Dick Smith funds signs in Deputy Prime Minister Electorate
 

An interesting development........

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/bus...dd6a7b?login=1

THE AUSTRALIAN
EXCLUSIVE,
ROBYN IRONSIDE, AVIATION WRITER

29 NOVEMBER 2018

Three billboards outside Wagga Wagga target McCormack Frustration over civil aviation safety laws in Australia has prompted Dick Smith to erect three billboards outside of Wagga Wagga targeting Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack.

Dick Smith's latest mission is three billboards outside Wagga Wagga, NSW. Inspired by Academy Award-winning film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the veteran airman will shell out for the billboards to turn up the heat on Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack over civil aviation safety legislation.

Mr Smith wants the current review of legislation to recognise the need for high safety standards must be balanced with the cost of delivery, and be of benefit to civil aviation. Instead, he said, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Mr McCormack, was insisting on the laws retaining the phrase that "CASA must regard the safety of air navigation as the most important consideration".

"Those words are a lie," Mr Smith said. "Take, for example, the control tower at Wagga Airport. If safety was the most important consideration, it would be staffed, and there would be a fire service stationed at the airport."

He said the "non-negotiable" wording of the legislation was also being applied inconsistently. "When it comes to general aviation, we're told you must do this no matter what the cost because it's a matter of safety. That changes when it is the large airlines who don't want to foot the bill for an ATC tower to be staffed."

The billboards will have Mr McCormack's image with "Stop the lie, update the act, otherwise Australian aviation is doomed".

Mr Smith said they would be put up on the road to Wagga Wagga Airport and remain in place for three months in the lead-up to the federal election. He was unmoved by a commitment secured by Mr McCormack's aviation advisory group that cost would have to be considered when devising safety regulations.

A spokesman for Mr McCormack declined to say whether he would seek to block the billboards being displayed. Mr McCormack has said he was committed to working "on a safe, sustainable general aviation sector".

...and who was it who instigated the push to close towers?

McCormick
 

Good on you Dick Smith. Absolutely anything that can be done to throw McCormick out has to be good for aviation. He is so disconnected from the industry, and really must go. Bring back Barnaby Joyce to head up the Nationals. Ask anyone who our deputy PM is, and no-one knows. Barnaby Joyce is a straight shooter, and actually knows the issues we face. McCormick, stand aside and let Barnaby back in, your days are numbered and you are only prolonging the inevitable. Only then will GA have any chance of surviving in Australia, McCormick, you really are a weak and ineffectual leader. The Nats need strong leadership with an "identity" up the front. Bring back Barnaby!!!!!!!!

Dick, well done. Words are all the industry gets. Roll out the old Labor slogan - "It's time!'

Here is a mock-up of the billboard.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....70d0f9ca82.jpg

Well Done Dick. Great idea. Hopefully when the Government changes hands next year, we may get someone with an idea about aviation. Maybe even a background in Aviation if we are truly lucky.

glenb,
Well said, I could not agree more.
And good on Dick, once again, using his imagination and for doing his very best to support GA.
Tootle pip!!

Not very meaningful to the man on the street.

They don't know what GA is and don't care. We need a campaign to fix that, then highlight the loss of jobs.

It matters none who is in power, GA in Australia is of little importance in the big picture. The Gen public are clueless as to what's going on at the GA level most wouldn't even know what 'GA' even means ! Mr & Mrs Joe pubic only fly on the Airliners & think that anyone who owns a light A/C are rich, we have not got a chance & couple that with CASA's inability to actually be of any use to the GA sector by making everything about flying complex & expensive expect many more long years of declining activity at the GA level! DS means well but it's too little too late:-(

glenb ...update yr spelling..

McCormick ex ceo, "angry man" and perverter of the course of justice to protect his criminal staff, is long gone , thankfully for the industry..
He will always be remembered by me for his fabulous Senate Hearing spray in 2013, where his verbal vomit choked him on his own syntax.

DPM is McCormack. No aviation knowledge or interest. Soon to be a feather duster, hopefully.

Once again Dick puts his money towards the better good. Thanks for that.

Sunfish,
Precisely!!
Tootle pip!!

PS: The "bucket and spade" brigade will still get their cheap fares to Bali etc. with Lion Air, Malindo, Air Asia/Air AsiaX and so on ---- as Malcolm Frazer said to me, many years ago; "Why does Australia need an (international) airline, we don't have a shipping line?"
He had just blocked the QF orders for the B747-338 and the B767s.
Political ignorance is not new.

DS. Just come live in USA, FAA would love it good FAA guys/Gals in Florida. Everyone thinks like you here in Aviation.

