Dick's latest rant

[fly_tornado]

Empty-skies-are-safe-skies policy is killing aviation

 

• DICK SMITH
   
   
  
• The Australian
   
   
  
• 12:00AM December 28, 2017
   
   
  
•  
   
   
  

 

 

I don’t think you should ever regard aviation safety as what is affordable.

 

— Federal transport minister John Anderson, October 5, 2000

 

I welcome the appointment of Barnaby Joyce as Australia’s new Transport Minister. He certainly has a challenge in front of him when it comes to Australia’s general aviation industry, which is in a state of near collapse after years of failed government policy.

 

It will take someone as senior as the Deputy Prime Minister to sort out this mess. As The Australian has reported, general aviation — so vital in a big country like ours — is in serious trouble. Crippled by skyrocketing regulatory costs and pointless red tape, businesses are closing and much of the flying training industry is being sold off to Chinese buyers at bargain rates. A federal government report last week showed the drastic decline brought on by the excessive costs: general aviation flying hours, which include the vital flying training industry, have declined by 40 per cent in just five years.

 

But none of this is new. I have been warning for years that introducing regulations that ignore cost have been crippling the industry. It was 17 years ago that I became involved in a very public disagreement with Joyce’s predecessor, John Anderson, who introduced the policies that have resulted in today’s mess.

 

At the time I was chairman of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and I warned Anderson that the substantial additional costs that had been placed on the industry by the sell-off of the airports and the “user pays” air traffic control system would have to be balanced by a reduction in other costs.

 

Driven by bureaucrats with little understanding of business, he pursued a policy of regulations regardless of cost, with the inevitable result that ridiculous levels of regulation have made it impossible to maintain a viable industry. It seems that for the bureaucrats, the safest skies are empty skies, similar to the Yes Minister episode about the hospital with no patients.

 

Anderson refused to meet me to discuss the issue, releasing a public statement that showed how little he understood. “I don’t think that you should ever regard aviation safety as what is affordable,” he claimed. “Safety is something which has the highest priority — it is not a question of cost.”

 

In effect he was saying that with air safety there was no cost that was too high to pay, ignoring the fact this would make the cost of air tickets unaffordable to anyone other than the ultra-wealthy.

 

Anderson’s public statement was quickly embraced by the bureaucrats within CASA and the denial that cost should be considered became an almost cult-like belief that still exists in that organisation to this day.

 

Aviation is like anything else in life. The amount of money that you can spend on safety is always limited by what the marketplace can afford. If regulations are written that increase the cost of flying too much, people can’t afford to fly and businesses go broke.

 

The inevitable result of this stubborn insistence that there are no limits to the costs that could be imposed on the aviation industry is a situation where operators simply can’t afford to meet the red tape and expenses.

 

It has done nothing to improve safety and will very likely lead to a situation where most pilots in Australia will come from Asia. The losers are many of Joyce’s constituents in rural and regional Australia who rely greatly on general aviation as a vital link in Australia’s transport systems.

 

It means we will lose hundreds of millions of dollars in export earnings from flight training and other operations that are no longer Australian-owned

 

Before Anderson became minister, the CASA service charter directed that Australia should follow “proven safe procedures and standards from leading aviation countries which best allocate finite safety resources, to protect fare-paying passengers and encourage high participation levels in aviation”.

 

But this directive was removed from the charter in the Anderson years. I fought these changes while chairman of CASA but failed to overcome an entrenched public service and a transport minister in denial. I resigned rather than be held responsible for the slow death of an industry that I have been a part of for more than 40 years.

 

I hope now that under a new minister we can get back to a sensible policy that balances costs and regulation in a rational way.

 

Joyce will need to move quickly to reverse the disastrous “ignore cost” policies of the past. I will give him every support and I do hope he listens to the industry before it is too late.

 

Dick Smith is the former chairman of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

 

 

[Yenn]

Barnaby will not do any good. All the previous ministers have bowed down to CASA and it is not going to change. Politicians are not going to do anything that could reduce their chances of reelection. If you write to them pointing out the problems, they ask the relevent minister, who then asks CASA and back comes the reply that nothing will be done.

 

This country is going down the gurgler of beaurocratic indulgence.

 

There is always someone pulling the strings to get more legislation and the only time I can recall they failed was when Qld didn't bring in more rules to control quad bikes. Possibly because there are more quad bike users than pilots. Only today I heard someone on radio saying that the high road toll would be reduced if we had annual roadworthy inspections for Qld cars, he was saying that there were lots of cars with bald tyres and failed brakes. Funny thing is that the powers that be have declared that inattention seems to cause the most crashes.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I'm trying to think of something Barnaby has achieved during his tenure in government but I am at a loss. Maybe some of the coalition voters on the forum could enlighten me?

 

 

[kgwilson]

He seems to be good at opening his mouth & putting his foot right in it.

 

 

[Happyflyer]

Not sure why you say it's a rant. As far as I'm concerned Australia would be a better place with more people like Dick Smith.

 

 

[kgwilson]

I agree with what he has to say here as well.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

criticizing CASA = rant

 

 

[Keith Page]

Barnaby will not do any good. All the previous ministers have bowed down to CASA and it is not going to change. Politicians are not going to do anything that could reduce their chances of reelection. If you write to them pointing out the problems, they ask the relevent minister, who then asks CASA and back comes the reply that nothing will be done.This country is going down the gurgler of beaurocratic indulgence.

There is always someone pulling the strings to get more legislation and the only time I can recall they failed was when Qld didn't bring in more rules to control quad bikes. Possibly because there are more quad bike users than pilots. Only today I heard someone on radio saying that the high road toll would be reduced if we had annual roadworthy inspections for Qld cars, he was saying that there were lots of cars with bald tyres and failed brakes. Funny thing is that the powers that be have declared that inattention seems to cause the most crashes.

