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-   -   CASA Chief Executive (https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/549718-casa-chief-executive.html)

Ziggychick 29th Oct 2014 17:06

Genius of Diversion and Slapstick Media
 
Every now and then, well almost always now, the "gatekeepers" use weak excuses and now surveys commissioned by them. Just for the public/votes. May have swiftly assisted the participant. Possibly. Convenient, for sure.

A new DAS. Might be a nice guy, but skulls skeletons hidden in the closet are still needing attention.

To be treated as such a fool, then be expected to be pacified with the replacement of the Skull is clearly not enough.

Where the hell are the reports? All of them?

Round and round the Parli
Like a betting scare
One step, two step
You're screwed
Talk...if you dare.

A new DAS, a survey. And...wipe hands clean.

CASA believe they are ok. How dangerously ignorant. All to keep a seat.
What if that seat was in an aircraft which was overlooked by CASA and they perished in that seat. Damn fools.

The media, not all, perform little research regarding this problem, just rushed, must save my job and print. Quick. Affiliation with Gov also helps!

Ethics and morals are becoming drenched in legalities.

Mismanagement of funds. Nah, never. We trust these people in the big White Homey to protect us.

Ponder.

Letting go of the force needed to create safer, fairer skies is not over.

The problem with our Aviation Authority is, they have too much authority.
Might be a game for them, yet the suffering that has been inflicted on others is unforgivable. The prayer each morning. Well...what for?

I don't give a rats arse about left or right.
The Runway is in the Middle.

Perhaps when the pollies are flying again, they need to think about the above and realise the stupidity of what they are doing.

Squabbling makes no sense. Lack of transparency makes no sense.
The entire "system" makes no sense.

But we will leave that to diversion tactics relayed to the mass media.
I have been blocked at every turn to expose the truth.


The most poisoned apple in the cart is spreading its disease of "sshhhitis" infecting the others. Remove the bad apple. Caused to many problems already. I think the colour pink was involved with a particular stack of lies.

My goodness. Not resolved at all. Really.

A movie that tells all. Yep.
Our own leaders won't, so the script is complete.

Media. Waste of time now. Messengers do not get across. Especially if research is involved. Hung up on the headline.

See you all at the screening.

"The Night I Tried to Live"
the years I wanted to die

The only way sadly.

Can't rely on surveys, media and my Government to tell the truth.

Will reserve the front row for CASA. Then the word NOTICE is not in their favour.

Fly safe.
Ziggy

Creampuff 29th Oct 2014 19:56

Mr Skidmore could be the nicest guy and the most experienced pilot on the planet, but he has zero experience or expertise to know how to kill the regulatory reform Frankenstein. Geoff Boyd and many others will be able to describe the monster and the damage it's doing, but none of them has any experience in the dark arts of real government.

Sunfish 29th Oct 2014 20:52

Creampuff:


Mr Skidmore could be the nicest guy and the most experienced pilot on the planet, but he has zero experience or expertise to know how to kill the regulatory reform Frankenstein. Geoff Boyd and many others will be able to describe the monster and the damage it's doing, but none of them has any experience in the dark arts of real government.
I'm afraid Creampuff is exactly correct. This gentleman will come in with the best of intentions, occupy the high moral ground, armed with the weapons of truth, decency, intellect and honesty, and then the Grima Wormtongues of the iron ring of senior managers will start their work: sapping his will, slowly poisoning him until he either becomes their creature or falls on his sword.

My guess would be, if the rumour is true, then even now CASA senior management will have their minions going over every facet of his career and private life, looking for dirt.

To put that another way; for there to be any hope of meaningful change in CASA, the new Director Of Air Safety needs to be a Machiavellian bastard with a long knife, not some shining Knight on a White horse with a claymore.

To put that yet another, more sanguine way, metaphorically speaking, we would need to see a row of severed management heads on pikes outside the CASA offices to be convinced that anything good was happening inside.

Kharon 29th Oct 2014 21:11

Amen Creampuff and Sunfish – A bloody Men.