Park your airplanes inside at Fort Lauderdale Corporate Jet Centre , get yourself a big Condo overlooking the water. A motor boat 70 footer take it over to Bimini in Bahamas its an hour or two fish on the way each weekend. Take the helicopter for that matter, no stress no worries no anal regulators.

Grab the jet take it down to Caribbean or over to Vegas, Cancun, wherever nothings to far.Go back to Australia every 60-90 days its a great place to visit.

With your circumstance you can take it easy. Come live the American dream like Westfield Lowe and Mr Pratt, 20% tax rate forget Australia put it behind you. I am being honest not joking you will give yourself heart failure in Australia everywhere you turn its a nightmare over regulated.

REMEMBER There is no way of changing Australian Aviation the regulator said Charles Kingsford Smith was not an efficient / fit airman......Many have died trying to fix Australia especially Aviation, the whole place is now rooted she wont be coming back well beyond PNR.

Pity all those resources aren't going into something like funding training scholarships. Who is deputy PM this week anyway?

Exactly ! We have 26 Mill people in this country, how many are involved in GA?...two fifths of stuff all! Again the gen public couldn't give a stuff about rich pilots/owners or the GA industry, there are far more important things to get angry about that effects them than some signs on the side of the road that are meaningless to most, the few left flying GA or what's left of GA training are barely scratching out a living! GA training is not even needed anymore in it's traditional form. It was good in the heady days but those days are looooong gone, as above said ...well past the PNR! RIP GA, CASA are far too deeply infected and are incapable of doing the right thing !

Dick, you have stated you may be interested in running for federal parliament in Bronwyn Bishop's old seat. Have you considered running in McCormack's seat of Wagga? That could put the cat amongst the pigeons. It is considered a "safe" seat but remember the Liberals do not contest it. Just a thought.

Independents & fringe dwellers do well in Riverina .... not.

http://results.aec.gov.au/20499/Webs...-20499-250.htm

He's a local from way back; difficult to unseat.

Three billboards in Wagga! This exercise is to advocate a better future for GA in Australia, but yet from the same person, this:

Mr Smith said his advice to (local Gympie instructor) Paul Mckeon was to get out of the aviation industry - The Australian 28/8/2018. Dick Smith, in light of your advice for everyone to get out of general aviation, why should people not rule out this billboard campaign as simply an exercise in self promotion and an effort to remain relevant in the GA industry and the public view? Do you intend to get out of aviation yourself with immediate effect? If not, as it continually appears, how do you justify otherwise, given such inconsistent positions?

I wonder how many people are employed in the Oz GA industry? **

What contribution does GA make to both the economy and the community generally?

Not easy to get those numbers but ballpark?

I would like to see the GA sector be publicised as an important industry to the country. If people recognise it as important, it becomes harder for governments to ignore issues in that industry and attractive for oppositions to take up their cause.

3 billboards outside Wagga would have a greater impact if the public was aware that GA was an important contributor to the economy and big contributor to society generally. Not a criticism of the billboards but a comment on how to make anything we do to highlight industry problems more effective.

** my estimates... all guesses, feel free to be critical:
GA (employed) pilots/Instructors: 5000?
Flight crew 500?
Air Services (this shared between GA and RPT so estimate 1/4 for GA?) 800?
CASA staff needed due existence of GA: (say 1/4 for GA): 200
Engineers/Apprentices (1 per 5 pilots?) 1000
Non flying trainers/instructors: 500?
Admin: (1 per 5 pilots?): 1000
Logistics/Supply chain: (1 per 20 pilots?): 250
Others? 500?

so say around 10,000 people who are directly employed in GA? If that reasonable and assume an average salary $50k - that is roughly a $500 million p.a. industry.

What we get in return to society, obviously jobs but also:
training of pilots, aircrew and professional staff for not just GA but for the whole air transport industry (including training of overseas students with associated contribution of foreign capital to our economy),
search and rescue services,
aerial ambulance services,
fire fighting and prevention services and support,
transport (goods, services and passengers) particularly for remote and regional areas,
media/press services,
recreational activities,
resource exploration,
environmental monitoring,
support for industries requiring unusual access,
power and pipeline inspections,
agricultural services etc etc.

I have no idea if my $ numbers are reasonable but if we really do have a half billion dollar industry - we really should be making that known!
(ie headlines like: "Government crippling 1/2 $Billion industry!" or "Government makes vital regional services un-financial")

See here https://bitre.gov.au/publications/2017/files/cr_001.pdf

Government cripples a 1/2 billion dollar General Aviation Industry...and has spent a billion doing it. !
Jobs and growth...not in GA !