If there is any doubt
 

Under Freedom of Information I requested the Technical Assessor Worksheet. This is the CASA checklist from their own files. Over 600 individual items were each assessed and "ticked off" by CASA in order for APTA to get its Part 141 and 142 Approval. These were CASA stipulated requirements for my business if it was to continue operating after September 2017.

There is no doubt CASA were integral in the design. It cannot be refuted.

A couple of hopefully brief remarks before I take my seat:

I bring to this thread some 35 years as an employee of a government agency. I started as a labourer; I was in management when I left. I spent ten years as an inspector before they booted me upstairs in 2003.

My specialty was the "difficult" files. The ones nobody wanted to touch. The ones where one wrong move could land you in the newspapers, with all hell breaking loose.

I did it for a long time, and I loved it. So I know a little about what works and what doesn't when it comes to dealing with government agencies.

They key to success is to find a person inside the organisation that wants to help you. I don't mean some drone who will perform his duties by rote, I am talking about someone who WANTS to help you. If you can find that, you have struck gold.

I have gone to bat for ordinary citizens who felt wronged many, many times. I fought my bosses on their behalf, and 100% of the time my bosses acknowledged that I was right. They never once called me on my decisions, not once. I was trusted to make the call.

All this because I WANTED to help the person. I believed in them. And they approached me with respect and dignity.

Glen, if you had found someone like me within CASA at the beginning of this unfortunate saga, you might have trod a very different path.

Please try to learn from this. You have no hope of finding a sympathetic ear inside CASA now. That was your best chance, and it's gone. Now, your only hope is to find someone, somewhere, who believes in your cause, but more importantly, actually LIKES you.

Glen, please, you have got to stop attacking people. They may well deserve every bit of it, but in your situation you just can't do that. You gotta be cool like Fonzie, my man. You need influential people to like you, and they don't dig attack posts full of inuendo. I will say it again... YOU HAVE TO STOP THIS ****!

You need an advocate who has some influence. I used to be such a person. Can you cool your anger enough to find someone like me?

CASA is not a happy place. 20 years ago, in Glen's position, I still found quiet support within CASA.

Glen, with all those "Yes" and "Satisfactory" responses, have CASA advise you that your organization is actually 'not compliant' and if so, with what?

Can anyone answer AviatorDave question in Rumours and News?

Or a "few of the big pictures" that the numerous CAsA staff have at different locations.

Lead Ballonn and "what is the issue"
 

This is the crux of my problem.

CASA had approved APTA some 18 months earlier in April 2017 as a Part 141 and 142 Organisation. The business had already been operating for about 12 years prior, but we were required to rewrite our entire manual suite to the new regulatory structure.

6 months after our Transition had been through a Level 1 audit (the highest possible) with a number of CASA personnel over number of days. NO problems were identified.

CASA was actually suggesting APTA to organisations that were struggling. Our membership was growing and I had members wanting to join. I had absolutely no reason to have any concerns at all about the business model.

Important to this case is the change of CMT. The CMT being the oversighting team. I was advised of my new team. Someone on that team "concerned" me. It concerned me enough to request a one on one ON THE RECORD, meeting with my Regional Manager. I expressed my concerns. The CMT change proceeded, and the entire attitude changed.

That notification in October 2018 came with no prior warning at all.

It was on the basis of the Aviation Ruling (later agreed by CASA to be the incorrect document), and the Temporary Locations procedure (which was later found to be CASA own procedure that they suggested we use, and they had approved, and audited).

It then moved to contracts requirements. CASA claimed we didn't have contracts. I proved that we did and they had been provided to CASA on multiple occasions.

It then changed to content of contracts, CASA could not state what they wanted, but only that they were not happy. I explained that I needed to know what "right" looked like if they knew what "wrong" looked like.

They provided suggested text, which I fully adopted, and they then rejected. They then provided further suggested text for the contract which I adopted. They said that is fine, we are good to go. Then they reversed their decision and said hold on. Then CASA still couldn't work out what they want, so went to an external QC at significant cost, and came with third set of guidance material which they advised I could not use word for word, so I didn't. I explained that I was satisfied with my contracts and called on them to make a decision, which they still have not done. Had they made a decision, I would have had something to appeal.

