RUMOUR OF THE DAY!

How information gets around the country so quick! Especially when your in aviation. Technology, gotta love it! a friend told me just this morning, that a relative of mine who knows a pilot, who has a friend in Surveillance told him that they have just won! that's right, not a rumour! or is it?WON and signed this morning the $1 Billion Australian Maritime Coastwatch Contract. :} goes to ??? Surveillance Australia!!!

Congratulations to them and may the best get in! :ok:

It's just rained and the grass just got bright green? It must have been good quality fertilizer this time!

I better get my appliction in before it's too late, before they get flooded by applications and mine gets lost on the Chief Pilot's desk. Gotta go, update my resume and send it in, again.

Seeya

True to the word Slirpi, contract signed at 9.00 am Sydney time, all employees received a text message from the CEO.

Technology is a wonderful thing.

I guess there will be lots of drinks today, tomorrow and the next day! maybe it just won't stop for a while?

When do you think they will release more details? I've just heard that there will be 6 200's not 7 and 4 300's not 3!

Kudos to the guys and gals in Surveillance for maintaining a sterling performance. :ok:

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=6805
 

minister media release
Better protection for Australia's borders under new $1 billion Coastwatch surveillance contract - Friday, 3rd March 2006

The signing of a new $1 billion Customs Coastwatch contract will see increased and more effective aerial surveillance of Australia's maritime areas, the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Chris Ellison said today.

The Minister was in Sydney today to witness the signing of the new agreement between Coastwatch and Adelaide-based company, Surveillance Australia Pty Ltd (SAPL).

The new contract, taking effect in 2008, will run for 12 years to 2020 and will include provision for a contract extension of up to 2 years.

Senator Ellison said the new SAPL service would comprise a fleet of six Dash 8-202 aircraft and four Dash 8-315 longer endurance aircraft, all fitted with improved electro-optics, infrared sensors and radars.

"This will double the fleet of highly capable long-range fully electronic surveillance aircraft available under the existing contract from five to 10.

"The improved sensors carried by these aircraft will also enable crews to detect significantly smaller targets and allow detection of targets at a greater range," Senator Ellison said.

He said the aircraft would operate out of existing Coastwatch bases in Cairns, Thursday Island, Darwin and Broome, and deploy to other areas around Australia as required.

"This fleet forms a vital part of the Government's capacity to detect and deter such illegal activities as drug and people smuggling, illegal fishing and environmental offences around Australia, particularly across our northern coastline," he said.

"Along with support from the Torres Strait helicopter service and regular patrols by Customs and Navy patrol boats, these aircraft will help to ensure that our northern sea borders are closely monitored and protected."

Senator Ellison said the improved sensor equipment carried by the Coastwatch aircraft would be linked directly to a new Surveillance Information Management System (SIM).

"This command and control system actually manages the surveillance sensors and communications and transfers information back to the Coastwatch National Surveillance Centre in Canberra in near real time.

"The SIM will also make better use of surveillance data and facilitate the use of information from other sources including highly classified Defence data."

Senator Ellison said the new contract placed greater emphasis on performance management to ensure that the quality and timeliness of surveillance was maintained.

"The selection process carried out by Customs Coastwatch has been comprehensive and rigorous. It included extensive consultation with industry and thorough probity assessments.

"This new contract will complement other maritime surveillance initiatives by the Howard Government such as the Joint Offshore Protection Command (JOPC), which combines the resources and expertise of Customs and Defence to create a single joint maritime surveillance, response and interdiction system," Senator Ellison said.

The inshore/offshore surveillance service, also known as the Service A contract, was one of two tender processes conducted simultaneously by Customs Coastwatch as part of its Civil Maritime Surveillance (CMS04) contract process.

The Service B contract for a surveillance and response helicopter service for the Torres Strait was signed with Brisbane-based Australian Helicopters Pty Ltd in August 2005.

:ok:
The 300's will be extra long range with heavy crews, so they will be 'processing' a large amount of ocean, should be fun for those involved.

So you've noticed the expansion of the average Coastwatch crew member as well huh?

What? 7hrs endurance in the 200MPA not enough for Customs then?

How much fuel uplifted by a -300MPA? Rest bunks in the back? Hot galleys??

Most importantly - more money? (I can guess the answer to that one).

