Same Old Same Old - How do we change it??
 

Folks,
All of the above is well worth a read, particularly given the last few months here in Oz.
Tootle pip!!

* Make an APS course mandatory.
* Go back to RPPL & PPL.
* Make spin training mandatory.
* Encourage aerobatic training as part of PPL syllabus.
* Come to grips with GPS, you can't fool the young whippersnappers, the training industry has got to come to grips with it yet still give the whippersnappers a good working knowledge of DR.
* Address the appalling average age of the GA fleet. For a first world country it's a disgrace that this infrastructure is in the state it's in.
* Scrap CASA & ATSB, start again. Get rid of the OLC & make the promotion of aviation part of both their charter.

That's how :ok:

Yup Jack pretty much on the money. If the industry is to survive it has to get out from under the regulatory load. Its two thirds cheaper to operate the same aircraft in the US, and their regulator is looking for further ways to reduce costs to the industry by making it cheaper to certify aircraft and other initiatives to make it cheaper to own and operate a certified aircraft. All our lot can do is write ever more burdensome claptrap that serves no useful purpose but to drive up costs. Same thing happened in the UK, a hell of a lot of private aircraft there now operate on foreign registers.

What Jack said!!!

Here, here Jack!

I reckon we all chip in and buy Jack a 1 way ticket to Canberra, whether he wants it or not.

And then take over from the Julia wench.

Jack for PM :ok:

Jack,
For once I agree with most of what you have said, with the exception of the matter of fleet age.
We have absolutely no record of accidents to show that fleet age, or structural adequacy is an issue.
Tootle pip!!

Dr:

I'm sorry to advise it's a bit worse than that...

165 Billion is JUST for Gillard's term since her little coup d'état.

NET Labor Debt is approaching the 300 Billion limit set by Parliment.

Swanny may need to lift that limit this budget.

Nice moves considering Johnny and Pete left Labor a nice little surplus in '07....

Aust debt 10% GDP
US & Europe 80% GDP
Average rest 50% GDP
So RICH fine green your problem is ?????????

I love Labor parrots.
So, you REALLY want Australia to be facing the problems the US and Greece/some of the EU are facing? I'd rather not have to deal with that sort of incompetence.

I love Labor parrots------ The pot calling the kettle black I think. Whats best - spend some money to maintain employment and end up with an economy that's the envy of the world or do a Newman- sack thousands , employ a bunch of dodgy mates and watch the economy plummet.
Back on thread. I fully agree with LeadSled. There is no evidence that age is a problem with properly maintained aircraft. In my opinion some of the older machines are slowly being replaced with less efficient and less useful ones.eg the Cessna 210-Can anything beat it on a balanced basket of abilities?

Lead, regarding fleet age, it's more the avionics, the cost of upgrading etc.

I forgot to add to the CASA & ATSB bizzo. Remove, NOW, the political appointments & put aviation people in there. The ATSB was a disgrace during the Pelair ditching, an embarrassment clearly out of his depth.

I can't go to Canberra yet, got a bit of stuff on ;)

So, as I understand it, Jack is pretty much describing how things were in the seventies (except for the GPS bit).

In my experience, the install cost of avioincs in Australia is about twice that of the US. Part of the reason is that not as many guys here have repeat experience with the same equipment / aircraft configurations. But big part of the reason is that CASA just make it more expensive with a raft of red tape that doesn't exist elsewhere. There is also a shortage of Avioins LAME's so the sector is not very competitive. All issues in the domain of CASA if they had any real interest in promoting safety.

BTW, I think 3 more NDB's were decommissioned this week and YWE is still not working. ASA is simply not doing its job in providing a properly maintained air navigation infrastructure.

Agree with Leadsled. There is an issue of maintenance integrity with some aircraft, but no airframe age issue per se. The vast majority of our private fleet has only done a fraction of its design hours.

Item one would do a heck of a lot to help. Many dead pilots and passengers would be alive today had they done this. And it would have saved them a fortune in maintenance costs, etc.

The rest of that list is of equal value. POTY Jack.:D

why are we comapring ourselves to the worst, and telling ourselves all is good, compare us to the best, we are no longer so good. with our mineral wealth, we should be one of the best, not the best of the worst.

Folks,
True in spades, but the reasons are wider and deeper, CASA "regulations" is driving up costs, as have many other present government's regulatory activities.

For something like a Kingair, it is substantially cheaper to ferry the aircraft back to US for any but minor upgrades. If you are putting in a full Garmin or Aspen system, or something similar, it is "no contest". Likewise, Singapore produces net costs far better than here.

If you are putting something like a Garmin 600 in your light twin, it is cheaper to buy all the bits, have the panel mod. made in the US and fly a techo. down here to fit it, than have it done locally. And the turnaround time will be measured in days, not months.

Taking a light single/twin to NZ to do major avionics upgrades is also very viable, compared to doing it here.

Tootle pip!!

What a load of bollocks, each install job is an individual and depends on the start and finish points. The cost of the equipment here in Oz is still cheaper than flying to the US.:ugh:

Agreed with Arnold, and Jack Ranga's recent experience shows the Aussies are competitive. So were mine.

Some shops are slick....others not so.

Complete Avionics on the Gold Coast :D

Arnold E, that was my thoughts, Avionics Shop at $130 an hour, sheet metal work at $95 an hour. Components are at what they cost.

Bloody hell, better tell the boss to put the rate up.:eek: