AusJet Aviation/Australasian Jet in liquidation

[alwaysperu]

It has been a long time coming but AusJet Aviation finally went into liquidation yesterday.

Commiserations to all those blameless victims involved, namely the hardworking pilots and engineers.

And to those inept owners, managers and the chief pilot that ran the place into the ground shame on you. You are nauseating homo sapiens to be around. The level of mismanagement and incompetence you demonstrated is truely astounding.

[ContactMeNow]

It has been a long time coming but AusJet Aviation finally went into liquidation yesterday.

Commiserations to all those blameless victims involved, namely the hardworking pilots and engineers.

And to those inept owners, managers and the chief pilot that ran the place into the ground may you rot in hell, you are nauseating homo sapiens to be around. The level of mismanagement and incompetence you demonstrated is truely astounding.

Wasn't the CP there fairly new?

[TBM-Legend]

Nothing in the press

[edsbar]

https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/images/contract-icon.gif(505)
Notice By External Administrator/controller-Appoint/cease (505B)
Appointment of Receiver And Manager ()

https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/faces/landing/panelSearch.jspx?searchText=051843586&searchType=OrgAndBusNm&_adf.ctrl-state=sxzejew6b_15

[TurningFinalRWY36]

essendon based company?

[Horatio Leafblower]

to those inept owners, managers and the chief pilot that ran the place into the ground may you rot in hell, you are nauseating homo sapiens to be around. The level of mismanagement and incompetence you demonstrated is truely astounding.

Wow.
I presume you have founded, operated and sold a successful aviation business?

[rodney rude]

Is that a requirement to recognise incompetence?

[tio540]

It is a great shame this once great company is no more.

Special mention goes to a couple of Arnhemland pilots, and you know who you are, hold your head down in shame.

To the rest of the team, best of luck for the future. Stay safe.

[Stationair8]

Been around along time, must be 25 years plus.

Do they still have the Queensland health contract out of Roma?

Do they still operate the Air Nostalgia DC-3?

[Mumbai Merlin]

Stat8,

Why not ring them up and ask them ? better than any rumour !

[Alice Kiwican]

Stationair8 I think you’ll find the RFDS has had the Queensland Health contract out of Roma for a few years now.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Is that a requirement to recognise incompetence?

Rodney
I often see pilots, engineers, and employees generally having very strong opinions voiced loudly about how a business should be run and how the boss is an idiot. I certainly have been in that position and held that opinion about employers in the past.

Very rarely do the critics have the same information as their employers; quite often the employees do not share their opinions with their employers and often the employer wouldn't listen anyway.
Nor do the employees have the same pressures applied to them, their families or their future as the owner of a small business does.
I don't know the owners of AusJet but it is a great shame. This will not be the only broken GA company in the next 2 years; the new Part 119/135, new Maintenance rules, and new fatigue rules will finish off everyone except Chartair, Corporate and Hardy's between now and 2023.

Once the small guys are all gone, piston GA will collapse because there will be no maintenance shops left, no parts suppliers, no fuel distributors. Watch them scramble to rebuild it once they realise what they've destroyed. :sad:

[quinnyfly]

You got Saturday's lotto numbers to add to that Heratio?

[DynamicStall]

Special mention goes to a couple of Arnhemland pilots, and you know who you are, hold your head down in shame

Ausjet haven't had a base in Arnhem Land for over 10 years now. What are you alluding to?

[Mach E Avelli]

Horatio, I agree that the new parts 119/135/121 will finish off all but the very strongest players. If the fatigue rules apply equally to all, I fail to see how they would finish off anyone who does not deserve to be finished off.
But no one should lament the passing of piston powered aircraft for anything except training and thrill seekers wanting to have a warbird experience.
Meantime, we continue to put the unsuspecting public in 40 or 50 year old relics on charter or RPT. Meantime, we maintain a double standard between charter and RPT, as if one life is worth less than another. If I was CEO or CP of a company operating to these 1950s standards I would be very nervous.
Operators who have been in denial of the need to go turbine will go under. Operators who do have turbines but can't comply with the new rules will incur the wrath of CASA and go under. Operators who operate turbines below cost will stagger along to the next engine overhaul, then they too will go under. Nothing changes.

[Capt Fathom]

So just where are you going to get the finance to upgrade your fleet of Chieftains to Caravans, Kodiaks and Kingairs?

[Mach E Avelli]

Well if your business can ‘t move with the times, may be time to change to operating trucks. Or coaches. Or boats. But wait .... your competition only runs modern kit there, too.
Jeez, even hotels buy new bedding every couple of years.
If aircraft operators can’t plan to re equip every 25 or so years, may be they never were viable, or may be they should have had an exit plan at the 20 year mark.
Turbines have been on the scene for well over 25 years, so what did the piston engine people think would eventually happen ?

[TBM-Legend]

Hotels don't have the regulator breathing down their necks or airports upping charges or staff to hold ASIC cards and a fluctuation energy cost [fuel]

[Horatio Leafblower]

If the fatigue rules apply equally to all, I fail to see how they would finish off anyone who does not deserve to be finished off.
To an operator doing a bit of Charter and a bit of instructing and a bit of AWK with the same body of pilots, it will be impossible to manage all the slightly different fatigue rule sets and get a reasonable utilisation out of the workforce.
To an operator based in regional areas, that's the only way to survive.
To the people living in regional Australia, piston engine charter in Barons and C206s and Chieftains is all they can afford.