I have however, a suggestion –
– I'll do it for a six pack and pie.

rjtjrt 29th Oct 2014 22:33

Some of the comments here are understandable to a degree given the experience of CASA in recent years under current "leadership".
However, the newly appointed DAS should be given a chance, and support from industry in the first instance.
There are many fine people in RAAF who are intelligent and men/women of goodwill.
As long as AVM Skidmore comes with an open mind and goodwill then I for one will be pleased to judge him by performance rather than the prejudice shown here by some.

Sunfish 29th Oct 2014 23:02

Rjtrjt, with the greatest of respect, I am sure that the AVM is a fine person, however I fail to understand how his fine record of service to his country is relevant to cleaning up the corrupt mess that is CASA, thereby rebuilding the trust and cooperation that is needed between industry and regulator.

My main concern is that he may decide to euthanise what's left of General Aviation following the alleged CASA staff mantra that " there should only be Two types of aviation; regular public transport and military". Simply force what's left of GA into an RPT format of quality systems, check and training etc. and most will go broke and voila! Job done. RAA, SAAA, GFA, will vanish through massive cost increases as well. Witness the "treatment" Angel flight is now receiving.

junior.VH-LFA 30th Oct 2014 03:21

CASA Chief Executive
 
Skids is passionate aircraft owner and warbird enthusiast, it's not exactly in his interests to make things "worse."

thorn bird 30th Oct 2014 04:17

Soteria

"can't be any worse than the screaming skull? (who is rumoured to be taking up the ICAO Secretary General role in July 2015)".

Na Soteria,

I heard a rumour he was up for a Knighthood for services to the Aviation Industry.

The "service" being, p.ssing off before the industry was completely rooted.

rjtjrt

"We should get over this RAAF thing".

Your probably right rj, but many of the older people here remember times past when CAsA's predecessor was a retirement home for the RAAF.

This became the foundation for the Authoritarian CAsA attitude of today and the growth of the notion that the industry is there to serve the interests of CAsA, rather than CAsA serve the interests of industry.

This attitude, and the lack of probity displayed by CAsA in recent times, along with its utter contempt for the industry has generated a complete breakdown of trust between regulated and regulator.

This is neither desirable nor safe.

It will take a person of great internal fortitude to breakup this toxic environment, both within CAsA itself and in its relations with the industry.

I dearly hope Mr Skidmore is that person.

I strongly argue that Aviation must be placed in a ministry of its own, with a responsible minister with some knowledge of aviation, and an industry advisery board that can counter the mystic of safety that CAsA promotes in its own self interest.

Members of the public who utilise aviation services, no matter at what level, have been badly let down by the regulator.

All sections of the industry must bear some responsibility for this, from RPT self interest and acquiescence to CAsA dictates to GA's apathy has all contributed to the frankenstein destroying us today.

Frank Arouet 30th Oct 2014 04:30

QUOTE Skids is passionate aircraft owner and warbird enthusiast, it's not exactly in his interests to make things "worse QUOTE


So was Herr Skull. He did.

4dogs 30th Oct 2014 04:35

Skates will be just fine
 
It's funny, but I didn't quite see Creamie aiding and abetting Sunnie doing a Madame Defarge...

To quote Shmoop:


Her problem, it seems, is that Madame Defarge just doesn’t know where to draw the line. As far as she’s concerned, "justice" for the fate of her family isn’t just that the Marquis gets murdered. Justice should, she thinks, include the "extermination" of all of the Marquis’ family. Given her druthers, Charles, Lucie, and even little Lucie would fall under the sharp blade of La Guillotine. As Madame Defarge exclaims to her husband, "Tell the Wind and the Fire where to stop; not me!" (3.12.36).

With these words, Madame Defarge ceases to be human. All the other characters recognize her as a sheer force of nature. It’s logical, then, that readers would feel the same way: she evolves into a sort of meeting point of history and social opportunity. As our narrator writes, she is:

imbued from her childhood with a brooding sense of wrong, and an inveterate hatred of a class, opportunity had developed her into a tigress. She was absolutely without pity. If she had ever had the virtue in her, it had quite gone out of her.