So in summary, there was never any accusation of a safety compromise at all. There was no allegation of regulatory breaches.

The allegations of regulatory breaches only came up many months later when it was identified that we had not been provided with the LTV audit results. In fact CASA supposedly didn't have any results, so undertook to write them up over the weekend which they did. The only problem was that these new audit results now contained new allegations of a number of regulatory breaches that had not been bought up for. Every attempt to resolve these new allegations was completely ignored by CASA.

I also had an allegation of flight and duty breaches at one stage, but CASA were not ever able to name the offending pilot. That is a rough overview, but effectively, it would be fair to say, CASA threw absolutely everything they had at APTA to bring it down, and I really have no idea why.

Smalahove- Finding that person
 

I actually did find that person within CASA, a name I have tried to avoid publishing in my correspondence. A man of exceptional integrity and ethics. Principled and well intentioned. Fair, and a big thinker. He actually came from outside of CASA from a significant contribution to a number of Government departments. He had my confidence and I trusted him. He was a "decompressor" in that he could take the heat and pressure out of situations. He is the individual that attended the Ballarat location to gain an overview.

In the CASA Organisational Structure he reported directly to Mr Graeme Crawford who is the ultimate decision maker.

I have the highest levels of trust and confidence in the ethics and integrity of Mr Peter White. Sadly, due to a health issue he has left CASA, and I sincerely wish him all the best.

I had him but lost him.

Torres
 

That is the worksheet that was used some 18 months earlier. Initially There was never any allegation of a regulatory breach. I am dealing only with a change of opinion, while CASA "think" about it. They have been thinking about it since October 2018. I wouldn't mind them taking so long if they weren't simultaneously placing restrictions on the businesses ability to trade.

Bouncing on Smalahove's comment above suggesting that Glen finds someone with high moral integrity within the organisation, I start suspecting the opposite. I have the impression that someone there seems to hold a personal grudge against Glen. This sudden 180 deg reversal in their attitude, the relentlessness with the contracts rewrites and obsessive efforts to dismantle APTA after endorsing it in the first place almost has vengeance written all over it. And that's weird because the overwhelming consensus here is that Glen is not the kind of person that has untold numbers of enemies.

So what is it that's driving all this? Do we/does Glen know everything? Who stands to benefit from the dismantling of APTA? Maybe that's an angle to consider

$21,408

Happy Fathers Day Glen.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/glen-buckley-v-casa

You were on the right track, but as you say, you lost him. I gotta take a break here, being across the Atlantic, but I urge you to rethink things. If you continue... ah, you already know what I'll say..

Please keep following, its a very emotional environment here in Australia, and impartial, objective and well intentioned advice is always valuable and must be considered. Respectfully, Glen

Coming out of the sin bin
 

Thanks for all of the well intentioned advice, all much appreciated.

Regarding defamation.

CASA has made it clear in the correspondence from the CASA CEO that those individuals would potentially be able to pursue their own claim against me.

My perspective.

1. Far more unfair damage has been bought to my reputation, as a result of actions by the named individuals.
2. It is a matter of aviation safety
3. It is the truth, I can substantiate it, I am fully prepared to be held accountable in law.
4. I am truly destitute, so any financial threats, although noted and respected, cannot be addressed.
5. It is in the public interest.

I fully respect our judicial system, and would welcome the opportunity to defend my reputation. It would cost me little. I wouldn't get a lawyer. I will turn up on the day, neatly dressed and simply "tell the truth". If any of those CASA personnel elect that path. I will respect it.

In the interim, I will continue with my goal of working towards $50,000 on the crowdfunding. Once I achieve $50,000 I will initiate the process myself, if they haven't.
Thankyou once again for your support. It is overwhelming and clearly demonstrates that my concerns are shared by the wider industry

https://www.gofundme.com/f/glen-buckley-v-casa

Just what they do not want.. They have to PROVE his statements were false and malicious. They must answer to cross examination.