...but mate you go on telling yourself you have all the answers for all the people. You obviously know best.

[Clare Prop]

The fatigue rules, in my case App6, mean that I have basically lost 10% of trading days per year on top of lost days from weather or waiting for parts and those days I do work have to be much more intense...then still have to cancel all lessons and Grade 3 supervision if I run up against that 7th day in the last 28. Nothing but arbitrary numbers that were designed for operators with lots of staff and regular rosters, not a small, seasonal 141 operation.
I've seen so many flying schools that have upgraded to new kit go to the wall while those of us with old hardware that we own and that have paid for themselves many times over are still around. There isn't enough fat to take on massive amounts of finance for new aircraft especially when you are getting quite long in the tooth and not enough working years left in us to be able to pay them off..and not much of a resale market, either.
Every time someone goes under owing money all over the place the suppliers have to recoup their losses from the remaining customers. Yet still we have people thinking it is clever to start price wars.
So we have to muddle on in our relics as best we can.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Every time someone goes under owing money all over the place the suppliers have to recoup their losses from the remaining customers. Yet still we have people thinking it is clever to start price wars.
So we have to muddle on in our relics as best we can.

Ahhh yes. AusJet have fallen over! We might be able to pick up 30 cheap aeroplanes and make a zillion dollars!

[tio540]

If Apple set up a charter company, the flight would cost $100 to operate, but sell for $20,000. If the passenger was careless, and bumped the window with an elbow, the window would shatter, and cost the passenger another $10,000 to fix.

Unserviceabilities would be normal, and to be expected.

When Apple bought a new aircraft, people would line up for days just to sit in it, pay an hefty premium for flights, and then realise the range was now reduced by half on the new model.

Finally, when Apple Air ran into financial difficulty, the worlds 2nd richest man would put his hand in his pocket, and give them 50 Billion dollars to stay afloat.

The cockpit would have a table tennis table, and you could wear whatever you want.

Now charter works!

[Duck Pilot]

I’m currently dabbling in a bit of old vs new aircraft and the operators who get newer or even new aircraft win all the time in my line of business. If everyone shelled out and started investing in newer turbine equipment, even if it was with only one older machine, aka less than 10 years old and then put their rates up accordingly it would slowly bring the standard of aircraft up.

As far as the punters in the NT remote areas go, doesn’t matter what the charter costs are as the taxpayer in most cases will be paying for it anyway.

[Horatio Leafblower]

As far as the punters in the NT remote areas go, doesn’t matter what the charter costs are as the taxpayer in most cases will be paying for it anyway.

The internet is an amazing thing - did you think for a second about what I wrote or did you just spit back a response based on your narrow frame of reference.
The point about the new gear is interesting but requires a brave investor. Big price jump between a 1982 USD $1.2m Conquest and a 2009 USD $2.6m B200
As for pax, not talking about the Indigenous Industry either.

[Squawk7700]

As far as the punters in the NT remote areas go, doesn’t matter what the charter costs are as the taxpayer in most cases will be paying for it anyway.

You’re obviously not a businessman/woman.

It is all well and good to say that, however someone has to bid and win on the competitive contract in the first place!

[machtuk]

Was an interesting outfit in the 90's when I freelanced for Chop & the gang, I heard in recent times this outcome was only a matter of time-(
RIP, another nail in the Aussie GA coffin, soon to be viewed open by all & sundry who parade past!

[Duck Pilot]

Might not be 100% paid by the taxpayers, however a high percentage of it is directly or indirectly particularly for some of the work that’s done in the outback, in comparison to most other regional locations - same could be said for commercial operations in the Torres Straits.

If the new regs are going to put all the small GA operators out of business in a few years, why aren’t we seeing more GA business closing their doors now. I know some have closed voluntary or been forced to, however I don’t believe the whole lot will go. The larger players will most likely gobble up some of the smaller operators - which has already happened in some places.

More money in flight training theses days if you can do it right.

[Mach E Avelli]

Many corporate customers will only let contracts to operators who can offer 'young' aircraft - i.e. less than 15 to 20 years old.
As good as the $1.2 million Conquest is, at 35 years old it won't be acceptable to some clients. As for a 45 year old Chieftain, forget it - no CEO with any basic knowledge of risk management would put valued employees in one of those. Oh, the potential for litigation!
Most of the Aus Jet fleet appears to have been very old. Whether this had anything to do with their demise, I am not qualified to say. But it is a fair bet they operated at below true cost in order to keep a desperate grip on a shrinking market.
As for the bigger operators 'gobbling up' the small fry, they need do nothing more than wait for said small fry to self-destruct...aided somewhat by CASA. But not all the blame should be laid on CASA - the signs that sail had to give way to steam have been writ in transport regulation since about year 1918.

