Melbourne stage 4 lockdown and GA
 

Ok since they locked the last thread after it became political I’d like to ask what people think about the current stage 4 restrictions and their effect on GA flight training.

I’ve looked through the list and to this little black Duck it appears at first glance that GA flight training can continue....?.

Thoughts?

Where exactly does it say education is a reason to leave home?


Probably more pertinently, would you be happy answering to a cop whose pulled you over for being more than 5km from home that you’re out for flying lessons?

https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/updates/...s-restrictions

There is a document in there that outlines what education/training businesses can remain open and which must close.

The only education/training allowed is schools and only for vulnerable children and a very limited number of tertiary qualifications. Flying training not listed in them.

Stage 3 you can fly, luckily regional Vic are good to go, stage 4, you are screwed thanks to our wondeful caring leader Dan!

I am not a lawyer, but...... Victoria has no power over aircraft or pilots exercising their craft. They can close victorian registered businesses They can’t close federally owned airport land. . The Victorian Air Navigation Act 1958 ceded all powers to the Commonwealth. I was told all this at Ansett during discussions about our various state based subsidiaries. NSW, SA and WA retained powers over aviation in their states. Victoria gave it away.


.......Having said that, I wouldn’t want to argue with an irate policeman.

Clearly.

The recreational light aircraft/bush flyers types went through this discussion when the issue of lockdowns/restrictions vs the "but *my* recreational activity is different" brigade was discussed there too. I think that particular crusade now only ends one way, the only variation in outcomes is whether you get the thousand+ dollar fine, or the thousand+ dollar fine and your photo in the news alongside your aircraft as you get arrested so all your neighbours recognise you as someone who thinks their hobby is more important than the law. Plus, if any of your neighbours don't like aircraft noise or feel like dobbing you in because they maybe dont like you, or what they see as an expensive luxury hobby, guess what will happen?

The mods were obviously busy deleting posts in the last thread before it was closed, so as to avoid the risk of being seen as political I'll just say this. Even though the death rate may be seen as low, and biased towards the elderly, younger people die too and there are a lot of long term health effects among the survivors, which would prevent many of them from holding a Class 1 or 2 medical. So having a lockdown that prevents a bunch of pilots from working or flying recreationally in the short term might also be allowing them to go back to work with their medicals at the end of it, rather than losing their medicals, among other non-fatal but serious consequences.

Recreational activities are no longer permitted... so it’s very straight forward. No flying or boating. If you think you can get away with flying for “educational” purposes, go for it... let us know how you went :-)

If you need to fly for transport purposes for the purposes of employment, then you can.

https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/updates/...s-restrictions

Where and when hotel quarantine is required,14 days has generally been the required duration. I don't know where this figure has come from, I suspect it was the WHO, based on the best available evidence at the time. In Victoria, no testing was initially conducted on those in hotel quarantine (they are now required to be tested, generally at days 3 and 11).

This recent paper from Israel suggests that the duration of covid positivity/infectivity in those that have it ranged from 4 - 45 days (median of 3 weeks):
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.26374

I'm sure this factor will be discussed at the upcoming inquiry into the Vic quarantine system, and how it may not have reduced spread of the disease.

Is Oxford still flying out of YMMB?

True..under normal circumstances. Victoria is in a State of Disaster which gives it extraordinary authority. Your correct in your assumption Sunfish that you don't want to test the limit of those powers with a policeman who has had to deal with C19 smart a#&*@ses for the past 4 months.

They were yesterday.

You can still drive a plane in stage 3 area's, thank Christ!

As per Victorian DHHS website which listed what you could or couldn't do under Stage 3 restrictions, it CLEARLY stated that recreational flying WAS allowed subject to not breaching certain conditions such as no passenger unless part of same household, not flying outside of lockdown zone etc etc.
It now CLEARLY states that under Stage 4 restrictions, all recreational activity including recreational flying is NOT allowed. So if you're in the Melbourne lockdown zone you have to hang the headset up for 6 weeks. Let's hope that's all it is because there's going to be a few 'rusty' pilots taking to the air after that..!

Point of order. The reference to flying a “hobby plane” (yuk) is contained in the Stage 2 restrictions page, however the stage 3 outdoor exercise and recreation guidelines don’t prohibit it.

Translation, I think you are good to go, but you should takeoff and land at the same place and follow the mask and 1.5 metre protocols.

The term 'Hobby plane' was in reference to flying a toy aeroplane in a park; not piloting an aircraft.

I agree, very poor choice of words. Because it wasn't defined in the legislation, some tried (successfully) to get around it:
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/v...03-p54z86.html

It has since been clarified by Vic DHHS that flying for recreation was/is permitted under Stage 3 restrictions if associated requirements are met (this page is from when Vic's Mitchell Shire was in Stage 3):
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/travel-m...ng-lesson-nbsp

How are you going to stop people from Vic flying over the borders into SA?

Coppers are being tipped from air services about VFR and flight plans having been pulled up in the initial lockdown crossing a border

Whilst you might be right about the inability of the State government to regulate aviation, it does have the power to regulate your ability to leave your home. The Stay at Home Directions (No 7) imposed pursuant to the Public Health and Well Being Act 2008 provide that you may not leave your home unless for one of the specified purposes. Alas, flying isn’t one of them, and you’d lose that argument, should you choose to have it.

When we had the regional restrictions here in WA, Airservices at Jandakot had to tell POLAIR of any flights arriving that hadn't left Jandakot that day. They would ask where you had come from and I understand that the police would then have a chat to the pilot, though one of ours with a G2G pass from another region wasn't questioned. (We cancelled nav training for the duration)
But it they go between uncontrolled aerodromes or don't file a flight plan, nobody would ever know. I just hope they stay TF away from WA, WAxit is working out very nicely for us.

I wonder what the legalities of VicPol landing at Corowa (NSW) to refuel are... ho, hum, hmmm, nothing to see here, move on :-)