Transport Canada camera system and offers a range of features that would greatly benefit GA. (& they are less expensive)

AT

[triadic]

Dick, sad to hear... I'm sure you would have got a seat if you have stood for the Senate.

Rumour is the present Minister may be moved and Transport separated from Infrastructure.... time will tell.

[Arm out the window]

I have invited the media along as well. No way! Who'd have picked that?!!

[Dick Smith]

I have just been out flying in the Kalgoolie -Northam area and despite the extra cost to GA for ADSB, Airservices have not upgraded to class E controlled airspace , so it's still dirt road, do it yourself , 1030s Marconi airspace.

It appears Airservices management just want GA to pay the extra costs with no safer service provided by their organisation .

Selfish.

[Captain Dart]

I can't go but if I did I would organise a coffin, lid open, sitting on trestles. Inside would be a dummy GA pilot, grey haired, clad in jacket, jeans, a baseball cap and wearing sunglasses. He would be barely visible underneath printouts and hard copies of every CASA and Airservices regulation, AIP, exemption, 'instrument'... you get my drift.

And on top of it all, his open, empty wallet.

[thorn bird]

"He would be barely visible underneath printouts and hard copies of every CASA and Airservices regulation, AIP, exemption, 'instrument'..."

Jeez Dart, you reckon all that would fit in a regular sized coffin?, maybe a shipping container even that might not be big enough.

[Flying Binghi]

Dick Smith, why dont yer invite Pauline Hanson around to your hanger. Perhaps she'll turn up in the Jabiru aircraft done up in the One Nation colours. I'd think after all the time spent in the jaba that she will be fairly conversant with Oz aviation..;)

Picture of jabiru here: Welcome to Pauline Hanson's One Nation Political Party - Never Give Up, We Won't (http://www.onenation.com.au/index.html)


Obviously you'd only invite her if you were serious about looking at all avenues to help small business GA.....







.

[Ultralights]

this thread highlights the major problem with Aviation in Oz, so much division, so much infighting, its no wonder regulators have no trouble passing rules like they do, there is no resistance, as we are all to busy cutting each other down.

[Flying Binghi]

via Arm out the window:
She passed through FNQ a couple of weeks back, I had to stop myself from jumping on the radio when they made their taxi call to say "Please explain?!"


Heh..:)

During her first election run I remember being at Archerfield one day when she were getting out of a lightly and there were people going over to get her autograph.
Back then I were not long out of bob browns wilderness society and very anti One Nation and found it a bit astonishing that someone would want her autograph. Not any more. One Nation is bringing the real issues of average Australians front and centre...


Seems some from the National Party are taking note...
"Pauline Hanson's success at the federal election could put the Family Court back in the spotlight, with some Nationals believing her push to abolish it has struck a chord..." Nationals could help Pauline Hanson put Family Court back in the spotlight - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-16/nationals-could-help-pauline-hanson-reform-family-court/7634202)


Even corrupt banker boy turnBull rings her up... I won't back down on Islam policies: Hanson (http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/federal/2016/07/16/i-won-t-back-down-on-islam-policies--hanson.html)




.

[WannaBeBiggles]

Ultralights, I do happen to agree with you there.

Dick, I have an immense amount of respect for you but unfortunately I do believe you're part of the majority where people will piss and moan and say things should be one way or another but offer no real input as to how we can change it. This is something that doesn't really reconcile with my impression of you given that in the past you were usually the person to show the naysayers that you indeed can do something if you put your mind, determination and passion behind it. I wonder where CB radios would have ended up with that sort of attitude? "Nah, they're illegal, governments $#@%'ed, regulator is $#%&'ed, they're never going to change! Gonna sell the business and get out of this before I go broke!"

There are many things wrong with how the regulator handles aviation and GA is suffering from being treated as the poor cousin given that GA really doesn't have a united voice.

There are a very small number of people on here that are willing to step up to the plate, but unfortunately it's not really enough... To effect change one must come into an argument prepared, unemotional (yet passionate) and have an intelligent retorte for any argument that you have to counter, but most of all they have to come in strong. Strength comes in numbers and people will listen if they're made to listen to a reasonable and intelligent argument. While "cause it's ****" might be valid, it's not an effective argument.