[Horatio Leafblower]

If the new regs are going to put all the small GA operators out of business in a few years, why aren’t we seeing more GA business closing their doors now.
....because as I said, it will only commence in a few years. We are all holding on in the hope that it won't be as bad as it looks now.
One flying school operator I know tooled up for 141/142 with all the additional staff only to have the implementation date rolled back 12 months and he has lost his home as a result of being pro-active.

Once you have hundreds of thousands of dollars in Aircraft finance and good people relying on you and working for you, you can't just shut the doors and walk away because it looks hard.

CASA are also selling the myth that "You're one of the good guys, you will probably be last man standing and you will clean up".

The problem is not the volume of work available but the overall health of the ecosystem. Close off the small operators and watch the the support services dry up. MROs, Parts, Fuel.

why aren’t we seeing more GA business closing their doors now Rossair, AusJet, Broome Air Services, Inbound Aviation just to name a couple. There are 4-6 small GA operations in the NT only surviving as booking agents for their own aeroplanes now with the aircraft operated by another business that still has a CP and all the personnel in place, and CASA is gunning for them too.

More money in flight training theses days if you can do it right.
What jobs would we be training these pilots for if we don't do CHTR any more?

I know some have closed voluntary or been forced to, however I don’t believe the whole lot will go. The larger players will most likely gobble up some of the smaller operators - which has already happened in some places.
...Well that's kinda what I was saying. For example, One company now owns Wingaway, Skymaster, Heron, Airlink (Dubbo) and Chartair. Basair, Hunter Valley Aviation and Australia by Air are the same company. Flight Standards now operates the aircraft of 4 or 5 ex-operators who have had to suspend their own AOCs.

Unless we can lean on CASA to make the Part 119 and Part 135 rules workable, Simple, effective and accountable, small family businesses will fold because small family businesses operate to feed a family.... not to beat the world or make 200% ROI. It won't just be operators, it will be maintainers who need ALL their current work to survive.

It won't happen overnight... but...

[Clare Prop]

Great post from Horatio.

From what I've seen, most operators have the doors closed for them when creditors wind them up. Very few would just shut up shop, as HLB said you can't just walk away. But it does amaze me how long so many people get away with trading while insolvent, or accept contracts that may take 120 days or more to get paid... and how many suppliers actually give them credit.

There are too many variables to make this a good investment. Ranging from oil prices to exchange rates, lack of security of tenure for property at the privatised airports, hostile business practices from the monopolies who ere allowed to get their hands on the infrastructure, lack of qualified senior staff (the biggest problem facing flying training at the moment) high profile people running media scare campaigns and crying wolf, new entrants who are deliberately losing money for tax reasons starting price wars, CASA and their arbitrary numbers for things like duty times forcing a business like myself to give up 10% of our trading days etc plus an election coming up which may put into power people who are hostile to private enterprise.

[The Wawa Zone]

It won't happen overnight... but... Fortunately it will eventually happen, ie., the collection of 70's and the new 80's era piston aircraft will get recycled if not because of regulation but because leaded AVGAS will no longer be available, and small turbine aircraft with actually useful modern avionics will replace them. At last.

4 or 5 ex-operators who have had to suspend their own AOCs. YPDN ? Why did they do that ?

Getting back to the point, why did Ausjet finally shut it's doors ? Old man Lamb died of cancer in 2015(?), did his son take over and not do so well ?

[Capt Greenhorn]

Rumours would indicate that a couple of ex staff members were the reason for the downfall.. That and an unwell heir... But then it is rumour. .

[Bend alot]

Many corporate customers will only let contracts to operators who can offer 'young' aircraft - i.e. less than 15 to 20 years old.

I would say MOST corporate customers would put "unit cost" first.

Some corporate customers would have/had such requirements, but these are flexible in economic times generally by outsourcing the task to a third party to keep the profit line good.

The CEO's priority is to the Share Holders and his research will show not many Chieftains have crashed in the past 10 years - but a brand new B737 crashed last month!

[doublemamba]

My Gads!, its got a propeller on the front!

When was the last time a piston twin crashed in oz with an experienced pilot up front? On a charter flight?
I can't think of any. Meanwhile Air Asia and Lion Air have lost brand new twin jets, good luck to all those consultants and business people being sent to asia on contracts.

I'll stick to my Baron thanks.

[Mach E Avelli]

If you are going to play the crash statistics argument at least factor in total fleet hours flown, miles flown, passengers flown.
This, and fleet age/type, is the sort of stuff aviation safety advisors do when assessing risk and drafting charter contracts. I have seen many tenders where fleet age and type are strict requirements.
Sure, I would never put my staff on Lion Air or Air Asia. In some parts of the world you would want to charter from a reputable source. One with turbine equipment.
​​​​​​​Aus Jet were probably reputable enough - just not competitive enough with their fleet.

[Bend alot]

Ok I'll bite.

"If you are going to play the crash statistics argument at least factor in total fleet hours flown, miles flown, passengers flown"

What is safer B747-400D or the B747-400ERF?

There is no argument, you can selectively use certain statistics to play the story you wish to hear - your inclusion of "passengers flown" is to use a apples verses oranges principle. But when we break that down to the 747 pax/freighter number of passengers is clearly not relevant - but you do have a statistical valid point.