It was nothing to her, that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them. It was nothing to her, that his wife was to be made a widow and his daughter an orphan; that was insufficient punishment, because they were her natural enemies and her prey, and as such had no right to live. To appeal to her, was made hopeless by her having no sense of pity, even for herself.
(3.14.33) [my bold]
What you saw in the Skull's tenure was his influence on CASA, not the influence of the coat-tail tuggers and hangers-on. Those that survive will survive on their merits, not their past complicity and Skates will provide a whole new perspective on the integrity bar that they will have to jump to stay in range of the trough.

On the other hand, no DAS manages in a vacuum and Skates will have to find a path between the needs of Peta Credlin, the Miniscule, MM, the Board, the AGs etc. Not everyone will be happy. He will be assailed by competing industry positions from people of undoubted probity and from outright scoundrels and everywhere in between. Not everyone will be happy.

I happen to think that the overwhelming requirement for the role is character, regardless of where you were trained, tempered and respected. Skates brings that in spades, so check your bile and your narrow personal agendas as well as your unachievable blood lust and give the guy a chance.

Nothing better or worse is going to occur in the short term. He has to identify what is fact and what is noise as well as who he can trust and who he should defend or sacrifice.

CASA doesn't kill people, we do. How we fly, train, supervise and manage is what really controls the risk, so maybe we need to spend a bit more time looking in the mirror when the wheels start looking a little wobbly...

Stay Alive,

Soteria 30th Oct 2014 04:50

I'm going to name 4 CASA RAAF blokes in recent times whom I respected. You will recall some names, other names you may not. Common thread - Hood, Lloyd, Harland, Cook. All good guys, but were either shafted and pushed or left the organisation of their own accord. Bring these 4 back, attach them to Skidmores tight circle, and sack the GWM and legacy persons and you could have a tidy outfit.

Creampuff 30th Oct 2014 06:17

This is why the Messiah trick works so well on the aviation industry.

If we just find a ‘Chief Pilot’ with the ‘right stuff’ to ‘lead’ CASA, the kinds of problems exposed by the AAI inquiry and the ASR review will finally be resolved. Nobody else, either singly or collectively, could possibly address and resolve those problems, without the wisdom and guidance of some hero in the ‘cockpit’, providing a unique insight into and perspective on the recommendations of the AAI inquiry and the ASR panel review. An insight and perspective that only someone of his calibre can provide.

So, the only option is to wait and give the new (new) (new) Messiah a chance.

This time for sure….

Just another year or two …

The point I have made on numerous occasions is that the DAS is not in a position to kill the regulatory Frankenstein, no matter how steely his or her resolve, no matter how experienced as a pilot or leader he or she is, no matter how much integrity he or she has, and no matter how much of a ‘chance’ he or she is given by ‘the industry’.

Saying that Skidmore hasn’t a chance is not, and is certainly not intended to be, a comment on his integrity or experience. It is merely a statement of the practical reality of the position in which he will find himself.

Can he resume Commonwealth ownership of airports and turn them back into pieces of public infrastructure rather than playthings for leaches on the body politic? Nup. Can he get rid of the fees for monopoly regulatory “services”? Nup. Can he reduce the incentive for CASA to be as inefficient as practicable when performing “services” for which it charges? Nup. Can he reduce the incentive for CASA to build a regulatory regime that requires the industry to obtain ever-more “services” from CASA for a fee? Nup. Can he get the FOI and AWI population to agree a consistent interpretation and application of the rules? Nup. Can he get all those strict liability offences taken out of the regulations? Nup. Can he adopt the equivalent of the NZ rules? Nup. Can he adopt the equivalent of the FARs? Nup. Can he build an airspace system that runs the same way as in the USA? Nup. Can he sack the zealots on a medical mission in AVMED? Nup. Will he be able to identify the person who decided that a rule requiring a pilot, on pain of criminal conviction, to maintain a logbook, unaltered, for seven years after the last entry is made in it, is practically enforceable and has any practical nexus with safety? Nup. Would he be able to sack that person anyway? Nup.

CASA doesn’t kill people, but the regulatory Frankenstein does kill businesses, aviation activities and careers (including those of DASs).