OKIHARA asks,

"So what is it that's driving all this? Do we/does Glen know everything? Who stands to benefit from the dismantling of APTA? Maybe that's an angle to consider".

A very good question, especially when things don't seem to make much sense.
Given the increasing interest in Australia's aviation infrastructure by entities from a certain foreign power and given their propensity for handing out Aldi shopping bags full of cash, one could suspect skulduggery, but that I guess we will never know.

You would kinda expact that, wouldn't you?

The wounds are self inflicted, and I'm trying to urge a different approach that may be less agressive, but more effective.

The campaign has stalled a bit.... c'mon people, get behind the guy who gambled everything on your behalf and lost.

Why should anywone care about what some asshole in Canada Says?

Well, i cant think of a reason, but we do have a good reputation for being inclusive.

is this fair?
 

If my story is to be believed

1. CASA helped me design APTA
2. CASA changed their mind overnight and placed a number of restrictions on my ability to trade
3. This eventually lead to me losing absolutely everything.

I might add, and no individual in CASA will refute this. My dealings outside of Pprune, and in my role as a Deputy HOO have been uncompromising and professional. I have been warm, open, respectful, safety focussed, and compliance focussed. There can be no question of my conduct. Have I been a vocal critic of elements within CASA. Perhaps. I am simply screaming out to be heard after more than 9 months of this.With all the havoc and destruction that CASA have already wreaked on me, the Regional Manager then elects to become involved in my livelihood, and sends the following email that lead to the cessation of my potential role as the Deputy HOO into the future.

Tuesday 27/08/19, 2.14PM CASA Regional Manager to New Owner of APTA


Hi (new owner of APTA), I understand that Mr Buckley remains as APTA deputy HOO. This is no longer tenable with the comments that Mr Buckley is making publicly.Please confirm APTA’s intentions in relation to Mr Buckley as deputy HOO and whether Mr Buckley is authorised to speak on behalf of APTA. Thanks again Jason.



Really CASA, when is enough enough!

Is this fair part 2
 

I might point out that I got that email, after I submitted a FOI request. It was handed over prior to that process commencing.

The owner of APTA was somewhat uncomfortable in his discussion with me, and I suspected it may have been initiated from within CASA., so I send him the following email, later that night after my employment was finished.

Wednesday 28/08/19 1.46AM Glen Buckley to CASA Regional Manager

Dear Jason, May I respectfully request f you make any determination regarding my continuing employment with my current employer, or have any concerns that may have an impact on my families welfare, or my ability to derive an income. that I be involved in that correspondence. Respectfully, Glen



Wednesday 28/08/19 7.57AM CASA Regional Manager to Glen Buckley

Glen, I acknowledge your email. I have asked the accountable manager (new APTA owner) to clarify whether you continue to operate as Deputy HOO, and whether you are authorised to speak on behalf of APTA.I will leave it to Mr XXXXXXX, as the accountable manager, to communicate his decisions to you. Regards. Jason McHeyzer Region Manager


Wednesday 28/08/19 8.04AM Email Glen Buckley to CASA Regional Manager

Hi Jason, sorry my inquiry isn’t actually specifically regarding APTA or my role within APTA. Im trying to plan for my family going forward. Im simply asking for you to consider my reputation when contacting any employers or potential employers. Can you clarify if CASA has concerns about me in a Key Personnel role only? I was about to get my instructor rating active but will change my plans if you are opposed to me having a wider involvement in the industry. I don’t think the question really needs to involve (New Business Owner), because it’s a query about my wider employability. Thankfully, Glen



Wednesday 28/08/19 3.51PM Glen Buckley to CASA Regional Manager.

Hi Jason, just after an acknowledgement of the previous email regarding my wider employability, cheers. Glen


Wednesday 28/08/19 4.51PM CASA Regional Manager to Glen Buckley

Hi Glen, I have been in a meeting all day. I acknowledge your email and I am not aware of any concerns in relation to your flight crew licence, instructor privileges or employment in the industry. Regards Jason


Thursday 29/08/19 5.14AM Glen Buckley to CASA Regional Manage

rDear Jason, Can you please advise or confirm that during the last 3 days you have not sent any correspondence to any Employer or potential employer that could potentially impact on any current or future employment for myself. Please advise by 5PM today, to assist me with future plans for me and my family. I call on you to provide that, rather than require me to make a request under FOI. Glen.