[doublemamba]

I fear you are correct Mach E. The lawyers are taking over the world. I believe a lot of what is happening is cultural, I don't have a irrational fear of piston engines like much of the public so it's hard for me to accept. Many people I know seem to live in fear of one thing or the other. Code" orange" in the "age of terror" etc etc etc, I think its scared the uneducated masses witless about their own shadows now.
Safety is always relative and not absolute.
We would never have an Apollo program now, too dangerous.

[Josh Cox]

Doublemamba,

Kiunga, Mildura, Port Macquarie, Bathurst Island and MacAurthur River, that's without even trying too hard.

[Mark Harrison]

All Aus Jet carnet cards & accounts have been stopped listed by Viva Aviation (Previously Shell Aviation). As the refueller at Coober Pedy South Australia I have advised Ausjet that if they require fuel at my site I will require cash up front,

[Horatio Leafblower]

Kiunga, Mildura, Port Macquarie, Bathurst Island and MacAurthur River, that's without even trying too hard.

Care to expand on that?
I searched the ATSB Database for 2008-2018 and found a few incidents but no piston twin charter fatalities.

[Bend alot]

Approximately 10,000 - B737's have been manufactured and approximately, they have produced 5,000 fatalities.

Approximately 4,000 - PA-31's were manufactured, have they produced 2,000 fatalities?

I expect it would be lucky to be a few hundred, while the 737 no doubt has accumulated more hours - the hr/cycle ratio of the PA-31's will be much higher. Of the 3 phases of flight (Takeoff/cruise/landing) the middle phase is by far the least risk of fatality. So since a PA-31 will operate in the danger zone more often than the 737, a valid case can be made it is safer than the 737.

Selective use of data is foolish - how many deaths will the 737 cause as a contributor to pollution and climate change compared to the PA-31?

I love all these companies that build empires making policies based on partial data and correctness but without understanding.

Is this the final Ausjet to fall down or is there still a "different state/territory sector operating that just got a few more aircraft to use?

[Flying Bear]

Care to expand on that?.

I doubt he will...

Not familiar with the first few listed - but PNG accidents (Kiunga) don’t discriminate by type of engine - the other factors up there are usually heaps more relevant in why accidents happen.

However:

Bathurst Island (approx 2010) - a C310 flown by a young lad most likely suffered from somatogravic illusion during a night take-off. No pax on board. Inexperienced with apparently no training from within his company for flight by night. Nothing could be found wrong with the aircraft that led to the crash, from what I heard. Most likely not the aircraft’s fault.

Macarthur River - if he means the Hardy Aviation Baron accident (pre2008), then again it doesn’t count. Nothing found wrong with the aircraft, I believe, but there was much discussion about the mental health of an occupant and by the severity of the impact, there is a school of thought that there was possibly some issue there that had nothing to do with the aircraft. Weather was fine on the day...

That’s the best I can recall from the information available at the time. Although with the resources available to Josh Cox (CASA) he might be able to provide further insight / information that we are not aware of.

Although older aircraft need to be properly taken care of, and certainly they don’t have the technology benefits of their successors, if well maintained, in well trained hands and operated within their limits these aircraft are still perfectly acceptable. Rather than focusing on the type / age of the aircraft, I reckon CASA should be looking at the quality of training around the country - as that is more to blame for the accidents we are having in industry. Josh Cox, no doubt, should also be able to rattle off dozens of examples of this without even trying too hard...

[Bend alot]

I doubt he will...

Not familiar with the first few listed - but PNG accidents (Kiunga) don’t discriminate by type of engine - the other factors up there are usually heaps more relevant in why accidents happen.

However:

Bathurst Island (approx 2010) - a C310 flown by a young lad most likely suffered from somatogravic illusion during a night take-off. No pax on board. Inexperienced with apparently no training from within his company for flight by night. Nothing could be found wrong with the aircraft that led to the crash, from what I heard. Most likely not the aircraft’s fault.

Macarthur River - if he means the Hardy Aviation Baron accident (pre2008), then again it doesn’t count. Nothing found wrong with the aircraft, I believe, but there was much discussion about the mental health of an occupant and by the severity of the impact, there is a school of thought that there was possibly some issue there that had nothing to do with the aircraft. Weather was fine on the day...

That’s the best I can recall from the information available at the time. Although with the resources available to Josh Cox (CASA) he might be able to provide further insight / information that we are not aware of.

Although older aircraft need to be properly taken care of, and certainly they don’t have the technology benefits of their successors, if well maintained, in well trained hands and operated within their limits these aircraft are still perfectly acceptable. Rather than focusing on the type / age of the aircraft, I reckon CASA should be looking at the quality of training around the country - as that is more to blame for the accidents we are having in industry. Josh Cox, no doubt, should also be able to rattle off dozens of examples of this without even trying too hard...


Mate while not a charter we are missing a Airvan in that neck of woods.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Bendy
Not doubting you but Josh Cox's original response was in relation to this assertion by Double Mamba:
When was the last time a piston twin crashed in oz with an experienced pilot up front? On a charter flight?
I can't think of any. Meanwhile Air Asia and Lion Air have lost brand new twin jets, good luck to all those consultants and business people being sent to asia on contracts.

