CASA Chess Game

[Frank Arouet]

Re Tool.

23 years in the regulatory review process with no ability to know if you are operating within or outside of any regulations. Only The CAA know that. Most people operate on "instruments". The CAA have the monopoly on finance. They hate competition. Ask anybody who has applied for an AOC how they can actively interfere with your financial plans. Talk about organisational oversight? They can barely run their own organisation.

How any of this equates to "safety" is a mystery and understates my reference to them as The CAA.

[Frank Arouet]

Albanese shone in Parliament today confirming his credentials as an excellent ALP tactician, but still doesn't credity him with any idea of what is required as an aviation Minister.

Senate Estimates may be more entertaining.

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

Tomorrow's seminar maybe interesting as it always starts with the latest re org..... How will they handle the exec head of safety walking out? Let's ask the question.

[Frank Arouet]

It may have gone over some and is probably not on the agenda, but I'll ask anyway:

How will they handle the exec head of safety walking out

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

It's just embarrassing for casa to have a senior exec walkout. It might be an interesting question for senate estimates.

Mr GD has speculated on reasons earlier in this thread.

[gobbledock]

Bring popcorn and a bull****ometer

Speculated indeed! The three old silvertails charged with the responsibility to oversight Australia's safety watchdog are about as useful as a bloody haemeroid. Actually you can lump the Board and Minsiter in with the rest of the dross.
I am sure it will be an interesting week if the correct questions are posed by the Dapper Senator Xenophon. Hopefully his 'bull**** and spin detector' has been serviced and finely tuned and in good working order, he will need it.
Maybe he will unravel a few CAA herrings? Then again the CAA may do a Craig Thomson and blame any malfeasance on people trying to 'set them up'?? And what about Senators Cameron and Heffernan? Hopefully they may turn up for an adhoc robust appearance and fire up the crowd? Even better if Flyingfiend and CASAWEARY turned up for a bit of banter!

P.S Dear Senator Xenophon. Please ensure executive salaries are capped, executive bonuses are removed permanently, all travel is now 'cheapest fare o the day' including international flights and all QF FF Points are no longer allowed to be kept by the individual employees at CAA as all these elements are highly inappropriate for the taxpayer to be disadvantaged.

[Sarcs]

Bring popcorn

By the timeSkull and 'mini' skull come on maybe a pint of black and tan maybe more appropriate.......
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_...rrat_ctte.ashx
...might help to lighten the mood while the 'spin (safety) twins' polish their domes and try to protect their 'tom thumbs' from the marauding 'cats eyes' coming in from Senator X and (hopefully) Senator Tap....either way it will be required viewing!

[gobbledock]

Triple Nimrods, more money, spin and a little deflection

I agree, looking forward to a robust debate. Bald, Balder and Bearded have been rehearsing their swan song for several weeks. They will dazzle the senate with numbers, puff pieces, dance, music and theater!
We will watch bemused as they turn inaction and incompetence into a business case in which they will seek to have the rainbow pot of gold filled to overflowing for the coming 12 months activities.
The board also will have been creating some fluffy statements and superb Copperfield magic tricks which will have the senate enthralled and money will be thrown at the CAA.

There will be strategic plans unveiled, dossiers, all receipts will be accounted for and wanky statements coated in Teflon will be unveiled within the circus tent. The Senators will be enthralled to hear about Australia's robust relationship with ICAO and how CAA management have overseen, with integrity and professionalism, the forward movement of Australia's commitment to safety. They may even produce maps of Australia's incredibly large airspace and they may explain the challenges of such a Robust environment by using flow charts, whiteboards, PowerPoint presentation and smoke signals to hammer this overarching statement through to the barely awake Senators.

There will be samples produced proving that the new training academy, employment of safety graduates, the new CMT format (nice timing Skull) and ever greater focus on the reg reform program is proving to be money well spent! Throw in some additional manure such as extra
money they need to spend on mates I.T systems...I mean spend on I.T systems to remain up to date with modern technologies and systems and you have a superbly parceled package of spin/****e ready to be rolled out.

But wait, you want more? Well hell this is Senate estimates and we have more!! Try extra funding needed to cover the 'continuous improvement of Inspectors skill sets', ongoing implementation and changing of regulatory systems such as Parts 145, 42 and 119. We have Human Factors and some FRMS coming up, all require robust funding. Keep an ear out for potential announcements about airspace studies, greater governance and the introduction of working groups consisting of CAA and external safety, regulatory and industry stakeholders coming together in an effort to advance and foster safety....yes, somebody call a lumberjack cos the Senators will get wood.
The highlight will be basically any intellectual statements and word wankery dispersed by the voodoo doctor. The acamedics will be holding on for the ride of their life as the beautifully articulated highly educated bureaucratic dictionary is preached within the Senate chamber.

To be con't.

[gobbledock]

And yet more chair shuffling, machete wielding and folly

*Hot off the malfeasance press*!

The illustrious training center: There has been more chair shuffling at fort fumble in the past week or so.This time it is the Head Of Training Brisbane, the man slated with the task of setting up the CASA training center of excellence. He has taken a gig as tech training manager at wait for it, Aviation Australia! Didn't somebody once say that AA was set up to employee CASA retiree's?? Anyway the amount of activity surrounding the training center set-up leaves no doubt it is another project to run into strife and crumble at the foundation. Seems this gent new when to bail, especially since his veil of protection left a few months ago and headed back to VA.Looks like the former EM of operations in his new role is wielding the machete!
The directorate trio are doing a sterling job.

Human Factors: Lots of problems with this project in the past few months. Again, several changes of project managers, some staff have left and more executions imminent. A certain bald headed toad in CBR who has more than often escaped the spotlight by playing the game, hiding under rocks and burning his fall guys strikes again.
Rumor has it that the machete has been sharpened and about to unleashed yet again as industry provides damning feedback of the HF introduction debacle.
The directorate trio are doing a sterling job.

Manufacturing: Yet again several changes within the project lead, one minute someone's gloss is shining and the next minute it is tarnished with shisen. More timelines unachievable, more budgets need extending, more silliness and incompetence at the helm.
The directorate trio are doing a sterling job.

Safety overisght branch: May the mayhem continue. Since the pineappling of their former EM by the hands of one of the stupid three silvertails this department continues to wobble. Lack of strategy, lack of ownership, lack of comeptence at the top. And once again, a bald headed nupty rises to fame and takes the helm of this messy unit.
The directorate trio are doing a sterling job.

Yes indeed the game of shuffling, spin and hide and seek unfolds leading up to senate estimates and beyond. It seems your CV must read - Ex industry incompetent, bald, bearded or silverhaired to run aviations sloppiest outpost!
I love how this game is played out every year at the same time, don't you? What dross will the directorate be feeding the Senate this week? What puff piece will the Board be arming the Silvertails with to present to the senate so as to dazzle, fool and trick them?
And most importantly, when does Craig Thomson join as a consultant?

[Frank Arouet]

I'll await the inevitable utube presentation to see the body language on some of the pointed to characters. Hansard won't do it justice.

I hear it all went badly for them with most all questions taken "on notice".

Brave warriors them dudes.

[gobbledock]

Funny thing Frank, if one of CAA enter your workplace during an audit and you can't answer the question or provide evidence they issue you with an RCA? I mean an NCN.
Seems like they can't answer any questions themselves without firstly taking it on notice and scurrying away to have the lawyers shine up a non-committal response?
Speaking of taking it on notice, will we ever get to see a full response to the senate inquiry questions they took on notice?

I think some individuals take it on notice and take it on the chin!

[Sarcs]

Here's Wednesday's estimate transcript, definitely worth a read:

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/...afc70a/0000%22

Prize for the clanger question of the day goes tooo.....Sen Fawcett....classic!!! Pity they didn't put a footnote in there, if you viewed the webcast there was deathly silence for 10 seconds after the 'clanger'!

[Sarcs]

Senator FAWCETT: I notice CASA is often another player in the coronial inquests and often you will highlight something, the coroner will accept it and basically tick off in his report on the basis that a new CASR or something is going to be implemented. Do you follow those up? I have looked through a few crash investigations, and I will just pick one: the Bell 407 that crashed in October '03. CASR part 133 was supposed to be reworked around night VFR requirements for EMS situations. I notice that still is not available now, nearly 10 years after the event. Does it cause you any concern that recommendations that were accepted by the coroner, and put out as a way of preventing a future accident, still have not actually eventuated? How do you track those? How do we, as a society, make sure we prevent the accidents occurring again?

Here's the clanger! Although there was strong competition from Sen X and Sen Egglestone when the Skull was on trial...ahh I mean answering questions! ASA copped a fair old basting as well...

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

Sarcs, thanks for the post and link.

Probably worth a read. Between Asa and casa questions on staff turnover, bullying and harassment, expenses claims, increase in staff numbers but very little improvement in atc numbers. Mr Butson's case raised again. Casa were asked about their oversight of Asa.

[Kharon]

Dances with wolves.

Have the Wolves found the trough, and will they huff and puff and blow the house down??.
Guys it's worth spending a half hour with Hansard – as reported, there was a lot of ducking, weaving and "who me?" going on; the silences could best be described a pregnant, the ammunition live and the body language translated as reaching for a pair of asbestos jocks and a nose guard against nasty things swimming through the trough. Seems the good Senators have found some live rounds and some stationary targets.