Thursday 29/08/19 6.09PM CASA Regional Manager to new APTA Owner

Dear Mr XXXXXI refer to your email excahange with Jason McHeyzer on Tuesday afternoon 27th August 2019, and in particular to Mr McHeyzers email to you of 2.14PM on that day.I understand that MrMc Heyzer spoke to you in a telephone conversation later in the afternoon of 27 August 2019 to clarify his intentions.

I confirm here that Mr Mc Heyzer sought to ensure that APTA was aware that Mr Buckley was representing his views as the views of APTA. The proprietary or impropriety of this was and is entirely a matter between you and Mr Buckley.

Please be assured CASA has no issue with Mr Buckley being or remaining an employee of APTA, and it is a question for you to decide whether he should be or remain so.Mr Mc Heyzer also sought your advice in relation to Mr Buckley’s role.In the event Mr Buckley, or anyone else for that matter, should be nominated by you as a person to hold a position in APTA for which CASAs approval would be required, we would consider any such nomination fairly, on the merits and according to the applicable requirements at that time, having regard to the relevant considerations.For now, I apologise for any confusion Mr Mc Heyzers email may have created, and I trust his follow up telephone advice of 27 August 2019 coupled with his message clarifies CASAs position.Yours sincerely, Craig

Friday 30/08/19 4.53AM. Glen Buckley makes Freedom of Information Request,

Dear Mr Gobbitt, I believe that at some stage during the week commencing 26/08/19, the Regional Manager, Mr Jason McHeyzer may have initiated and sent correspondence to my employer that has affected my continuing employment, and my families welfare. If that correspondence exists, as it primarily affects me, can I call for a copy of any such correspondence. Respectfully, Glen Buckley

Oh OK, CASA changed their mind (again) now its OK for me to return to my employment at APTA. Thanks Mr Mc Heyzer

Is this fair part 3 (maybe the lkast in the series. cant promise!
 

Saturday 31/08/19 9.42AM Email simultaneously sent to CASA Regional Manager and CASA Industry Complaints Commissioner.


Subject : Potential impact of CASA actions, on Glen Buckley’s livelihood. Saturday 31/08/19

Dear Mr Jason McHeyzer. I am writing to you in your role as the Regional Manager for CASA. I note that you are also a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on my matter. You have perhaps, the most comprehensive knowledge of any person within CASA. You have been involved since the very beginning and been involved throughout. The handwritten notes that you left with me after our meeting way back on the 29/11/18, clearly indicate that you were acutely aware of the impact on me and my business back then.

You will not refute; all my engagements with CASA personnel on all matters regarding my employment as the CASA approved CEO, a CASA approved HOO, and currently in the role of Standby HOO, have been conducted by me, in a highly professional manner.

My primary concerns are “safety, compliance, and the very best outcome for anyone affected by this current issue”. I have significant “personal” differences with CASA at the moment, but my professional conduct in the work place in all CASA engagements has been exemplary. I have been warm, engaging, courteous, respectful, supportive, and professional.

I have not compromised my professional integrity at any stage. You will not disagree.

You are aware of my view on Organisational ethics. I have an expectation, in any organisation including my own, and CASA, that when ethics, safety, or procedures are being compromised; as Professionals, we must make a decision. A decision to stand aside from that process and show leadership and integrity, or a decision to become complicit. I sent the following email to you last Thursday morning. It has not been acknowledged, and I do require it acknowledged.

“Dear Jason,

Can you please advise or confirm that during the last 3 days you have not sent any correspondence to any Employer or potential employer that could potentially impact on any current or future employment for myself. Please advise by 5PM today, to assist me with future plans for me and my family. I call on you to provide that, rather than require me to make a request under FOI.

Glen”

To be frank. If you have made such a decision and taken such a course of action, then you have over stepped the mark. You are aware that this process has cost me everything. If you have taken any action to affect my future employment, I have a reasonable expectation that you can justify that on legitimate grounds.