Can you imagine if someone actually came up with real numbers, real comparisons and showed the media the real consequences? I'm sorry but having to sell your private jet because it's too expensive will not strike a chord with the majority of people reading an article or viewing the 30 seconds of TV coverage you might get. Likewise if you got a mining company saying that the charter rates are going up, because those things won't really get anyone's attention. Now if you went out bush and showed the people that would be affected by a reduction of medical services or how much extra the health department is said to pay for providing medical care to those living in rural and remote communities, increases in costs to those wanting to school their kids etc then maybe both the media and the general populous would start paying attention.

We do however need a united voice and one that has stamina, one that will not back down until there is change!

I've volunteered my services to create some infographics if someone really wanted to come up with the figures to back up their statements. Yet the offer has gone unanswered.

There are two options really;

1. Piss and moan about how things will never get better and how things will never change, throw in the towel and watch the sun set on this industry.
2. Get off our collective arses and do something!

So, what's it to be ladies and gentlemen?

[Squawk7700]

Dick Smith, why dont yer invite Pauline Hanson around to your hanger. Perhaps she'll turn up in the Jabiru aircraft


How will she do that when CASA have effectively banned Jabiru engined aircraft from Bankstown and Moorabbin?

(Unless she has a specific model or engine type that is not included...)

[Band a Lot]

"No great pain for me and the good news is that every cent from the sale will be donated to good causes.

Come up with some ideas if you want."


Donate it to the political party that comes up with a practical General Aviation policy to be decided and discussed on live tv. They must also debate the good and bad points of other parties suggestions (policy) and place that in writing.

We know pollies love a bit of campaign money, never know CJ might finance the way to survival?

[Dick Smith]

I would if that's what they would do.

But when they got in I bet they would do zero!

[gerry111]

I've heard that there will be at least two aviatrixes attending Dick's GA wake.

An accomplished Newcastle based pilot: Anna Bay. Plus a French aviatrix: Mme De Ecks.:ok:

[Fantome]

"No great pain for me and the good news is that every cent from the sale will be donated to good causes.

Come up with some ideas if you want." SAYS DICK


"Donate it to the political party that comes up with a practical General Aviation policy to be decided and discussed on live tv. They must also debate the good and bad points of other parties suggestions (policy) and place that in writing."

SAYS BAND A LOT


SAYS DICK -

"I would if that's what they would do.

But when they got in I bet they would do zero!"

SAYS FANTOME - " Well bugger me dead . .there's a quandary . . . . . . if no incumbent party of any persuasion
will arise to cut the mustard and all is in effect lost for the GA industry .. . . no wonder a wake for the tattered lifeless remains is being held ."

(unless the undertaker is a stuntman what can we expect?)

p.s. . . . .. and most incidentally . . .. curious how many people write
on proone how they once kept their plane in a 'HANGER'.

he hung his shirt on its hanger. .. . he lost his shirt trying to keep the doors open to his hangar.

[Stanwell]

... and another (clever) one who doesn't seem to know that the plural of aviatrix is 'aviatrices'. :D

[gerry111]

That's correct, Stanwell!

But please be honest with your audience here on PPRuNe. Did you actually know that, prior to your Googling?

[Stanwell]

Well, if you must know, a famous Australian aviatrix told me that when I was a youngster.
Her name was Nancy something or other. :ok:

[gerry111]

If that's really true, then I'm prepared to offer my pardon.. :)

[Stanwell]

Cool, Bro.
Just remember that old maxim .."United we stand, ... "

[Flying Binghi]

via Squawk7700 #20:
How will she do that when CASA have effectively banned Jabiru engined aircraft from Bankstown and Moorabbin?

Thats a shame. If P.H. were interested it woulda been a good photo op of a politician who actually cares about Australian manufacturing and small business turning up in an Australian manufactured aircraft.

Imagine if all the trillions of dollars wasted on the overseas manufactured solar, wind, and water desal idiocy had been put towards actual Australian industry and Australian small business...