My 7 years of coastwatch were happy times - best of luck to anyone applying for jobs - the flying is hard to beat. The Dash 8 is first class - probably the nicest handling aircraft I have flown.;)

According to the Bombardier website the -300 with long range tanks holds the same fuel as the -200. But we've been told that our -300s will hold more fuel, maybe they will have different long range tanks from standard.

observers, radar and comms equipment, scotty cr@p and now fuel in the fuse. might get an extra hour so 8.5 to 9.0 hours thats about it. On tactical holding there might be 12 hours if a frugal crew is at the helm. But plenty of room in the back for attempts at the superman record!

Raytheon 2022 radar system? 3 x Brand New 300's? or refurbished ones, wouldn't be surprised! 2 ex NJS Dash's, how old they are? I wonder if they will give them a good once over, clean them out properly. New facilities in Cairns, Darwin and where the hell are they going to fit 3 Dash 8's in Broome (one must have to be in Truscott all the time and have crews rotate out of there :} )

Apparently the crews are in for a substantial payrise soon! with $1 billion dollars in the bucket now! Their AWA is up for renewal again. Good Luck!

funnelweb, I think you would be a good AWA negotiator!

Even though 10 DHC-8s are involved, getting rid of 3 406s and 5-6 Islanders.
Would not employee numbers stay reletively the same (especially engineering) ?
As number of aircraft is technically less.
Is the intention to accomplish a substantial increase in flying eg carry 2 crews,
with the all DHC-8 fleet ?
As I asked in another thread, this is 4 times the contract value from the l995 version.
What does the extra 750 million buy ?
When/where do I apply :cool: :cool:

Skydrol_ise

Put cap on .... think .....

You said and

Now I'm sure that Islanders and 406s aren't cheap but they're not in the same league as a DH8.

Or maybe SA has pulled the wool over the govt and its all extravagant profit. :cool:

What does an extra $750 million buy?

I am not in the know but just an educated guess!

Lets start at the basics. For every 1 Islander or F406 you would basically require 2 pilots, i would imagine. With the Dash however, which i am led to believe flies more, you would need a minimum of two crews per day, if you take into account possible illnesses you would want at least 1 Captain or FO on standby, so you are looking at 2 crews per Dash 8 on any one day.

Losing 6 Islanders and 3 F406 would equate to roughly 18 pilots moving to Dash 8. Going from 5 to say 10 Dash 8's mean an increase of minimum 20 Dash pilots. Assuming all Islander and F406 pilots make the grade you will still need more pilots although the above math would suggest not many, but what if they decided to fly an aircraft more than once per day. What if indeed???? The pilot requirement would be getting up there if that was the case.

Also, i think it would be a tad more expensive to train pilots and observers on the Dash than on the Islander or F406. They are one of the few remaining sizeable companies left in this country that don't believe in making their pilots pay for an endorsement up front, just a bond.

Hope i get an interview, i can think of far worse progression than from an Islander to Dash. Congrats to all who are and will be lucky enough to get a go with them.

Safe flying

Ratter.

The two year extension that surveillance are currently in was $125 million. It looks like big dollars, but I'm sure if we knew the contract requirements this sum would've been hard to beat realistically without skimping in areas like??? Aircrew Salary!!! Good on them for not requiring reduction in pay on Aircrew!

The capability for the extra capacity of fuel in the 300's would be to get 9 hrs flight time out of a standard crew of four, and on occasions when required to have an extra Captain and Mission Coordinator (6) be able to stay airborne for 12 hrs!

Getting rid of 406's and Islanders will increase the cost of maintenace markedly replacing them with Dash's. I don't think the engineering numbers will change because they all work on the Dash's now as it is.

Training costs big increase, but how else is Cobham going to pay for their required new facilities in Cairns and Darwin? They just lost the Australian Air Express contract!

"So you've noticed the expansion of the average Coastwatch crew member as well huh?" Aerocat2SA. funelweb was talking about 6 to crew the 300's not 4 for the extra long sorties! Not aircrew needing to go on weight watches, although I've noticed that too with some of my friends in Sapl! it must be all the good catering you all get fed ehh?

Those who are interested, should find they can apply somewhere on their websight!

Yeah I know. Was joking.

I wouldn't be expecting them to do much flying over 9 hours, the rest requirements become prohibitive.

Slipri
 

Not me old chap I'm just a journeyman pilot.

All BN2's and F406's to be gone by 1 Jan 08. Anyone want fast progression onto a dash 8??? Pay, looks very good as in this thread earlier and job satisfaction should be pretty good too.