Therefore. In the interests of protecting my reputation, I have advised you that I have made a Freedom of Information request for that information to see if any such correspondence exists. This correspondence is also being submitted simultaneously to the Industry Complaints Commissioner. I will provide CASA the “first right of refusal”.

If the CASA ICC chooses not to deal with it, I will go to the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

My complaint.
If the Regional Manager, has taken action that may affect my opportunity to derive a livelihood, that should be based on justifiable grounds related to
· Safety, or
· Compliance, or
· My professional conduct, or
· Medical grounds.

I should be involved in any such correspondence, and I should at least be made aware of it.

Expected results from the ICC

I be provided with a copy of such correspondence if it exists. If it exists, CASA issue a public apology to protect my professional reputation. The ICC clearly state if this action by the Regional Manager is a breach of any stipulated procedures.

Thankyou, Glen Buckley

Smalahove, you still there?
 

Canadians do have a reputation for inclusiveness, and rightly deserved. I do think we give you folk a good run for your money though. In fact ,lets call it a draw at this stage.

Please don't think all Aussies are stubborn annoying little @$%^ like this fella.

Aussies are however, are known for: "going down swinging"

Glen,

Whilst I sympathise with your situation, I suspect that you are perilously close to having CASA call your medical into question. I don't say this lightly, but as someone who has followed this thread and read your increasingly pissed off letters to casa (and I don't doubt the reasons behind being pissed off I might add) I get the sense that it would be easy for CASA to paint a picture of you as being, if you will forgive me, hysterical and as a result call your medical into question on mental health grounds. I am not saying it would be right or fair, just easy.

My advice is to let the dust settle, as difficult as that will be, and when the funds are available let your fingers do the walking and engage competent counsel and let them deal with the regulator.

Have a read of your correspondence with your managers hat on - how would you react to increasingly annoyed and dare I say paranoid sounding letters and emails hitting your inbox from a disgruntled instructor. If you can honestly say that you wouldn't raise an eyebrow then fine, but if you think you might start to worry about that hypothetical employee then apply that filter to your correspondence.

Play the long game and don't get knocked out of the war on a technicality

Hope I have not offended you and good luck to you and your family

I don't know what you were taking when you wrote this, but on reflection, you may care to withdraw the post Snakecharma (The name is probably a reflection of the person)

Snakecharma and Dale
 

Hi Snakecharma, thankyou for your well intentioned post. I appreciate any feedback, whether it pumps up my tyres, deflates them, or makes me just get off the bike for a bit and check the tyres out. If it is bubbling around in your mind, I would rather it gets put out there I really would. If you are thinking it, then its likely others are.I had been peddling a bit hard, so the rest did me good.

If I don't get the feedback I might end up like Will Ferrell in Old School running naked past Aviation House in Canberra, all alone. That would justifiably bring the medical into question.

Dale, cheers and thanks also for stepping in, but it is an open forum and I really do invite anything. I have been a small business owner so appreciate that all feedback is good, and particularly if it leads to something "better".

Realistically, the medical is of little concern. Im best getting out of aviation longer term and into a "fresh start" away from CASA. I cant really see CASA and I ever being on each others Christmas card lists again, and if your not on CASAs Christmas card list, it could be argued that the path could be bit "rockier" compared to those on the Christmas Card list.

It is an open forum. Primarily, it is a fight for my wifes welfare. It is also I believe, a wider industry concern, so everyones perspective is highly respected, considered, and appreciated. But don't go too far away Dale, every well intentioned supporter is crucial, cheers. Glen

Thanks - But I will express my opinions within the rules on this forum as I see fit.

Seems?

It is exactly what is happening!

Sunny,
As Judith Sloan would say: "See, the thing is ----", The "rules" are not the core problem. the culture is the problem.

There is plenty of discretion built into the FAA rules when it comes to anything requiring an operating permission of some kind.

From time to time, there are flare-ups in FAA because somebody starts throwing their weight around, but not often, because the FAA culture is not aggressively anti- aviation, in large part because it does not recruit civil or military also-ran's or the industry's failure, to the organisation.