I'll stick to my Baron thanks.

I can think of
- MKK, Chieftain, engine failure at Marree - Pilot mishandling
- Airtex Mojave at Bankstown - Pilot mishandling
- Chieftain at Bathurst at night - Private flight
- Not sure why the Chieftain at Mt Hotham wouldn't show in the results? Was it a PVT flight? (edit: it was 2005... time flies even when your Chieftain can't)
- C310 at The Lakes/Port Macquarie - Private pilot, private flight.
- C310 at Mildura: Private Pilot, Private flight

[pilotchute]

Seneca in Broome. Chieftain at Lilydale.

[RatsoreA]

- Airtex Mojave at Bankstown - Pilot mishandling

Pretty sure that was Airwork...

[Mumbai Merlin]

The last Kiunga crash was a Turbine powered Islander; therefore what about the Rossair Conquest prang?

Is Cox sneaking a turbine engine powered aircraft into the equation?

[Checkboard]

Grumman G-73 ‘Mallard’ in Perth.

[Josh Cox]

AC50, near Torres,
AC50 near Clonbinane,
AC50 near Daintree,
Seneca Bankstown,
Duchess Camden,
C337 south of Kalgoorlie,
BN2 Coconut,
Queenair near Mount Garnet.

MM, you are correct, the one at Kiunga was turbine powered (Allisons?), there was a different one (which I thought was nearby, early last year), S?????? Gap ?

PA31 Whyalla, did someone already mention that one ?

[Bend alot]

So when was "the last piston aircraft charter fatal crash with an experienced pilot" as in date.

[Alice Kiwican]

So when was "the last piston aircraft charter fatal crash with an experienced pilot" as in date.

I can only think of the C210 near Darwin last year (or early this year) one experienced and one new pilot on board

[The name is Porter]

An important thing here, if you know someone is doing it tough, reach out. This industry has more than its share of C U Next Tuesday's, it doesn't need the NON-CNUT's turning on each other.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Grumman G-73 ‘Mallard’ in Perth.
Private Pilot, Private ops.

what about the Rossair Conquest prang?
CASA was PIC. couldn't possibly be the PICs fault, they are the ultimate Authority on aviation Safety.

From Josh Cox:
AC50, near Torres FREIGHT NOT PAX the pilot, who was also the operator’s chief pilot, had either not met the recency requirements or did not have an endorsement to conduct the types of instrument approaches available at Horn Island
AC50 near Clonbinane, Private flight, Tools/LAME not pax
AC50 near Daintree, CHTR - 3 Pax
Seneca Bankstown, - VH-CTT - Flight Training not Pax
Duchess Camden, - 2003 - JWX - Flight training/Testing not Pax
C337 south of Kalgoorlie - ATSB shows no such accident
BN2 Coconut - 1999 - AGREED.
Queenair near Mount Garnet. ATSB shows no such accident

PA31 Whyalla - AGREED - but that was RPT, and in 2001 (over 17 years ago). It's Charter that's really dangerous and RPT that's really safe, remember?

[Bend alot]

I know it is listed as a Charter Flight, but I would have called it a Training Flight.

[Horatio Leafblower]

I can only think of the C210 near Darwin last year (or early this year) one experienced and one new pilot on board
....why on earth would you fly a C210 through a towering CU (or CB?) in Darwin in October?.... or ever?

[doublemamba]

Thanks for the interesting debates / moaning / arguments guys. I am surprised so many out there are sticking up for the piston props!
I think this thread also shows that crashes in passenger carrying charter with experienced pilots are very rare, especially in twins as I originally surmised.
Condolences to the unlucky people mentioned but it appears many were in training, not carrying any passengers or in the private category.
TOOTLE PIP

[Clare Prop]

Grumman G-73 ‘Mallard’ in Perth.

Aerial work, according to ATSB report.
"The investigation has not identified any evidence to indicate that pilot incapacitation or aircraft serviceability were contributing factors to the collision with water"

[Horatio Leafblower]

yes - but then there are Conquest incidents categorised as "Piston" and a lot of other inconsistencies in the ATSB database. :8

[Bend alot]

I am surprised so many out there are sticking up for the piston props!
I think this thread also shows that crashes in passenger carrying charter with experienced pilots are very rare.



I expect your second line is why there are so many out there sticking up for piston props.

[Clare Prop]

Agree, I have seen some complete rubbish published there.

Anyway, the point is that the Mallard was definitely not a charter!

[tio540]

....why on earth would you fly a C210 through a towering CU (or CB?) in Darwin in October?.... or ever?

There are some points I should make re this comment, if indeed it refers to the C210 accident in October, 2017, at Darwin.

1. The investigation report is incomplete
2. Are there any witnesses, or any confirmation, that aircraft entered a towering Cu, or CB
3. The matter is still possibly before the courts, and speculation is sub judice. Google it.

Give the crew the respect they deserve, they sadly cannot defend themselves.

[Alice Kiwican]

AC50 near Daintree, Freight not pax

Was this the one from 2001? I thought that had 1 pilot and 3 pax? It is it a different one?

