CASA excessive pricing

[Supermouse3]

can anyone justify the costs of doing business with CASA?

Renewed my Class 1 medical last week- I thought the new medical system would cut costs, but CASA are still charging $75 for a medical?!
this is on top of the DAME's charge of $250++ for a 'mini' renewal..

even the licence reprints are $25...

how about the $65 CASA exam fee?

Can I ask what AOPA are doing? I was under the impression they represented pilots, have they no power?

[patty50]

Thousands of free MBAs don't pay for themselves and as you can see the pilot body is benefitting tremendously from the improved management skills of our Aviation House demigods.

I don't think anyone pretends to justify the cost, it just is.

[outnabout]

Oh you poor child....imagine thinking anything would be fair and reasonable bout a bureaucracy that has unlimited power, no requirement to justify anything to anybody, and a minister who associates aviation with the Qantas Club.

[thorn bird]

Jeez mate, wait until the age discrimination kicks in.
Costs me about three grand a year to hold a medical.

[YPJT]

Can I ask what AOPA are doing?
4/5 of SFA

have they no power?
None whatsoever.

Where were they in the discussions to the changes to ASIC legislation? Nowhere to be seen. Even the unions were in there putting their 2 cents worth into the arguments.

[advo-cate]

Big changes in AOPA, with Ben Morgan making some real changes in representation.

Join up and see:ok:

[Supermouse3]

The only 'representation' I have seen from AOPA is letters to Chester, and not one hint of a reply.

I see these same threads on pprune every week,
are we as an industry just not into banding together? or protests? or doing anything?

[Lead Balloon]

Come now: You can't put a price on "safety".

And aviation is "special".

That's why aircraft owners have to pay, on pain of criminal conviction, to rectify problems caused by incompetent engine, airframe and component manufacturers.

[Supermouse3]

yet auto manufacturers have to foot the bill for recalls.
In the company I work for (aviation), no one says NO! everyone just rolls over and takes it from auditors, CASA, management, clients- 'because that's the way the world works'
This is how we ended up in this mess in the first place.

[patty50]

There would be riots if you had to half of what you need to get (and keep) your car license as it takes for your plane license. Comes down to a lot of factors.

Very few pilots, there are what? 35 000 license holders in the whole country
Compare to the US where many rich and powerful people are users of GA through either private jets, pilots themselves or owners. Not to mention plenty of pilot politicians there. Here it's more important to be Platinum One or Chairmans Lounge.
No government wants to be seen as soft on safety

'Airport workers and pilots will no longer have to prove identity to get airport access'
'Small aircraft operators win lower safety standards'

Whether the regulations do what they're supposed to do is irrelevant to the optics

[Lead Balloon]

Are you mad?

You seem to be suggesting that the regulation of aviation is affected by politics - the extent or otherwise of the political clout of the people regulated - rather than safety.

[thorn bird]

A question for the mouse,
Are you a member of AOPA? if you are, do you make any effort to contribute your opinions or experiences to strengthen AOPA's advocacy on behalf of the industry?

Its stated on a post that there are 35,000 pilots in Australia, a debatable figure perhaps better described as "There are 35,000 licences issued in Australia". The question is how many of them are active?

AOPA has only 2000 or so members of that 35,000. 2000 voices in the cacophony of noise that assails the political class from all the other interest groups is hardly likely to be heard, especially when self serving bureaucrats actively work to suppress that voice.

2000 members also does not generate a great deal of financial resources with which to fight the good fight, and provide other services to their members. AOPA's weakness in the past could be attributed to the apathy of the owners and pilots in Australia who, it would seem, prefer to sit on the fence and bleat, rather than mount the barricades and fight.

The bureaucrats who run CASA, know this very well, they are without doubt cunning and devious opponents, there is nothing they won't stoop to to protect their bailiwick and they have an army of lawyers and the contents of the public purse to support them.

Its a political game of thrones they play, its not a fair fight, without numbers, support and above all, involvement, there is very little AOPA can do.

Yet they do have successes that largely go unsung.

I was not an AOPA member yet they went to bat for me and broke through a road block I was experiencing with CASA.

I know also a young engineer who's career and livelihood was about to be destroyed by CASA for a simple mistake, was spared because of AOPA's advocacy. He was also not an AOPA member. Bet he is now.

In the past couple of years AOPA has undergone some radical change. It is no longer prepared to tow the CASA line. Its board now has some serious expertise in its ranks and it is, despite the attempts of the bureaucrats to stifle its voice and exclude it from contributing to the debate, gaining some traction.

Membership costs less than you'd spend on a Friday session at the pub, but of far greater importance is involvement, if there is to be any chance of success.

So we can sit on the fence and bleat, while CASA goes about its nefarious project of pricing us out of business, or contribute. Google AOPA in the USA and see what can be achieved.

[aroa]

Hey, Supermouse...want to do something ? run a protest. Go for it.

Round up all yr disgruntled, pee'd off aviator mates and do a 'Caravan to Cantberra'.
On the way east speak to operators and pilots in Kal, Adelaide , Melbourne and wherever you can find them and find out their beefs/ beeves and problems with CAsA. And there are many.
Visit a few newspapers for a story.

Make an appointment at (Non) Aviation House to speak with whoever you want, or others, if those of yr original requests dont wish to engage.

You will enjoy a coffee or two and CAsA minions, will note your concerns with furrowed brows, will spruik the BS Supreme, and the end result will be .... insert your version of what you think you might achieve...(like zilch.)

In the federal Fairyland of CAsA all is right with the world of Aviation.
Like the 3 Monkeys they See no evil, Do no evil, Hear no evil
( but they do cover up evils, done by their employees as an extra service)

The alternative view of the dire state of GA and the regulatory tsunami that is wiping it out does not compute with the bureaucrats who are causing it.
Gibson just said so...'Not us ,he cried '

Do a Caravan thread on Aunty Pprune and any truths and bad PR from the outside world will have the thread removed.
Some people in CAsA just can't abide democracy and the right to free speech.

And there will be some bagging along the way, too...but that's life when you raise yr head above the parapet.

Lets us know yr ETD...we might even go again from the deep north.

But forget the bureaucrats..go for the politicians. There is no other way

Its a great drive, enjoy the scenery and a top learning experience.
Lets us know how you get on.

[gerry111]

AOPA's weakness in the past could be attributed to the apathy of the owners and pilots in Australia who, it would seem, prefer to sit on the fence and bleat, rather than mount the barricades and fight.


Sorry, but I disagree.

Going back around 20 years, AOPA did have some political influence albeit small. The Temora 'Bush Picnic' fly-in where the Deputy Prime Minister, Tim and Transport Minister, John attended was impressive. But then AOPA descended into a squabbling farce with impressive egos wanting the top job. So after Dick, there was Boyd, Bill, Chris and then Marjorie. I finally realised that my annual membership would be better spent on Coopers Pale Ale and dropped out. (Others clearly did too.)

I admire Ben's current enthusiasm but he's gone very quiet on PPRuNe lately. Perhaps the politicians and CASA aren't intimidated by his AOPA CEO role?