And, of course, the FAA and its predecessor, were from inception, civil organisations, not a branch or an offshoot of the military.

Australian "culture" also plays a part --- sadly, we live in a land where the first resort, rather than the last, is to more regulation ---- "they should pass a law" is the kneejerk "public" reaction to almost anything, even if it is already illegal but unenforced.

Of course, in this case, neither a FAR Part 141 or a Part 142 is required for basic flying training in US, so most of the bureaucratic problems Glen's "system" is designed address under CASR 142/142 just are not applicable in US, where there is no bureaucratic storm needing such a solution.

The "real" solution for the Australian scene, which is no help to Glenn, is to allow individual instructors to operate without the need for a Part 141, as per US.

Tootle pip!!

The gofundme is stalling a little, EVERYONE needs to share it on facebook. You need to encourage your 'friends' to share it, it needs people with large followings to re-share.

And what Leadsled said, thumbs up.

My Proposed Media Release for Monday 09/09/19
 

MEDIA RELEASE

CASA Bullying Small Business

Glen Buckley had a vision to build the most professional Flight Training School in Australia. For the past 15 years he had been working virtually non- stop growing his new business, a task that required a 24/7 commitment to make it happen. Melbourne Flight Training (“MFT”) in fact became one of Victoria’s busiest schools; was thriving as a domestic and international flight training school with an impressive array of accreditations and delivering industry-leading levels of both safety and compliance.

Then along comes the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (“CASA”) and decides to reinvent the wheel.It formulates changes to the Legislation for pilot training organisations known as Parts 61, 141 & 142. In late 2016 CASA finally introduced its “new regulatory program” a decade behind schedule, and hundreds of millions of dollars over budget.

Not surprisingly, CASA underestimated the workload required by each of the Flying Schools in completing the tasks. The Schools had to attend to over 600 new requirements. Each had to be individually assessed by CASA personnel. It took years and required CASA to work extensively side by side with the respective organisations, to ensure that all the “i’s were dotted and the t’s crossed”.

The ramifications were significant on Australia’s 350 flight training schools. CASA unrealistically sets September 2017 as the deadline for the conversion to Part 142 & 142 by all applicable flying schools.

Working with CASA, Glen took an innovative and collaborative approach to the expensive new regulatory structure, enthusiastically embracing the change. He called his system the Australian Pilot Training Alliance (“APTA”).

During the design of APTA, he insisted it must:

· Increase safety
· Increase regulatory compliance
· Protect the Australian Owned sector of the industry
· Have a an altruistic component and support struggling aero clubs in regional areas
· Create jobs.


As the CASA stipulated deadline of September 2017 approached, it was obvious that CASA was seriously under resourced, accordingly Glen requested CASA to allocate more resources to his own organisation, which was ready and waiting to “Transition”. CASA provided the resources, and APTA was proudly one of the first to be approved by CASA in April of 2017, approximately 4 months ahead of the deadline.

Unlike APTA, as the deadline of September 2017 approached and past, the vast majority of the schools (circa 95%) had not been able to complete the process to the Part 142 requirements of the new legislation.

CASA did not have the resources required for processing, and at the last minute CASA extended the deadline by a further 12 months to September 2018.

This was a major setback to those organisations that had made the significant time and financial investment to comply with the Parts, including Glen’s own business APTA.Nevertheless, APTA continued to grow and was exceptionally well received by the industry.

Then after 15 years of safe and compliant operations, the last 18 months of which was in the new CASA required Part 141 & 142 format, without prior warning in October 2018 a number of restrictions were placed on APTA’s ability to trade, in that CASA:

· Placed a “limited approval of operations” that has been as short as a minute-by-minute approval, and no longer than 90 days.
· Made allegations against APTA that prevented it from marketing its product.
· Prevented APTA taking on customers.
· Refused to renew existing capabilities as they expired
· Prevented APTA adding on capabilities.