Give Barnaby a whacking and he will hand it along he is not keen at suffering by himself. I have had some dealings already and looks like a hornet nest is a bit stirred plus he has Barry O'Sullivan in his wings. What I spoke about his ears were pricked sound like a couple will have less time for Latte's.

Chester was more interested in his Latte and Lobster set than being constructive.

 

Start lopping the tree from the top, gets a lot of positive action quick - will be very interesting who will leave the ship. Just wait holiday season at the moment.

 

KP.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

I'm trying to think of something Barnaby has achieved during his tenure in government but I am at a loss. Maybe some of the coalition voters on the forum could enlighten me?

He got rid of Pistol and Boo, didn't he?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

[kaz3g]

What he says here is fine, but beware someone who thinks he is our born again saviour amd wants us all to bow down before him

 

Kaz

 

 

[Downunder]

What he says here is fine, but beware someone who thinks he is our born again saviour amd wants us all to bow down before him :beg:Kaz

Who?...... FT?

 

 

[flyhi]

What he says here is fine, but beware someone who thinks he is our born again saviour amd wants us all to bow down before him Kaz

Never mind all of us how is he going to get CASA to bow down?

 

 

[Garfly]

Dick follows up in recent days - on the insider's track:

 

What Has Jeff Boyd Achieved?? - PPRuNe Forums

 

The cast of characters engaging each other at the Tamworth meeting mid last year.

 

 

 

 

 

[DenisPC9]

He got rid of Pistol and Boo, didn't he?

Slightly OT, but that was a vastly different issue. Animal Quarantine cannot be left to foreign people who are paid to imitate other people (Johnny Depp) or the popular press.

 

The inadvertent introduction of any one of dozens of diseases etc., that currently do not exist in Australia and which none of our domestic, native or feral animals have any resistance to, would be devastating on many levels. On this occasion I am totally behind that buffoon Joyce. Even though it was he who fired the bullets, he didn't load that gun.

 

As this is an Aviation forum it may have had serious personal aviation consequences. As Depp's party came and went in chartered aircraft the PiC has responsibility for the Flight, Aircraft and all on it. His signature was on the documentation that certified that those particular flights met ALL Australian entry conditions. As such it could have been the PiC' License in jeopardy thus his career.

 

 

[facthunter]

You can do it better and not make a complete Galah of yourself to the world. Imported uncooked prawns didn't evoke a similar response although it has cost $#1tloads to prawn growers in Qld and made prawns too expensive,. when the diseased farms had to be closed down.. Nev

 

 

[Happyflyer]

As this is an Aviation forum it may have had serious personal aviation consequences. As Depp's party came and went in chartered aircraft the PiC has responsibility for the Flight, Aircraft and all on it. His signature was on the documentation that certified that those particular flights met ALL Australian entry conditions. As such it could have been the PiC' License in jeopardy thus his career.

A Qantas captain is not responsible for a false declaration by one of his passengers. When I fly a charter flight I don't search my passengers luggage for illegal substances. In this case I would suggest the pilot was entitled to believe his employers would fill out their entry declaration cards in relation to the dogs correctly. Amber Heard did not, that's why she was charged. The pilot did nothing wrong otherwise he old have been charged.

 

 

[Methusala]

Delicious irony is that, judging from the crop of current press photos, Joyce is most likely going to re-introduce free beer on domestic flights.

 

 

[facthunter]

Bananaboy knows the comforts and privileges of the office and how secrets don't exist in the glasshouse of Canberra. He also wields great power by virtue of the Libs aren't there without the Nats. Like It's a Coal ition (of convenience) not a party in it's own right. Plum face can demand what the system will stand and HE does just that. Something is brewing though I reckon.. They are NOT happy little vegemiters at all. Far from it I have trouble recalling a government more at war with itself bordering on dysfunctional. . If they go full term I will be very surprised.. Nev

 

 

[kaz3g]

Going back to the topic. It is becoming clear that Dick's agenda is a substantial reduction In G and major increase in E emulating his favoured FAA scenario.

 

I wonder what RAPAC and RAAus think about that?

 

Mandatory radio and transponders of course.

 

And perhaps he believes in reincarnation?

 

Kaz

 

 

[facthunter]

Is that when you go back to driving Cars or just growing a particular flower? Nev

 

 

[Garfly]

Going back to the topic. It is becoming clear that Dick's agenda is a substantial reduction In G and major increase in E emulating his favoured FAA scenario.

Like this? :

 

 

 

[Happyflyer]

Going back to the topic. It is becoming clear that Dick's agenda is a substantial reduction In G and major increase in E emulating his favoured FAA scenario.I wonder what RAPAC and RAAus think about that?

 

Mandatory radio and transponders of course.

 

And perhaps he believes in reincarnation?

 

Kaz

Of course if we adopt part of the FAA system we may also go to US class E which has no radio or transponder requirement.

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/media/17_phak_ch15.pdf

 

 

[Garfly]

Explained here:

 

 

 

[Frankus1aust]

Considering for a moment that Shane Carmody might be up for some CASA reform and industry consultation, he will need strong ministerial backing. We are talking culture and mindsets. These all take time to change. But if a tipping point can be arrived at, things can happen. All be it with a lot of leverage at the start. Hence a united industry all singing the same revolutionary song. This is Barnaby's chance to be known for something good and lots of photo opps for turning around an industry. This chance does not come up often for a politician. The question is.... Is the industry able to stop behaving like a rabble and follow this through.