Dick Smith! Cancel this Ridiculous Wake Idea.
 

Dick Smith your position on the state of GA is the most conflicted it could possibly be. Where on earth is your ethical compass on all of this? Its fine for you mate, you've got your overseas buyer for the big asset. Now that box is ticked you plan to broadcast the dire situation of GA to the outside world. Well done.

Did you ever consider the impact on those needing to make a living and a future from GA? What about the people at AOPA whom, albeit in my opinion rather poorly, are making an effort to boost Australian GA?

Your ridiculous notion of a wake is an insult to the people of Australian GA. You could in turn put your energies and money toward positive action for a better GA future.

I would urge everyone to call you out on your current PR stunt.

You're all about the headline Dick. Tell me this, why no wake before you got the sale for the Citation? You don't need a sale to hold a wake! You could have but you didn't. You needed the best chance of a sale and talking the industry down publicly would have done you no favours. Gaining a foreign buyer is purely incidental. You're like a federal politician who won't debate negative gearing - too much personal interest at stake.

So let's run over the facts: call a wake, invite the media, broadcast "Dick Smith sees no future in Australian aviation and is even selling his personal jet" (the Today show will love it Dick), run down the industry, turn away those who may be thinking of joining our industry and help to further erode an industry which right now needs every bit of support it can get. Oh, but don't forget, all proceeds can go back to supporting the industry (Cameras from Canada or something??) Confused Dick? You bet you are.

You should be ashamed of yourself. Don't fool yourself Dick....... you are a very significant driver of the current delcine in Australian GA. The team at CASA will be loving you.

I would urge anyone who is not a Dick Smith type defeatist to NOT attend what is nothing more than an exercise in personal publicity. Dick Smith, CANCEL this ridiculous wake!

So what have you done to enhance GA?

I agree with Nulli Seccundus.

Anyone who sggests that Dick run a positive agenda is completely ignored. Tried to push him at the first Tamworth rally but he was totally uninterested in any positive messaging.

Is he or is he not doing the property developers bidding?Once Dick Smith declares the industry dead, the General Public need not worry about it any more right?

...If Dick Smith says it's dead we'll worry about Bulk Billing and the Kid's education and no fking way will I let my kids learn to fly for a career.

In fact, if Dick says the industry is dead why not pull all the government funding and just shut the airports?

It's known as self fulfilling prophecy. Run it down then say "I told you so."

I thought the issues Dick was facing where for aircraft flying ifr only. Just got told the other day thats its vfr aircraft by 2019 as well. That cost is going to go right on the hire price, for those clubs and schools that decide to go through with it. Hire price is already high, so 2018 will probably be my final year of flight.

Unless that is; Dick can use these costs he's facing to highlight this is happening all over the industry, and we get behind him... Or someone gets a better idea in the meantime.

See you Thursday Dick :-)

Quite so, Styx.
So, what are you chaps going to do then? .. What's your plan?
Stand there like a rabbit in the headlights, having hopeful and positive thoughts?

Or ... use every means possible to draw attention to what's happening?

They will probably sit back, watch and bag someone who is at least doing something to draw attention to the issue.

Way I see it, not many outside of PPRuNe or the financiers know or care one iota about what is happening to GA. It is not like the problems get any airtime.

At least Dick might get the issue 60 or so seconds of publicity, if nothing important like "dog chews bone" happens on the day and drags media away from the event.

You blokes are kidding yourselves if you think a media stunt about a rich man selling his expensive toy is going to elicit sympathy from anyone.

Good, Wishi ... What's your plan, then? .. Eh?
In any case, I think Dick Smith has enough media savvy to get the REAL message across, regardless of how simplistically you may perceive the idea at the moment.

I find a lot of this debate offensive.

You need to take a broader view of what Dick is doing and consider his situation objectively.

His situation is more severe than most, but we all face significant issues with the implementation of ADS-B. We just spent somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 the value of our aircraft to make it ADS-B compliant - with zero safety benefit.

Dick has an aircraft that has effectively been rendered worthless in Australia because CASA has unreasonably pursued a regulation that is unique in the world and is being implemented before there are reasonable technical solutions.

Australia is the only country in the world that is mandating ADS-B for all IFR aircraft in all airspace at all levels.

Australia is implementing ADS-B at least 3 years before it is required in the country that makes the aircraft and basically all the electronic equipment required.

OSHKOSH gets more aircraft landing at one airfield for an airshow that we have registered in Australia. But CASA thinks we can dictate timing to US based equipment suppliers. CASA's lack of insight into what they are doing is breathtaking.