Critically, these actions were not taken on the basis of safety or regulatory compliance, and the effects have been traumatic for Glen and for his business. The CASA action has now caused the closure of three businesses, with the associated loss of jobs. Glen has lost his home, his business, his savings, and is now fighting relentlessly to protect his reputation

So, unexpectedly APTA went from being the “hero” of Part 141 & Part 142 Transitioning to having its approval virtually withdrawn. To this day Glen is at a loss as to the reason why his world was turned upside down.

He has elected to fight back on this matter, gaining a groundswell of opinion and support from the aviation industry and fair-minded people. His complaints have been sent as high as the Prime Minister’s office including substantive ethical allegations against 4 personnel within CASA that impact on the safety of aviation in Australia, and go to the very core of good governance in CASA.

The matter is gaining significant momentum. More than 200,000 views by industry peers, on a website referred to as Pprune. https://www.pprune.org/australia-new-zealand-pacific/620219-glen-buckley-australian-small-business-v-casa.html

A Crowd Funding page has been established on his behalf, with $18,000 in donations raised within 48 hours for Glen to mount a legal case against CASA.

The site is experiencing strong support, with many comments from donors indicating the high level of emotion credited to this matter. https://www.gofundme.com/f/glen-buckley-v-casa

This is a matter that is not going away. It is growing rapidly, and gaining wide industry support.One supporter said “CASA has a bottomless pit of taxpayer money; Glen has none, only us!

MEDIA RELEASE:Glen Buckley+61 418 772 013
[email protected]

I think acronyms and parts are fine for us aviation personal - but you need non-aviation persons to get on-board. So a more general release required.

It is simply a government department (that the general public can relate to) that has too much power and abuses that power, and never accountable even though they can (often are) proved wrong - but then double down to send people/companies broke.

Maybe throw in a bit of CASA time frame and COST to implement these changes/regs with no near end in site (ever).

Here's a more Idiot friendly version with THE NEWS moved upfront:-

MEDIA RELEASE

Govt Aviation Bureaucrats Bullying Small Business

Glen Buckley had a vision to build the most professional Flight Training School in Australia and it looked as if it was succeeding until the Government Agency CASA made sudden & drastic administrative changes. The effects have been traumatic for Glen and for his business after 15 years of safe operation. The CASA action has now caused the closure of three businesses, with the associated loss of jobs. Glen has lost his home, his business, his savings, and is now fighting relentlessly to protect his reputation


The changes were purely administrative and were not taken on the basis of safety or regulatory compliance. Glen went from being a well-respected and approved early adopter to having his approval virtually withdrawn. To this day Glen is at a loss as to the reason why his world was turned upside down .

He has elected to fight back on this matter, gaining a groundswell of opinion and support from the aviation industry and fair-minded people. His complaints have been sent as high as the Prime Minister’s office including substantive ethical allegations against 4 personnel within CASA that impact on the safety of aviation in Australia, and go to the very core of good governance in CASA

For the past 15 years he had been working virtually non- stop growing his new business, a task that required a 24/7 commitment to make it happen. Melbourne Flight Training (“MFT”) in fact became one of Victoria’s busiest schools; was thriving as a domestic and international flight training school with an impressive array of accreditations and delivering industry-leading levels of both safety and compliance.

Then along comes the Govt. Civil Aviation Safety Authority (“CASA”) and decides to reinvent the wheel. In late 2016 CASA finally introduced its “new regulatory program” a decade behind schedule, and hundreds of millions of dollars over budget.

Not surprisingly, CASA underestimated the workload required by each of the Flying Schools in completing the tasks. The Schools had to attend to over 600 new requirements. Each had to be individually assessed by CASA personnel. It took years and required CASA to work extensively side by side with the respective organisations, to ensure that all the “i’s were dotted and the t’s crossed”. The ramifications were significant on Australia’s 350 flight training schools. CASA unrealistically set September 2017 as the deadline for the conversion by all applicable flying schools.

Working with CASA, Glen took an innovative and collaborative approach to the expensive new regulatory structure, enthusiastically embracing the change. He called his system the Australian Pilot Training Alliance (“APTA”).

During the design of APTA, he insisted it must:

· Increase safety
· Increase regulatory compliance
· Protect the Australian Owned sector of the industry
· Have a an altruistic component and support struggling aero clubs in regional areas
· Create jobs.