[Horatio Leafblower]

AC50 near Daintree, Freight not pax

Was this the one from 2001?
You are right - 10 April 2001 - and yes a CHTR 1 pilot 3 pax.
My apologies, trying to work and research and PPRuNe and answer phones all at the same time.

[Bend alot]

tio 540 with all due respects- 2 POB both pilots it is hard to call it a charter flight regardless of what happened.

There is only one reason the second pilot is there, it aint to go fishing at the destination.

You can also give respect to all concerned not just the 2.

Many hurt that day!

[Capt Fathom]

.Aus Jet had two excellent Cheyenne III's and one was damaged beyond repair when a full time staff member, totally in-experienced, demolished their best Cheyenne III on a landing accident.

Ok. So why would an operator allow a totallty in-experienced staff member to demolish their best Cheyenne? Doesn’t pass the pub test!

[tio540]

tio 540 with all due respects- 2 POB both pilots it is hard to call it a charter flight regardless of what happened.

There is only one reason the second pilot is there, it aint to go fishing at the destination.

You can also give respect to all concerned not just the 2.

Many hurt that day!

Crikey, some correcting required here.

1. The phrase is “due respect”
2. The regs do not prevent a charter flight being conducted with two pilots.
3. A non flying pilot can be on board for several reasons.
4. Absolutely, the two pilots deserve respect, each one.

[Capt Fathom]

The ATSB website seems be missing quite a few accidents from their database. Ones I am familiar with and were fatal. Just non existent .. apparently!

[Bend alot]

Crikey, some correcting required here.

1. The phrase is “due respect”
2. The regs do not prevent a charter flight being conducted with two pilots.
3. A non flying pilot can be on board for several reasons.
4. Absolutely, the two pilots deserve respect, each one.

I also unlike many have respect for the operator in many ways, a fairly unique thing on PpruNe

Out of interest in your opinion was the non flying pilot on board for any other reason than company requirement/business?

[tio540]

The news reported the flight was a charter flight, transporting 1 deceased to a remote community.

A PF is often supported by a NF pilot, for ICUS, familiarization, or merely acting as a safety pilot.

[Bend alot]

The news reported the flight was a charter flight, transporting 1 deceased to a remote community.

A PF is often supported by a NF pilot, for ICUS, familiarization, or merely acting as a safety pilot.
Might need to act a bit more.

Think it is a freight run or was a briefing given?

I have lost a few and nearly my blood - setal

[Flying Bear]

The pilot in the LHS was brand new to Darwin, straight out of flying school. The pilot in the RHS was his “supervisory pilot” - there to provide line training. He was only “qualified” as such off the back of a couple of circuits within 24 hrs or so of the accident. He only had a couple hundred hours himself and had been in the region for a handful of months during the dry season.

As offered above - not the aircraft’s failing, more likely a function of structured training lacking, pervading culture within the organisation and a shortage of experience all round to develop the newbies.

[Checkboard]

A310R Bathurst Isand, 2011.

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2011/aair/ao-2011-017/

[Horatio Leafblower]

A310R Bathurst Island, 2011.

I have spent a lot of time going through these accident reports and what is striking is that very few passenger-carrying charter flights actually hit the dirt. It is far more common for charter flights with pax to operate safely and arrive without incident, only to come to grief on the way home after the job.
This C310 at Bathurst Island is one such.

[Swept-Wing]

This thread has gone so disgustingly off topic.

[Mach E Avelli]

Not so much disgusting as irrelevant, and in some posts, irrational.

[machtuk]

A lot of threads drift off, there's only so much you can add to a story such as a Co that has gone under! Its human nature to diverse, fact of life!

[Pilotette]

I can only think of the C210 near Darwin last year (or early this year) one experienced and one new pilot on board

“Experienced” is a matter of opinion that is unfortunately too varied these days. The term fluctuates with the job market and supply/demand of pilots.

[josephfeatherweight]

Check out the ad in The Australian - "Expressions of interest are sought to acquire the business and/or assets of the Ausjet Group".

[ChoppaGirl]

Private Pilot, Private ops.


CASA was PIC. couldn't possibly be the PICs fault, they are the ultimate Authority on aviation Safety.




AC50, near Torres FREIGHT NOT PAX the pilot, who was also the operator’s chief pilot, had either not met the recency requirements or did not have an endorsement to conduct the types of instrument approaches available at Horn Island
AC50 near Clonbinane, Private flight, Tools/LAME not pax
AC50 near Daintree, CHTR - 3 Pax
Seneca Bankstown, - VH-CTT - Flight Training not Pax
Duchess Camden, - 2003 - JWX - Flight training/Testing not Pax
C337 south of Kalgoorlie - ATSB shows no such accident
BN2 Coconut - 1999 - AGREED.
Queenair near Mount Garnet. ATSB shows no such accident

PA31 Whyalla - AGREED - but that was RPT, and in 2001 (over 17 years ago). It's Charter that's really dangerous and RPT that's really safe, remember?


How can CASA be PIC? I would have thought that would be pretty difficult when you aren't in a control seat.

[ChoppaGirl]

How can CASA be PIC? I would have thought that would be pretty difficult when you aren't in a control seat.

However, I know it's possible. I would have thought it would be strange if he was logging PIC time for that flight. Maybe he was...

