Aldo Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Found this interesting article in the Australian link below (if you don't have a subscription to the Australian you will only get one chance to read it). Pilots, victims’ families call for change as planes fly blind http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/pilots-victims-families-call-for-change-as-planes-fly-blind/story-e6frg6nf-1227375264970 Dick Smith (and before I go any further, I'm no fan of Dick Smith) complaining about air traffic control services, if my memory serves me correctly it was Dick Smith who was the architect of removing all of the flight service offices as a cost saving measure when he was in charge at CASA which in effect led to all VFR aircraft becoming see and avoid. This led to a lot of FSO's losing their jobs and the introduction to the system of as Smith calls it "the blind calling the blind" The FSO's provided an excellent service both in the air and on the ground (you could walk up to the office get the latest weather, they would translate it for you if needed, get a coffee etc etc) it also provided a pathway for guys going to busier ATC areas. A couple of excerpts from the article. Welcome back to the real world you created DICK 1. "Cruising at 400 knots in private jet luxury at 37,000 feet in his “pocket rocket”, an elegant Cessna Citation, businessman and aviator Dick Smith receives the comforting voice and instructions of air traffic control in Brisbane, directing his every move and keeping him and his three charges on board out of danger". "But passing down through 8500 feet on the way to Ballina on the NSW north coast, air traffic control leaves the plane to its fate. The rules dictate air traffic control can no longer direct it below that altitude. The aircraft and its four souls are on their own in “uncontrolled airspace”." This is not quite true ATC updates IFR aircraft with other IFR aircraft and will pass on VFR aircraft details if they know they are there, Smith once again manipulating the truth to suit his own purposes. 2. "Smith changes radio frequencies so that a system he calls “the blind calling in the blind” comes into play: pilots of different aircraft talk to each other to try to work out their relative positions and maintain separation". Gee we do that every day The article then goes on about the crash of a Cheyenne on a flight from Sydney to Benalla it was 15NM off track and crashed into a mountain, Smiths comments below "The air traffic controllers ignored the warnings and did not inform the pilot — possibly, according to an investigation report, because they wrongly assumed the pilot was tracking to another navigation point". "Smith says he suspects the controllers knew that, once it flew below controlled airspace, they would have no authority to direct the aircraft anyway". What an absolute crock any pilot at night in IFR conditions who didn't listen to ATC shouldn't be flying and I don't know one who wouldn't listen. I have uploaded a pdf of the article for those who want to read the lot What do you think? Be warned don't let Dick Smith anywhere near Recreational Aviation. Aldo Dick Smith - Cruising at 400 knots in private jet luxury.pdf Dick Smith - Cruising at 400 knots in private jet luxury.pdf Dick Smith - Cruising at 400 knots in private jet luxury.pdf 3 1
Guest ozzie Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 too late he has a trike and a couple of 95:10 ultralights.
Birdseye Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 He is and always has been a pillock with mostly half the facts at best. 3
Yenn Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 He may be a pillock, but he is at least pro Australian. His session as head of CASA or whatever it was called then was nothing to write home about and a lot of the things he says do not make sense. But. he does at least stand up and people listen to him and to some of his good ideas.No matter who you look at in the public eye can be faulted, but I happen to think the positives outweigh the negatives with Dick Smith. 5 14
Aldo Posted May 31, 2015 Author Posted May 31, 2015 He may be a pillock, but he is at least pro Australian. His session as head of CASA or whatever it was called then was nothing to write home about and a lot of the things he says do not make sense. But. he does at least stand up and people listen to him and to some of his good ideas.No matter who you look at in the public eye can be faulted, but I happen to think the positives outweigh the negatives with Dick Smith. Yenn I think if you start to do a little research on Dick Smith you will find he is not as patriotic as he likes to make out, one such article (published by Steve Creedy) in the Australian Smith suggests that to remain in the airline game QANTAS should move everything it can to China how is this good for Australia and how does it benefit Australian workers and how is that patriotic? Part of my business is manufacturing equipment and I have all our equipment made in Australia might cost me a little more but I'm supporting Australia, I also take my holidays in Australia supporting Australians that's what I call patriotic not just talking about it. Aldo 1
Birdseye Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 but he is at least pro Australian. The only thing he is pro about is Pro-Dick. Appallingly bad self-promoter who ends up putting his foot into his large mouth somewhere down the track. Total egotist and by all accounts awful to work with. 2
ben87r Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Like him or not, pilots as a group couldn't get a massage from a bath house on pay day, he at least takes the fight to them with what he thinks is everybody's best interest. Dick gets my vote! Albeit by default. 1 8
gareth lacey Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Many years ago i met him in Sydney, very affible then , down to earth , to each his own , i give him my vote , tall poppy syndrome at it again cheers gareth 4
Aldo Posted May 31, 2015 Author Posted May 31, 2015 Many years ago i met him in Sydney, very affible then , down to earth , to each his own , i give him my vote , tall poppy syndrome at it againcheers gareth Gareth Certainly not tall poppy syndrome from me I don't subscribe to that either, I don't have any issue with your opinion of Smith and I did ask for opinions but you don't know me from a bar of soap, I just don't like people telling lies to suit their own purposes. 1
ben87r Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 I was away but he came through here in his Caravan a few weeks back, the boys had a chat with him and said he was very down to earth, and was interested to hear their story. 2
fly_tornado Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Many years ago i met him in Sydney, very affible then , down to earth , to each his own , i give him my vote , tall poppy syndrome at it againcheers gareth Most rich people I know are the loveliest people and they know to hire talent when they need it. Nothing commercially has worked out for Dick in a long while.