As the deadline of September 2017 approached, it was obvious that CASA was seriously under resourced, accordingly Glen requested CASA to allocate more resources to his own organisation, which was ready and waiting to “Transition”. CASA provided the resources, and APTA was proudly one of the first to be approved by CASA in April of 2017, approximately 4 months ahead of the deadline.

Unlike APTA, as the deadline of September 2017 approached and past, the vast majority of the schools (circa 95%) had not been able to complete the process to the new legislation and at the last minute extended the deadline by a further 12 months to September 2018. .Nevertheless, APTA continued to grow and was exceptionally well received by the industry.

Then after 15 years of safe and compliant operations, the last 18 months of which was in the new CASA format, without prior warning in October 2018 a number of restrictions were placed on APTA’s ability to trade, in that CASA:

· Placed a “limited approval of operations” that has been as short as a minute-by-minute approval, and no longer than 90 days.
· Made allegations against APTA that prevented it from marketing its product.
· Prevented APTA taking on customers.
· Refused to renew existing capabilities as they expired
· Prevented APTA adding on capabilities.

Critically, these actions were not taken on the basis of safety or regulatory compliance, and the effects have been traumatic for Glen and for his business. The CASA action has now caused the closure of three businesses, with the associated loss of jobs. Glen has lost his home, his business, his savings, and is now fighting relentlessly to protect his reputation

The matter is gaining significant momentum. More than 200,000 views by industry peers, on a website referred to as PPRuNe. https://www.pprune.org/australia-new-zealand-pacific/620219-glen-buckley-australian-small-business-v-casa.html

A Crowd Funding page has been established on his behalf, with $18,000 in donations raised within 48 hours for Glen to mount a legal case against CASA.

The site is experiencing strong support, with many comments from donors indicating the high level of emotion credited to this matter. https://www.gofundme.com/f/glen-buckley-v-casa

This is a matter that is not going away. It is growing rapidly, and gaining wide industry support.

One supporter said “CASA has a bottomless pit of taxpayer money; Glen has none, only us!

MEDIA RELEASE:Glen Buckley+61 418 772 013
[email protected]

Better - but I still stopped reading half way.

Writing is an art to keep the reader interested.

Here's a even more Idiot friendly version with THE NEWS moved upfront:-

MEDIA RELEASE

Govt Aviation Bureaucrats Bullying Small Business

Glen Buckley had a vision to build the most professional Flight Training School in Australia and it looked as if it was succeeding until the Government Agency CASA made sudden & drastic administrative changes. The effects have been traumatic for Glen and for his business after 15 years of safe operation. The CASA action has now caused the closure of three businesses, with the associated loss of jobs. Glen has lost his home, his business, his savings, and is now fighting relentlessly to protect his reputation

The changes were purely administrative and were not taken on the basis of safety or regulatory compliance. Glen went from being a well-respected and approved early adopter to having his approval virtually withdrawn. To this day Glen is at a loss as to the reason why his world was turned upside down .

He has elected to fight back on this matter, gaining a groundswell of opinion and support from the aviation industry and fair-minded people. His complaints have been sent as high as the Prime Minister’s office including substantive ethical allegations against 4 personnel within CASA that impact on the safety of aviation in Australia, and go to the very core of good governance in CASA

The matter is gaining significant momentum. More than 200,000 views by industry peers, on a website referred to as PPRuNe. https://www.pprune.org/australia-new...ss-v-casa.html

A Crowd Funding page has been established on his behalf, with $18,000 in donations raised within 48 hours for Glen to mount a legal case against CASA.

The site is experiencing strong support, with many comments from donors indicating the high level of emotion credited to this matter. https://www.gofundme.com/f/glen-buckley-v-casa

This is a matter that is not going away. It is growing rapidly, and gaining wide industry support.

One supporter said “CASA has a bottomless pit of taxpayer money; Glen has none, only us!

MEDIA RELEASE:Glen Buckley+61 418 772 013
[email protected]

+ at time of publish almost 50% of target funding has been achieved in "'X" days.