Frank Arouet 30th Oct 2014 06:20

QUOTE CASA doesn't kill people, we do. How we fly, train, supervise and manage is what really controls the risk, so maybe we need to spend a bit more time looking in the mirror when the wheels start looking a little wobbly...QUOTE


After thinking that flying around for 49 years and still being alive must mean I am doing something right, I find that right now, having been given the divine ability of introspection by another pilot, I see it's all my fault. CAsA have been model citizens. Fair, approachable, honest, plain speaking, and non abrasive.


I should look in the mirror! Give me a break!

thorn bird 30th Oct 2014 07:27

"CASA doesn't kill people, we do".

Creamie and Frank beat me to it, but I'm sorry WE are not responsible for killing people.

An inevitable result of what we do as aviators, carries a risk of fatalities. Just living your life carries that risk, even if you lock yourself in your house and never go outside there is a risk.

Unfortunately, in this modern world there is a reluctance to accept that every endeavor or pastime we involve ourselves in carry some element of risk and when things go wrong someone must be to blame.

Take the risk, and when fate steps in find someone to blame.

Aviation is perhaps the most risk averse industry in Australia

Okay I accept that there are people who will push the boundaries, there are in any industry, look how many trucks get grounded, but the vast majority of aviators try to the (best of their abilities) to manage the risks.

I put that in brackets because in the USA the "abilities" are constantly being improved by education rather than beating people over the head with indecipherable regulation, threats, intimidation and sanctions.

Their safety record is improving, ours is declining. It would appear their system is working ours is failing

By destroying GA, regulating it out of existence, will CAsA improve safety??

I'll give one example to illustrate why that is a fallacy.

A charter operator had a long term client. They conducted a weekly flight to their mine sight.
Over time the charter price had to increase to meet the ever increasing cost of the regulatory burden.
Ultimately the client decided it was more cost effective for them to utilize RPT to an airport nearest to their mine, then drive the rest.

Four of their management team were subsequently killed in a road crash on that journey.

Are WE to blame for those deaths, or is the regulator responsible for forcing the price of aviation to the point where it became unaffordable?

In todays world, price rules unfortunately.

Remember the two airlines monopoly?

Where the one way price of a ticket SY-BN was more than a weeks wages.

Family wedding in BN? no way an average family could afford to fly.

They would gas up the HJ, drive all night on Friday, then drive back Sunday, Mum Dad and the kids.

How many died or were maimed on that journey?

Is the aviation industry responsible for those deaths??

Recently we have seen our regulator conspiring to kill Charity flights.

Will they accept the deaths that occur by forcing those desperate people into their cars?

The FAA accepted that would be the consequence if they tried to regulate charity flights, they recognized Private aviation is safer than the highway, so they left it alone. Will CAsA? not a hope in hell, CVD pilots will attest to that.

One could say that the first death that occurs on the road after CAsA shuts down Angel Flight is premeditated Murder.

Would anyone is CAsA be held accountable? Not a chance in hell.

Dangly Bits 30th Oct 2014 07:42

I hope Skidmore isn't a Screamer like The Skull....

Sunfish 30th Oct 2014 08:01

Sadly, Creampuff is right.

I wish the good Air Marshall all the best, how could I possibly do otherwise?

However, without a strategic vision (the vision thing) and a highly experienced team of bureaucrats dedicated to reform, he is doomed to failure because I fail to see exactly what relevant tools he brings to the job apart from honesty, candour, and superlative flying talent and experience.

His labour, in my opinion is akin to Jason and the field of Dragons teeth.

Unless he beheads, figuratively speaking, the "iron ring" of senior managers immediately, he will be minuted and memoed to death very quickly.

