Outrage at China-controlled Aussie airport
Totally bogus reporting citing nameless sources whipping up needless scaremongering and xenophobia. Truth be known the Chinese are gone, and Merredin is worse off. I can tell you the Chinese cadet pilots that spoke to me during their advanced training in China all had positive things to say about their experiences in Australia, except for the bush flies. Not one of them ever mentioned any idea of eventually coming here to work as a pilot.
China requires some 15-20,000 pilots over the next few years to occupy the massive growth. India is the same. People here need to get out of their myopic landscape here and see what is happening in the greater Asian domain. Aussie requirements are a fraction of that part of the world.
I think Dick could learn something from looking at Boeing [Airbus] forecasts for growth too...
I think Dick could learn something from looking at Boeing [Airbus] forecasts for growth too...
Could it be that in 5 years a lot of these Chinese pilots will be back in Australia on 457 visas flying our Aussie owned airlines?
I am told they are well trained not to cause any industrial troubles!
I am told they are well trained not to cause any industrial troubles!
But that’s neither here nor there... Let’s not allow you to defer away from the fact that the original article is complete scaremongering over what has been an excellent deal for the WA economy.
Not ONE aussie pilot has been denied access to Merredin airport (as per article). Not ONE. It’s far more likely that shire run aerodromes would deny access than CSA.
Won’t SOMEBODY think of the children!!!
Pick up the phone and do some research before posting. The arrangement with CSA at Merredin has been nothing other than a massive win for Australia and Australian aviation.
Last edited by Slippery_Pete; 27th Dec 2017 at 19:30.
Originally Posted by Dick Smith
I am told they are well trained not to cause any industrial troubles!
Yair, rediculous, I say!
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I have flew into Merredin multiple times and never asked permission, never had a problem. The sad thing is the operation has ceased, this was a boon to the community. The other thing it has been going on since the early 90,s why all the kerfuffle now? Just look how old the sign is on the original post! lol
Exactly. Which is why I said earlier, this piece in The Australian is just a bogus fake news story with no purpose other than to throw fuel on the xenophobia fire. As much as I admire DS as a great Australian, aviator and business man, he's way off track on this one. Apart from his opinion on CASA, he's right on the money about that.
Dick,
Have you only just figured out now that Merredin was operated by CSWAFC? It's been operated by them for about 20 yrs that I know of.
Never had a problem getting approval to land and they've always been happy to oblige with AVGAS if you need it.
Have you only just figured out now that Merredin was operated by CSWAFC? It's been operated by them for about 20 yrs that I know of.
Never had a problem getting approval to land and they've always been happy to oblige with AVGAS if you need it.
The thing is, there are no derelict airports in China. They are all well facilitated, maintained, and busy. So your bid offer of $1 is considerably below current market price. If you wanted to take over an airport for $1 you should have beaten the Chinese to the Merredin deal. But even your deep pockets are nowhere near deep enough to match the money the Chinese put into that operation. And what foresight they had when they did it...they can afford to pay huge salaries to expatriate pilots if they wanted to, but they chose the "look after their own" option first. And they paid a premium for doing it, which Merredin was greatful for. Now the Canadians are salivating at the prospect of Chinese pilot training money being spent in their country. And they wouldn't have to contend with so much xenophobia either.
I've got a hunch at least part of it was Chief Pilot related...pure speculation on my part however, but they advertised on many separate occasions for a Chief Pilot. They couldn't operate without a Chief Pilot approved by CASA. I was never privvy to that sort of information from the China side, those in the know keep it on a need to know basis. That would have been an excellent question to chase an answer to before that fake news/opinion piece was published in The Australian, rather than giving up when the answer didn't easily come out of CASA.
Why the outrage now, Merredin was 20 years ago, was a state deal not federal and Jandakot has been run by "foreigners" for over ten years.
One bit of the outrage could be from the fact the council and the local business people have not been informed when the school will be operating again.
Imagine the loss of takings in the local area.
Why would China Southern keep everyone on the payroll for nearly 12 months?
All very strange.
Is it the culture that everything be kept secret?
Imagine the loss of takings in the local area.
Why would China Southern keep everyone on the payroll for nearly 12 months?
All very strange.
Is it the culture that everything be kept secret?
Why not put your money where your mouth is?
I'll bet you won't be moving to the western Australia wheatbelt anytime soon
Last edited by Mike Flynn; 28th Dec 2017 at 02:13.
The payroll for that aspect of the operation is a pittance compared with the overall training budget. Possession is 9/10ths of the law, I'm sure they'll do whatever it takes to maintain their end of the deal with regards to Merredin. They'd be happy to keep Merredin as a fall-back option for the next 70 years of the lease, even if they didn't turn a propeller. They take a strategic view to their business outcomes, not just a near-sighted economic view. They also know Governments change here over a relatively short period, and they might find a more sympathetic Government at the next election. We won't get into foreign governments making back-door donations to political parties without seeking favors in return.