Good luck with ab initio training in Chengdu. I operated into there regularly for years, never were conditions anywhere near VMC. Australia will only be a training destination as long as China needs it, this was always the case.

Does not stop them graduating 2000 pilots a year though. When I was there I visited the control tower and observed numerous "VFR" flights in less than VMC.

I hope you are not suggesting, folks speaking up against bogan racists, makes them in anyways communist Chinese apologists?

The security and economic challenges for Australia moving forward are immense. We can not immediately decouple from China and why should we? However, few above who say chop them off now, seem aware of how China-dependent we are in so many critical areas of our society- this must change. This has been a security concern for a number of years and ignored.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-...paign=abc_news

LOL. We are obviously talking about a different Chengdu, the one I'm talking about has heavy 100-200ton machines coming and going every 90 seconds all day long, no way there are bug smashers operating VFR in IMC conditions at a place like that, not even in China. Graduating 2000 pilots a year as what?, to what standard?, to what acceptable licence?

Gnadenburg

I don’t support racism, bigots or bullies in any way, in any race, so rest assured I am not calling those speaking up against racist bogans apologists for communist China.

So why have they bought up all these country airports and flying schools with a long term view of training students in Australia if they have no intentions to send more??

Let me guess, it’s all a secretive Chinese plot to use these airports as a staging point for a backdoor invasion of the country???

And before anyone says even that suggestion is far too ludicrous for the conspiracy theorists.....:

Still waiting for the proof these are ‘redneck’ and ‘bogan’ racists...

It could be any number of other things.
-Bored School Kids
-someone who’s mentally ill or deranged
-someone trying to garner sympathy for their business that hasn’t been welcomed into the community
​​​​​​-and yes, it could just as likely be certain entities attempting using our society’s well know introspective hypersensitivity to our own ‘racism’ against us
- or yes, it could be moronic ‘bogans’

but no one has provided any proof for or against any of these.

Some seem not to comprehend the current mood of the Australian Federal government - supported by large swathes of the community - and the current mood of the Chinese government. The Australian government is pissing the Chinese government off, knowing that the Australian government is pissing the Chinese government off. And that’s notwithstanding that members of the party in power in Australia (like the opposition) take generous donations from Chinese - what’s the term for them - ‘colourful characters’ and understands full well the economic benefits of a positive relationship with the Chinese government.

If you think that the Australian government is going to allow a return to ‘business as usual’ for foreign investment from Chinese entities and entry of foreign nationals any time soon, and be overwhelmingly supported by the electorate in doing so, I’d urge more research. And it’s always open to the Chinese government to wipe the Australian gum off its shoe.

Nothing to do with tin foil hats and conspiracy theories. Australia’s abject vulnerability as a consequence of matters that should be but are not in its control has been brought into stark(er) relief by C19.

Is this why there is a large, self contained facility at Mildura set up and ready to take refugees from Australia's East Island in an attempt to kick off the NRL season?
Seems some of the, cough, cough, not so local teams may also utilise the facility.
Guessing it was previously home to trainee pilots.

Dr Dre you make very valid and strong, logical points. China IS very important to us, but they are like your beautiful 8 year old son who is going off the rails. You love him, you need him in your life, but he is a very naughty boy and you have to tell him so. You have to provide discipline, education - but most importantly, you have to mold him into a solid corporate citizen, someone who has a valuable contribution to make to society and someone who follows the rules of life. And this is where China fails. They are a very important global player. Their contribution to our economy is massive and imperative. Look at aviation = where would the flying schools of Australia be without these Chinese students?

BUT BUT BUT - does that all mean we just let China do what it wants? What they are doing in the South China Sea with the Spratleys and other islands. To just move in and build bases illegally and basically say to the world "well what are you gunna do about it?" - and they get away with it. They gaoled doctors who were reporting COVID - and then lie about it. And they now threaten Australia because we are pushing for an enquiry. Come on.... really??. They know they screwed up, but they threaten anyone who wants to see what happened, why it happened, and how we can prevent it again. Clearly they have something to hide. These are NOT the actions of a solid world citizen - we must protect our economy, but nothing must stop China from being held to account for terrible behaviour in a world context.

I note in a very early post on here a quote from the ATSB about Mildura - "nothing to see here, there's only been 4 reports in the last year." (those figures are not correct, just can't be bothered going back and finding it). But whatever the number is - very typical of a USELESS organisation. Our company alone has submitted about a dozen reports over the last 6 months alone about the dangerous situation that Mildura has become. Good old ATSB - never let truth get in the way of your incompetence.