[Horatio Leafblower]

Choppa - I have the same issue as you do with that. Every flight I do as a Flight Examiner I have to occupy a control seat if there is one available. On the Renmark accident SG should have been in the front row.

[The Wawa Zone]

Oh well, getting back to Australasian Jet Pty Ltd ACN 051 843 586, now under External Administration .. This is a member's (ie., shareholder's) Voluntary winding up, meaning that the process has been initiated by the directors of the company consequent to a resolution of the shareholders (there are several Ausjet companies in the pot) and the Administrator is selected and paid by the directors.
This is different to a Creditor's winding up, where the creditor's initiate and oversee the process and pay and direct the Administrator and eventual Liquidator.
It's a big difference. Normally the creditors, if they are professional business people, ie., those who go out of their way to pay for their own accounting and legal advice on everything they do before they do it, vote out the director's appointed Administrator at the 'first meeting' so as to take control of the process to prevent any funny business. That meeting was on Friday - anyone know how it went ?

Also, who is/was Vincent M Rizzo ? He was a 50% owner of the principle Auset trading company (ie., he owned half of 'Ausjet') back in '06 when I was looking deep into it, and no one seemed to know anything about him. He comes up as a current era Melbourne accountant.

Flying Bear, re your post above. CAR 219 provides a structure which when used would overcome the mess to which you allude. CASA however seems to regard CAR 219 as invisible.

[Corvallis]

So has ausjet started flying now?

[machtuk]

I hope you guys stay liquid for the sake of the innocent, the employees the ones that actually make up a Co!
I used to work for AJ back in the 90's, in the heady days of Govt work & plenty of charter but I could see the joint was being lead down the garden path by the owners son:-(

[Corvallis]

It’s hard to believe that this company will ever rise again. The new ceo claims that the previous management was no good but any new ceo can say that about the old ceo.

[machtuk]

It’s hard to believe that this company will ever rise again. The new ceo claims that the previous management was no good but any new ceo can say that about the old ceo.

If you knew the previous management then you might understand a little more. The business was bound to collapse, Only so much can be drained out of the business in lean times, the 'tap' has been wide open for many years!

[Corvallis]

Hopefully things workout for everyone. Hope for the best I guess.

[TWOTBAGS]

Got this today for those interested.Subject: Ausjet Group - Update on sale process

Australasian Jet Pty. Ltd. ACN 051 843 586
Ausjet Helicopters Pty Ltd ACN 152 093 000
Ausjet Aviation Group Pty Ltd ACN 162 821 909
The Experiences Group Ltd ACN 139 054 998
(Administrators Appointed) (the Group)

Dear Sir / Madam

Thank you for your registering your interest to acquire assets of the Ausjet Group.

Further to our previous updates, we can now advise the Group has successfully completed a refinance on 21 January 2019, and as a result, MF and MF were retired as Receivers and Managers on this date. Consequently, the assets are no longer for sale.


So that basically closes the door on the issue...…. question now is who is the new partner/funder?

[Littlehill]

So if Ausjet is still going, when will they refund people for the cancelled flights in WA?

[Littlehill]

AusJet not Ozjet .....
Don’t know who/what Ozjet is.
Ausjet run Air Nostalgia who owe customers money for flights which never happened.

[TBM-Legend]

Back to the receivers as the 'white knight' rode away it seems...

[roundsounds]

The fatigue rules, in my case App6, mean that I have basically lost 10% of trading days per year on top of lost days from weather or waiting for parts and those days I do work have to be much more intense...then still have to cancel all lessons and Grade 3 supervision if I run up against that 7th day in the last 28. Nothing but arbitrary numbers that were designed for operators with lots of staff and regular rosters, not a small, seasonal 141 operation.
I've seen so many flying schools that have upgraded to new kit go to the wall while those of us with old hardware that we own and that have paid for themselves many times over are still around. There isn't enough fat to take on massive amounts of finance for new aircraft especially when you are getting quite long in the tooth and not enough working years left in us to be able to pay them off..and not much of a resale market, either.
Every time someone goes under owing money all over the place the suppliers have to recoup their losses from the remaining customers. Yet still we have people thinking it is clever to start price wars.
So we have to muddle on in our relics as best we can.

CP, you are spot on! That’s why sold I my outfit several years ago while it was still a viable business. I could see the writing on the wall, so glad I’m out of it.

[davidkleperth]

So if Ausjet is still going, when will they refund people for the cancelled flights in WA?

I was promised by an Anita Carter that we now refunded and that refunds would be within the week, that was on 23 January 2019 and you know what, no payment made. :(

[Corvallis]

Heard they shut doors today. Administrators closed business.
over 35 pilots out of work.!

[Rudder]

I was promised by an Anita Carter that we now refunded and that refunds would be within the week, that was on 23 January 2019 and you know what, no payment made. :(

So you want to inflict more damage so you definitely don't get paid. While I sympathise, I'm not sure your approach will achieve exactly what you appear to want.