And when Oz industry thrives it flows to GA.....







.

[Fantome]

one who doesn't seem to know that the plural of aviatrix is 'aviatrices'.

neither are terms used or in favour with many female fliers

don't quite know why that is . . .. . maybe they think it is somehow discriminatory or just that the words themselves grate on the ear . . .

many an actor of the female gender prefers to be known as an 'actor' rather than an 'actress'.

it is now a cliche to say 'the hostess with the mostest'

it is not nice to make jokes about modess in mixed company
let alone raise the subject of surf boards

(way way off topic . . . ..bet a lot have no idea what getting off at Redfern means
or that billiards term 'in off the red'?)

think this qualifies as thread hijack almost

well Dick , . . . throw a party and if you go about it the right way . . .' and the party never ends . . . . .' will you hire a band?

[aroa]

The Death Rattle. GA may not yet be buried, but its gasping for breath.

Meanwhile at Trough Major/Fort Fumble the creche dwellers are busy hammering the nails of the coffin, altho currently distracted with a "renewal" program and some divisional name changes...wow, that will get us all flying again ...NOT

Rest assured that when this lots off the radar CaSA will move in on RAA and do a similar job...all control and regulate to the death. Incompetency Unlimited.

Cant be at Bankstown but will be there in spirit.

Trust it gets some media attention as to the why.

[gerry111]

I've heard that it was an interesting lunchtime. Perhaps 35 to 40 present and lots of very yummy fresh sandwiches. But sadly only Blend 43 coffee. :{ A couple of PPRuNe regulars were spotted such as LeadSled and Ben from the 'Aviation Advertiser'. Apparently Dick performed very well in front of the large cohort of informed media and their probing questions.

[Ultralights]

need to subscribe, cant read.

[TWT]

No need to subscribe.Just type the following into the Google homepage,then click on the first link returned at the top of the page.

"Dick Smith mourns passing of our general aviation industry"

[PA39]

Well Dick...we are sooo lucky to have seen the great days of aviation in Australia.

[Dick Smith]

Pa39. You are correct. But all so unnecessary. If you remember I said that the amount allocated to safety had to be affordable.

That's been rejected by those in positions of influence.

Until the truism is accepted further damage will be done

[aroa]

The Productivity Commission....

21 07 2016. Has been tasked to hold a 9 month inquiry into the impact of over regulation of the Agriculture Industry.

Current hotch potch of fed and state regs impede employment, profitability, and all the practicalities that would allow farmers to grow their businesses, export more and prosper.

Sound familiar. The Government has directed the Productivity Commission to so inquire.

A like inquiry should be held into the over regulation and etc that is leading to the destruction of the GA industry.

The Government should direct....ah, there's the rub.
CAsA believes the earth is flat, Oz weather is the best and the trainload of regs, instruments, dispensations CASRs etc have produced the safest place to fly in the globe....AND the "Government" believes it. Nor is it interested. GA? Que ??

Move along...Nothing to see here.

[thorn bird]

Just been looking at a BCA magazine with a article on Oshkosh. Dozens of new inovations, new designs in light aircraft being showcased, even from the Ukrain for goodness sake and their in the middle of a war zone.
Didnt see anything from Australia, sadly we seem to lack anyone with innovate skills....Oh sorry, forgot our prime minister bangs on about supporting innovation on the one hand, then completely ignores our regulators rabid suppression of anything innovative.

[Sunfish]

We have plenty of innovators Thorn bird, however as long as the family home is capital gains tax exempt, investment will flow into the property market to the exclusion of everything else.

As for innovating in anything to do with aviation, with one exception, it's forbidden by CASA. The one exception of course being CASA and Airservices, who are into continuous regulatory innovation with the mission of developing new and innovative ways to destroy the aviation industry.

I wonder when the Enigma electronics guys will get sick of waiting for CASA to "accept" their cheap ADSB solution and move overseas? I note that Dynon and Garmin now have low priced FAA approved solutions, so Enigma has lost its time to market advantage, which was probably CASAs unstated intent all along.