So, you are waiting, on a rumour web site, for someone to provide you with proof?

There is more than one airport in that area. To what standard and to what acceptable licence? Well there is the question!

The title of the thread suggests ‘Mildura Rednecks’ aren’t giving people the Aussie ‘fair go’, while denying from the very first post, said ‘Mildura Rednecks’ with said ‘fair go’.

Ironic.

I'm less convinced about the 'education' aspect. Only a couple of Aussie universities rank in the top 20, or even 50, in the world. There are/were over 200,000 Chinese uni students paying good money for an 'education' here. Whether they do so for the education per se, or for the very generous potential for post degree working 'rights', plus the migration potential, is debatable.

If you follow the current 'tertiary education' debate, then you'd have read (Prof.) Peter Van Onselens' section in the last Weekend Australian. He is certainly not a current government supporter - rather, quite a critic. Yet, in his own words..............

But the comparative advantage Australian universities have enjoyed has been built on location, location, and location. That is, the lifestyle benefits of studying here, and experiencing Australia, alongside the potential to migrate Down Under once you are finished.
The backdoor visa system for foreign students at the completion of their studies has been the dirty little secret of the success of Australias' 2nd largest export sector. It is why so many students in our region have chosen Australian universities over universities in other parts of the world. Migrate to a great place to live, and not too far from home.

There you go: quality of education, or a better place to live? It's done via a visa and an airline ticket, rather than USD10,000, and a leaking fishing boat!

The discussion about Chinese aviation studies students pales into insignificance against the numbers involved in the greater tertiary sector, where the real money is being made. A cessation of flying training of Chinese pilots will make barely a ripple on the industry. The possible disappearance of the majority of the Chinese at Australian universities will create a massive black hole in our export income, and this seems to have been overlooked in recent times by our intemperate federal government. Loss of students won't be about 'racism' or the actions of a few ignorants, it will be by CCP policy and directions to the Chinese citizenry.

happy days,

For that analogy to be correct the child would have to be 50 times larger than the parent and about 2000 years older.

Most Australians (and westerners) forget they are dealing with a history, culture and people who go back a lot, lot longer than Australia has been around. The thought our little minnow of a country is going to influence them in any way is hilarious.

Just to put that comparison in context, it would be like a nation the size of the Solomon Islands or the GDP of PNG dictating how Australia should act. Australians would be pissing their pants laughing if either one of them tried, but that’s how Australians are acting here to a country of comparative size.

I did indicate that is a possibility. Not saying it’s likely but I’m the absence of information to the contrary it’s the same as accusing ‘bogans’ outright, or whatever else for that matter.

Aah, Muttley Crew, I can still smell that stench and only those who have experienced it will ever know what we mean.

A couple of 'off' radio calls and a few lasers, get your hands off it!
I have had that in Australia.
I experienced far worse in dealing with some people in Asia and in one particular part of Asia.

Mildura wrecks our 'fair go reputation'- Bul--it!
Westerners are seen as soft and known to buckle the moment the "racist' card is played.
As I was often told in dealings in China and other parts of Asia ; 'you cannot do this or that ( even though you are entitled to ) because, you are not Chinese'.
The university study ploy is an old scam that will come back to bite us on the behind as will foreign investment.


I could say so much more .

Really? I think most Australians are quite aware that China is a big nation and an old culture. It is also a repressive totalitarian state, also a fact known to most Australians (and Westerners). Just because people don't see things your way does not mean that they're stupid.

The fact that we are relatively small does not mean that we can't or shouldn't speak up when we feel the need to do so, particularly when China's actions have a direct effect on us.

Anti-Chinese sentiment has been around since at least the gold rushes. But I don't think that the current concern about the increasing influence of China can be dismissed as racism.

China has been by far the largest foreign investor in Australia for the last several years and is the largest foreign owner of agricultural land. Personally, I'm happy to sell China our products, but not happy that they own so much of our land and resources. I believe that most Australians (and Westerners) believe that under the Xi regime they have not been good global citizens, and their aggressive expansionism is a cause for real concern for those of us in the Pacific.

Come on guys. It's a click bait story. How the fuk can the wanka kids, tell if it's an aussie or chinese student flying the plane. Or even if it was even a student training flight, at a busy country airport.

I would suggest you are making all this up. Only other airports around would be military as is all the airspace. Are you familiar with the terrain around Chengdu,? it's completely unsuitable for training. But please go ahead and tell us all the name of the airport where you visited the tower.