[The Wawa Zone]

Heard they shut doors today. Administrators closed business


If you want to spend some money to see the compulsory reports lodged by various parties, try https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/faces/landing/SearchRegisters.jspx?_adf.ctrl-state=o5bnintmk_40

[Mumbai Merlin]

Aircraft disposal taking place today with one or more already heading off the 'new' owners

[DrongoDriver]

I heard Ausjet finally closed doors last weekend. Bit of an unfortunate sign for Aussie GA.

[Dnav31]

So who has picked up the fugro/survey work Ausjet were doing on their behalf?

[nogoodtuesdays]

If you have a read of the administrator's report from the first time Ausjet went into receivership, by PwC, you would see all the "uncommercial director transactions" and the like. This isn't a sad day for GA. This is a sad day for the employees who lost the 6 quarters of their unpaid superannuation and all their hard earned entitlements so the director could snort all the company money. This company had every chance to thrive in the GA space. If anything, it is a happy day because it shows us that completely incompetent and criminal directors will lose everything eventually, as they should. We should continue to hope this happens for any other crooks running companies in GA, for which I'm sure there are many.

[tio540]

The company, and owner, are being much maligned here, unfortunately. The opportunity given to employees in the past was second to none, with type upgrades, endorsements, and the owner himself assisting pilots get to that dream airline job.

Let’s not forget all the good work done in the past, by a talented team of individuals.

Not all employees appreciated the opportunity granted to them, and some took advantage of the owner’s generosity. This contributed to the demise, and as stated here before, you know who you are.

[pilotchute]

You think a few people who got upgrades and left soon after caused them to go broke? Really??

[nogoodtuesdays]

Yes, there were definitely many contributions to the demise; director spending, unlawful transactions, going into business with other crooks, flying thousands of hours in SA that earned no money, weekends away and flights to holiday destinations for the director or his ‘friends’, giving away company cars to be written off etc etc. You could possibly say he was generous but you can definitely say he was stupid and he took more money for himself, and withheld more in legal entitlements from his employees, than any endorsement or leg up ever cost the company. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get a phoenix company up or go into business with anyone else.

[hillbillybob]

Tio540 is living in the past. Nogoodtuesdays is much closer to being on the money for their recent history

[tio540]

"Living in tbe past".There is no statute of limitations on integrity.

[Bend alot]

"Living in tbe past".There is no statute of limitations on integrity.

Integrity is lost when a few lines are snorted (on the company money) while employee benefits go unpaid.

Brenton Tarrant probably had great integrity as a fitness trainer, now he is just another mass murderer.

[machtuk]

The company, and owner, are being much maligned here, unfortunately. The opportunity given to employees in the past was second to none, with type upgrades, endorsements, and the owner himself assisting pilots get to that dream airline job.

Let’s not forget all the good work done in the past, by a talented team of individuals.

Not all employees appreciated the opportunity granted to them, and some took advantage of the owner’s generosity. This contributed to the demise, and as stated here before, you know who you are.

3 key words applied here as you mentioned...……………"in the past".....we are talking about recent times,( the past was great I agree) but 'nogoodtuesdays is spot on in more recent times. Anyone who knew the Owners are well versed as to what really went on behind the scenes despite the past!
Still that's that, can't bring back the dead, move on, there will be more as time goes on in Australian GA:-(

[wishiwasupthere]

I hear Christmas parties on the bay were quite a hoot, who says it doesn’t snow in summer in Australia.

[nogoodtuesdays]

"Living in tbe past".There is no statute of limitations on integrity.
If there is an integrous bone in their body then they would have, at the very least, paid out the employee entitlements on wind up. Instead of selling everything off and hiding it in other entities. Pay up. Let that be the final act and then take a bow.

[alwaysperu]

It is a travesty the owner's henchman and their puppet of a chief pilot have escaped west without punishment to plunder someone else's fortune.

[CaptVelocity]

Any word on where/who the DC-3 has been sold to?

[Mumbai Merlin]

No, you would have to check the CASA web site, for aircraft registrations.
Or contact the airport administration office.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Aerologistics

[Deanobro]

Hi if interested in knowing anything else regarding the liquidation and where the money went send me an e-mail


QUOTE=alwaysperu;10322349]It has been a long time coming but AusJet Aviation finally went into liquidation yesterday.

Commiserations to all those blameless victims involved, namely the hardworking pilots and engineers.

And to those inept owners, managers and the chief pilot that ran the place into the ground shame on you. You are nauseating homo sapiens to be around. The level of mismanagement and incompetence you demonstrated is truely astounding.[/QUOTE]

[Alambo]

Well your hope has been turned into a reality! Same hangar, new name - 360 Degrees Aviation! Hang onto your superannuation girls and boys!

[rnuts]

The other parties to Ausjet’s undoing are now operating in the west under the name of Penjet.. Must have taken ages to come up with that name!

[Alambo]

Did a quick squiz at both websites for PenJet and 360 Degrees. PenJet appear to have a few Beech 1900s and I hear Citations, they seem to be stable in a tough environment. On the other site, I recognize an awful lot of both fixed and rotary wing that were in place before the liquidators moved in - an absolute miracle! Even better, the dear old DC-3 now owned by a Newcastle based company, also appears! Shout out to all the Engineers, Pilots and Admin staff that got stiffed on their entitlements - Chop might be ready to pay what he owes you all - Hallelujah!