Senator McKENZIE: I want to ask something on notice. It goes to the legal fees of the department and the agencies. From my rough calculations to a question on notice, we have over $10 million being spent on legal fees. I would like that broken down. We have $2 million from Airservices Australia. We have $1.7 million from Airservices Australia for another issue. The department has spent $1.2 million with the Australian Government Solicitor. Could I have further detail for the over $1 million in legal bills in the answer to question on notice 25?

Senator EGGLESTON: He says that you have ignored Administrative Appeal Tribunal findings, ignored court findings and sought to prolong this case deliberately to exhaust his financial reserves. He says: 'CASA has in the past treated this matter with total contempt,' and, 'It is about time this nonsense stopped and that CASA was made properly accountable for their outrageous behaviour'. He has a different point of view to you, as I said at the last estimates hearings. I will pursue this matter on Mr Butson's behalf until we get some satisfactory answers

.

Then, there was this from Ben Sandilands.

Rather like the Tropfest short film festival but for frequent flyers the ATSB has issued four brief, relevant, and occasionally disturbing safety incident reports today in its regular release of inquiries into what are generally seen as secondary occurances.

One concerns a miscalculation of runway length by the crew of a Qantas 737-400 departing Melbourne Airport, another a navigational and procedural error by a Virgin Australia E-190 crew approaching Melbourne Airport who by not flying a Tiger Airways jet didn’t receive the royal treatment by CASA, one involving a resources industry operator whose crew stuffed up a Perth go-around in an Embraer 120 turbo-prop, and another involving a Jetstar A320 that was given a bum steer by overworked air traffic controllers who punted it into a storm cloud while approaching Brisbane airport.

Gripping reading aside, these are important albeit short reports and an important part of the ATSB’s functions.

There are almost 40 juicy pages to work through in Hansard - can't wait.

Did anyone redord any of it ??????.

[Sarcs]

That Hansard is priceless, could become a bestseller...could name it 'HMAS Senate bravely sails the Gulf of Snouts'!

[Frank Arouet]

Watch with interest the scene set by the announcement today that (Maritime), MSIC's can be cancelled at will if the officer deems you "could" be a suspect. This was obviously overlooked by CAA as being too simple to ground, take away your livelihood, drive you to "the brink" and enabled another 10,000 pages of regulations and Instruments to do the same job.

All this while the Minister was making noise about "navigation" which turned out to be about ships. I thought Lloyd's had all that covered.

[Kharon]

Note : retune crystal ball.

GD s' own –
I agree, looking forward to a robust debate. Bald, Balder and Bearded have been rehearsing their swan song for several weeks. They will dazzle the senate with numbers, puff pieces, dance, music and theatre!.

The Senators will be enthralled to hear about Australia's robust relationship with ICAO and how CAA management have overseen, with integrity and professionalism, the forward movement of Australia's commitment to safety.

Well GD, was their dastardly plot foiled by the well armed Triage Trio ?. It certainly looks that way. The motley crew seem to be stuffed if they don't and stuffed if they do.

Great kudos, respect and credit to Fearless Fawcett, Estimable Eggleston and Extraordinary Xenphon, Brava. One last push will produce the long awaited, much needed open inquiry into the feed bill and lost shovel account of this shameful, humiliating debacle we call Air Safety management in this long suffering country.

I hear that the Triage Trio have a sock full of live, first grade ammunition; the only question is have they the chutzpah to use it. One thing is certain – they are aware of the state of play and they do have a public duty to make sure that the holes are plugged up, before the unthinkable happens.

GD - And most importantly, when does Craig Thomson join as a consultant?.

Good shot mate - see the ASA page.

[blackhand]

Great kudos, respect and credit to Fearless Fawcett, Estimable Eggleston and Extraordinary Xenphon, Brava. One last push will produce the long awaited, much needed open inquiry into the feed bill and lost shovel account of this shameful, humiliating debacle we call Air Safety management in this long suffering country

Can live in hope, but is "merely" part of a wider senate inquiry and will probably amount to nought.

[LeadSled]

Folks,
It is well worth while looking at Senator Fawcett's CV. Most impressive.

Amongst a long list of achievement in his military career, he did a stint at ARDU ( an Army officer as CO of ARDU did not go down at all with with some in the RAAF), for which is was extremely well qualified.

He was commander of airborne forces for the 2000 Olympics.

He is why (as a result of his actions as a member of the House of Reps, MHR) the CASA obdurate obstruction of the civilian use of NVG was finally broken.

He keeps civil licenses current, there are very few in Australia who know more about helicopters, civil or military, than David Fawcett.

His treatment by CASA over NVG issues, when an MHR gave him an excellent grounding in CASA culture. You are now seeing that experience being put to good use in the Senate.

Tootle pip!!