Happyflyer Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 This is a strange thread. I read the accident report that appears to have triggered it. From what I can see the experienced pilot was cleared to track for waypoint, he acknowledged the clearance and then veered off course. Alarms sounded for the controllers several times as a result but they did not inform the pilot. It appears his GPS was in error and he eventually flew into terrain ( https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2004/aair/aair200402797.aspx ). Dick Smith was supporting the family of the dead pilot and his passengers. It appears the family do not believe that Dick was somehow responsible for the outcome. Dick Smith was chairman of the board at CAA and CASA in the nineties. He was not the only one on the board. He would have had input to bring about reform as required by the Government of the day. A lot of people resisted that change vigorously and many were very bitter about it. It appears that this bitterness is still about. To call someone a liar on the strength of quotes from a media story is a brave move. I think there is much more to this anti Dick Smith theme than mere tall poppy syndrome. 2 6
Guest SrPilot Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 G’day all. As one from the States, I enjoy learning Australian terms and phrases not normally encountered in “American English.” “Tall poppy syndrome”, therefore, captured my interest. So I ‘hit the books’. But when I researched its meaning, I found two explanations, not one. I quote: “Tall poppy syndrome Australian slang for the tendency to criticize highly successful people (ie, tall poppies), and 'cut them down'. Australian Slang for someone who has a high ego and needs to be brought back down to his peers through put downs.” From the on-going conversation, I take it that TPS was used in the former sense because of the nature of the response to the assertion. Does the phrase truly have two meanings as stated in the source I quote? I think the phrase could be a useful addition to ones repertoire, but first I must understand its meaning. Would someone be so kind as to respond? BTW, I do not know Mr. Smith. I read the thread simply because the subject line "caught my eye". Thanks.
turboplanner Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 It appears his GPS was in error and he eventually flew into terrain I picked up on this part. If the standard of GPS in that aircraft can be off far enough to create a problem, it can be off with the cheaper ones too.
Admin Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Be careful everyone, we are at the border with this thread 1 2
Old Koreelah Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 YennI think if you start to do a little research on Dick Smith you will find he is not as patriotic as he likes to make out, one such article (published by Steve Creedy) in the Australian Smith suggests .. Aldo There's your first mistake, Aldo: where you're doing your research. What you say may be true, but you will never get the full story from the Murdoch press. DS has long been a target for Australia's rich because he shows them up; few of them do anything decent with their wealth. The gutter press has mocked many of his initiatives. Do some more research on the crap thrown at him when he set up Australian Geographic. 2 1
Guest Maj Millard Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 G’day all. As one from the States, I enjoy learning Australian terms and phrases not normally encountered in “American English.”“Tall poppy syndrome”, therefore, captured my interest. So I ‘hit the books’. But when I researched its meaning, I found two explanations, not one. I quote: “Tall poppy syndrome Australian slang for the tendency to criticize highly successful people (ie, tall poppies), and 'cut them down'. Australian Slang for someone who has a high ego and needs to be brought back down to his peers through put downs.” From the on-going conversation, I take it that TPS was used in the former sense because of the nature of the response to the assertion. Does the phrase truly have two meanings as stated in the source I quote? I think the phrase could be a useful addition to ones repertoire, but first I must understand its meaning. Would someone be so kind as to respond? BTW, I do not know Mr. Smith. I read the thread simply because the subject line "caught my eye". Thanks. Hi SrPilot, the first one would best describe the syndrome...Cheers, Ross
Guest Maj Millard Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 We had Dick drop in unannounced at one of our secret locations in his very nice Jetranger, just to say hi to a bunch of UL pilots after hearing us all on the radio.....seemed pretty friendly, Australian and very down to earth to me....no 'tall poppy syndrome ' noticed.
gareth lacey Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Aldo, you are right i dont know you ,and far from aiming at you it was a general observation,the Murdochs,Packers,Rhinhearts, and a lot of the "wealthy" have done very little for Australia, Dick Smith helped put Aus on the map for rest of the world , he has spent his own money doing good things for the community , we collectively only remember the wrong decisions/mistakes that people make , the good things outweigh it by spades , Dick Smith is not alone ,there are many wealthy people who give thier time and money for worthwhile causes and the not so wealthy also contribute to/for the benifit of others ,generally i think that Dick Smith has good intentions for the aviation community,i have been in aviation a short time ,and have seen first hand what a few people are like , we all need to get on with each other, we don,t have to agree on topics but caustic remar 2 3
farri Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Hi SrPilot, the first one would best describe the syndrome...Cheers, Ross Thanks Ross!........ I`m safe!...I just fly a Drifter and don`t have enough money. Frank. 1
pmccarthy Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 In many Australian social groups, anyone with an aeroplane of any type is a fat cat capitalist pig. Seems to be different in the USA. 1
fly_tornado Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Dick criticized a lot of locals for selling out to foreigners, which didn't go down too well. What is Dick's legacy though? For a lot of people its this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickheads 1
Nobody Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 YennI think if you start to do a little research on Dick Smith you will find he is not as patriotic as he likes to make out, one such article (published by Steve Creedy) in the Australian Smith suggests that to remain in the airline game QANTAS should move everything it can to China how is this good for Australia and how does it benefit Australian workers and how is that patriotic? Part of my business is manufacturing equipment and I have all our equipment made in Australia might cost me a little more but I'm supporting Australia, I also take my holidays in Australia supporting Australians that's what I call patriotic not just talking about it. Aldo Please post the link to the article. Dick has been badly misquoted if that is the impression you got from it. Dick was arguing that if Australia wants to have Qantas as a national airline it can't be expected to compete with airlines with a Chinese cost base. We can't have it both ways where we enjoy cheap airfares but also want our pilots and maintenance engineers paid at Australian rates. 7
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