Not arguing with the need for a pro-aviation body, but unless you subscribe to the "only empty* skies are safe skies for all" mantra, then the "safety" mandate of CASA is still an issue ... because its the administration and implementation of the system that is the problem.

A giant taxpayer-(over)-funded organisation, dedicated in the first instance to itself, and a distant third to safety, will neither advance safety nor aviation.
CASA's principle aim - "safe jobs (for life) for all" (as well as its secondary aim - "well paid jobs for all") requires that it constantly make increasing amounts of work for itself.

There's no point in operational efficiency.

And by making sure of overpaid lifetime jobs at all levels of a self-sustaining bureaucracy, the ultimate imperative is making work ...

Therefore, if one rule makes you safe - a hundred rules are preferred (with commensurate administrative requirements).
And if jumping through one hoop keeps you on your toes, jumping through a hundred keeps CASA in clover.

As far as CSFCWA, I wouldn't be surprised if, in addition to the usual absurd level of interference, "oversight" and paperwork, CASA decided that it might try an toss in a shed-load of ambit requirements, conditions and charges to the potential money cow. Typical CASA, however, to kill the golden goose!


NB: In relation to the police analogy ... thankfully, I've never met a cop so much more petty-minded than a parking inspector, yet who not only personally creates the law, also enforces it, and keeps the revenue for himself! Even the caricature small-town, backwoods, "broken tail-light" sheriff is less vindictive and more honest than the CASA collective!

____________
*Empty, aside from a million unregulated drones...

Numbers, I really agree with some of your sentiments.
The old public service Ethos, take something that should be relatively straightforward, and complicate the crap out of it, because if it works
there's no need to fix it because of "Unintended" consequences. This is the old make work scam.

I sometimes wonder what the true cost of the implementation of Part 61 ended up being. It was McComics last hurrah rushed through at the last minute before he departed the scene, the last laugh of an angry man, and huge finger to the industry.

Then I wonder if it was really the old public service ethos, create a monster, then sit back for an endless fix it program keeping everyone gainfully, or should I say un-gainfully, employed attempting to slay the monster. Whole public service empires have been built on this little scam.

The cost of attempting to fix the unfixable part 61, will I have no doubt, vastly exceed the cost of the original implementation.

Unrelated but related, have heard another Chinese airline training school is in trouble...

I have heard that MFTA at Mangalore as suspended operations.

And left 33 Instructors and a bunch of staff out of work! I hear the owner has gone to ground.

Regulatory action pending or Contract Issues you reckon?

Look. I'm happy to be first in line to bash CASA when it's due, but if you don't even wish to be compliant even with basic things, and you continue to battle against the 'machine' then you will (eventually) get suspended or shut down. Take these current schools out of it, it's not that hard to please them. Attempt to do it by the book, admit when you've screwed up and show them how you're fixing it. Play the game and it's a lot easier.

Hide things, and battle the machine and you will be hard pressed to get anywhere and they will be on you.

I know for a fact that these guys DO NOT take shutting down a large operation lightly. They don't want to put people out of work, but they also have a role to play (some of it useless and some not) and some people are simply criminal and dangerous and should be out of the industry .

when there is a lot of negative talk around an operation, then I tend to thing there's substance to it - the good operators are never really on the radar and we , as pilots, all like to bitch and moan, so the goodns go quietly about their business.. But the sh1t joints get canned around the coffee machine mercilessly!

There's a lot of good guys and gals out of work right now, so good luck to em.

Probably a few nuff-nuff's as well- perhaps they need even more good wishes...

Any further updates on the China Southern situation? The refueler is suggesting a return next month

I used to work with them, and still have a few friends there.

They had initially put out a start date of 1st September, but a few more senior people have left (like the HAAMC), so they need to hire on more people, which will push back the restart date.

But, pretty sure once they do re-open they will be looking for more instructors. Many of their old ones have left.

Does anyone know what the latest is with CSWAFC? Pretty sad to see all the aircraft sitting around doing nothing.
Have they managed to fill the positions they needed to?