To put that another way, he will be made to play the role of the Bull in the Bull fight. First the Picadores will try and plant a barb or Two (Skidmores past is now under the microscope) as they did with Mick Toller, then he will be run ragged chasing the cape:


A Senate committee has heard that the head of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Mick Toller, avoided prosecution over a breach of aviation rules despite a recommendation from within his own organisation to call in the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Mr Toller stands accused of taking the controls of an aircraft he wasn't endorsed to fly, although the incident wasn't reported until a year after it occurred.
Then he will be goaded into untenable positions:


ASA CEO John McCormick has dismissed unwelcome comment in the past:

“Do not be dismayed by our vocal but largely uninformed minority of critics; they are symptomatic of other ills in society. I prefer ‘facts’ when engaged in discussions; not hearsay and tautological rubbish that some others seem to regard as promising material.”
Bruce Byron:


What has changed in his time and what is he leaving behind?
Ahhh! Let me think. Hmmm. Is it...? Hmmm. I got it...wait...no...would it be an empty office? No? Well, I pass. Next question please.

In his defense though, his bucket of beans was taken and replaced with a handful of beans and he was expected to disappear with the CASA and not come back unless he had the goose that laid the golden eggs.
(From pprune)

Mick Toller:


The Civil Aviation Safety Authority today hit out at its critics - declaring Australia still has an air safety system which is the envy of the rest of the world.

Independent statistics show it is twice as safe to fly on a scheduled airline flight in Australia than Europe or North America.

Figures also show there has been a 42 per cent drop in total aviation accident rates over the last ten years, with improvements in almost every area of flying.

CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, Mick Toller, said these facts demolish claims that CASA is an incompetent or troubled regulator.


Scandalously competent - CASA

And lets not forget what happened to Leroy Keith....

Sunfish 30th Oct 2014 08:06

Paul Phelan summarises the landscape Skidmore inherits:


Reform of aviation regulation in Australia is further from becoming a reality than it has ever been since the need was first acknowledged and addressed 24 years ago. That is the collective view of senior industry figures who have been involved in the process almost since its inception.

The prime concepts driving the project that became known as the Regulatory Review Program (RRP) have always been:

Outcome-based rather than prescriptive regulation, which is the basis of aviation regulation in all other aviation-significant democracies;
Alignment with overseas regulatory structures so that Australia could achieve true bilateral agreements with the leading overseas aviation authorities;
‘Plain English’ rules that are easy to understand, administer and enforce;
Objective evaluations of cost benefit and safety relevance to eliminate wasteful and un-necessary administration;
Compliance in rulemaking with Australian law, government guidelines; international (ICAO) standards; and
Two-tier regulation to replace the (then) existing multi-layer regulation comprising the Civil Aviation Act, Regulations and Orders, policy documents, individual rulings and permissions, exemptions and other instruments.

Although endlessly repeated in political and administrative rhetoric right through the regulatory reform process, these goals have been almost completely ignored by well-placed CASA dissidents.

And worse, political pressure is now on Director John McCormick to rush the remaining legislation through Parliament regardless of its blatant non-compliance with founding principles.

This situation is no accident; it can only spring from deliberate corporate defiance of existing law, international standards, government directives and guidelines, and executive directions.
To hell with the rules | Pro Aviation

yr right 30th Oct 2014 09:37

I'm sorry but how can anyone believe that casa doesn't kill people. That's a big fat lie.
They have and will continue too.

We have never been in such a dangerous position in this country.

We fly f all to other places in the world.
Fly over 8000 feet your not going to hit any thing.
Our weather is reasonable good with good forecast.
Our maintenance standard are extremely high.

Casa is so full of ex military personal now may as we'll be the raaf. The dictator ship that has now avowed and is allowed to prosper. The vindictiveness that continues to happen.

How can anything ever change when only the top dog is changes and the rest that run the place continue in there ways.

Until there is a royal commission into casa and people not only charged and convicted and sent to the big house what chance have we got.

tipsy2 30th Oct 2014 13:01


get the word safety out of the organisation's title.
Very true. They are a National Regulatory Authority (ICAO designation), nothing more, nothing less.

Never have they been an authority on safe, civil aviation.

Current title has to be false and deceptive advertising.

Tipsy:=

gerry111 30th Oct 2014 14:27

So perhaps the best first move by Mr Skidmore may be to rename the current beast: CAA?


(I'm thinking that returning to the past would be a pretty good idea!)


When AVMED did everything they could to allow medically safe pilots to fly...


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