The value of the CJ-3 is not relevant. There are plenty of guys with TBM's, PC12's, choppers and other aircraft of similar or greater value and none of them are subject to the abuse that Dick is. A new Baron is probably worth not much less that Dick's 10 year old CJ-3. The truth is that many of the difficulties that he suffers are common to cheaper aircraft.

And the general public thinks that all of us who fly or own aircraft are the rich elite. I would suggest that the general public don't recognise that our Seneca is worth 1/20th of the CJ-3. Or that you can buy an aircraft for less than a well equipped fishing boat. They see us all as elite.

The argument that Dick is special because he can sell his aircraft overseas is so naive is laughable. Aircraft are an international market. Once the difference in value to that in another country by a bigger amount that the freight, then aeroplanes change countries. Yak's, C120's, Ercoupes, and all variety of aircraft come here. Similarly its just as easy to fly or ship an aircraft overseas.

Finally, what Dick Smith is doing is what he does best. He's creating a media event to bring attention to the fact that CASA is strangling private aviation through arbitrary regulations that are made in ignorance of the real world and without care of the impact on General Aviation.

Why does Dick have to do this? Because our peak bodies have deserted us.

The only 3 guys who have gotten any attention from government in recent years are:
1. Jeff Boyd - when he was preseident of an AIRLINE association, now Chair of CASA and it remains to be seen if this has "neutalised" him.
2. Benjamin Morgan - a magazine publisher
3. Dick Smith - essentially a private pilot.

Today in an email from "Flying Magazine" it is announced that aviation medical reforms for General Aviation will become law today. Where is the impulsion in Australia for reform like this? CASA are running riot and are immune to scrutiny without high profile people like Benjamin & Dick.

Anyone who doesn't think there is a crisis in GA has their head in the sand. The number of IFR aircraft being retired and the number of fit healthy pilots giving up because they are sick of dealing with CASA AVMED, ASIC cards etc is alarming.

We all fly with discretionary money. The harder CASA makes things, the more appealing other activities become.

AKRO: hear bloody hear!!

What we read on these threads from alleged "Pundits" clearly indicates why CAsA get away with it.

Nulli Secundus has taken it upon himself to offer a diatribe of unwarranted advice to Dick Smith.

As a result I have some advice to Dick re types like Nulli Secundus.

"Noli nothis permittere te terere"

I know I shouldn't, but.........

PPRuNe Forums - Home of the Tall Poppy Syndrome!

I eagerly await alternate proposals to awaken Australian GA, from Nulli Secundus and Horatio!! :ok:

Because of the fact that both AsA and CASA are now run by ex military people who have been effected not one iota by the one way ratchet of cost increases I see the continued destruction of the GA industry.

Any losses by getting out now will be less than the losses incurred by those who battle on.

Also my message may just get Jeff Boyd and his board to stand up for GA and not remain wimps. But I don't see evidence of this.

I should have sold my citation two years ago. The delay will cost at least $1m. Similar losses will be incurred by those who don't get out now. It's like an alcoholic- need to get to the bottom before rehabilitation can take place.

Yeah, I am about to hang up my headset - GA is dead!

Old Akro,
So very well put!!
What is even more galling is that CASA activity, regardless of cost or effectiveness, runs completely to Government policy, and, indeed, CASA's own professed "policy", which it just ignores.
Sadly, there is no shortage of rent seekers in the aviation community that actually support CASA over regulation, in the belief that "they" will benefit.
Somewhat like the latest federal election results.
Tootle pip!!

You couldn't just PM him?

Yeah yeah.

Ben Morgan has done more to take the issue to the regulator's door and get it into the media in 6 months than Dick has done in 10 years.

More power to Ben Morgan.

If he can pick up some of the policy territory between RAAus and the bottom end of RAAA then he may have most of the GA INDUSTRY supporting AOPA, a situation that hasn't existed since Dick Smith, Bill Pike and friends went on their anti-industry rampage over Airspace Alphabets back in 2000 ish.

Go Benny, give them hell.

I agree. Ben is the hope for the future as he is young and a hard worker.

I agree I have failed but it wasn't without trying. Clearly beyond my abilities.

In the meantime I am very worried about those small business people in GA who I fear may lose everything .

But the whole point is that it shouldn't be up to Ben Morgan or Dick Smith, or Boyd Munro, etc.

One of the problems with Australia is that government (and especially the public service side of government) only listen to peak bodies. And our peak bodies have failed us. They have failed us badly.

CASA has failed us with lack of understanding / connection with aviation.

Successive ministers of both sides of politics have failed us since the rot started ( in my opinion) with Charlie Jones who in the Whitlam government started us down the cost recovery path that has continued unabated since.