CASA in Crisis

[jackc]

21 hours ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

Here's a heretical point of view... I reckon the fewer staff CASA has then the less harm they can do. I think  that South Africa has a much smaller CASA than we have and they are better off there.

If CASA had so few staff that their activities were confined to educating ( as opposed to policing ) then we would have more freedom and probably no less safety. 

MORE freedom and MORE safety, hammering people with policing simply demoralises them.....they wonder what is next to make Aviation more difficult for them on a personal level.

They fly, wondering what the future holds........it dampens the enthusiasm and feeling of well being and enjoyment.
Their mental state can reflect in their performance as a pilot.

Herein lies the safety aspect.  Pilots who are happy and less subject to b/s from any regulator can only improve their safety aspect in flying.

Copping it from CASA and RAAus should not be the way of the future.......

[poteroo]

On 22/10/2020 at 6:38 PM, Old Koreelah said:

“...a reputable lobby group”

Is that not a contradiction in terms? 

along the lines of 'gamble responsibly'

[poteroo]

I can't remember a thread with which I'm so in agreement with!  

 

CASA, and its' antecedants  DCA, CAA, DOT have long been a handbrake on general aviation.  Having been involved with them all since 1962, I'm grief-stricken to hear that their funding has shrunken, and they might, (just might), have to live within their means.  

 

Oh, happy days - let them wither in our Covid year of unhappiness.

[facthunter]

They have gotten WORSE. MUCH Less knowledge of aeroplanes and people and more reliance on paralegal  and inconsistent practices. Authority is all they care about. As individuals they might be quite human (I've known plenty) but the "essence" of the show is all skewed. Pilots out there flying are criminals they just haven't managed to catch yet.  Nev

[Jim McDowall]

As their (CASA's) primary focus is safety and safety is such an indefinite term - it can mean different things to different people - any regulation can be made and justified on the basis of "safety". Just look at the way OHS has invaded our schools in ways that my childhood pursuits would be unrecognisable to todays schoolchildren. Ball sports on asphalt - banned, teachers unwilling to run afterschool sports because of the "risks" - to them , not the kids.

Question is "how safe is safe?" and when the people making the rules are rarely practitioners or think making rules will solve a perceived problem, we get what we've got.

[old man emu]

Possibly one of the reasons that CASA people are out of touch with GA people is that a lot of the CASA people seem to be retired RAAF people whose experience comes from an environment where rules were rigidly followed and where the cost of replacing things did not matter. Their experience seems to have been "If it's broke, chuck it and put in a new one". They never had to deal with the economic realities of life in the public sector. It seems that their ability to sort out a problem only extended to testing to see if an item does not function. There is no need to understand how the item works so that they can get inside it and fix it. This then flows over to the development and administration of regulations.
 

[M61A1]

1 hour ago, old man emu said:

Their experience seems to have been "If it's broke, chuck it and put in a new one". They never had to deal with the economic realities of life in the public sector.

That would be an understatement......My experience is....

Tradie-" I think it could be worn"

Supervisor- "Replace it anyway, I don't want to get in trouble for sending it out U/S"

Tradie- "This bolt is corroded" (looking at a tiny spot of surface corrosion on the head)...." We have a whole box of 'em. I'll replace it" (even if they didn't have a box of them, they would order it AOG at great cost)

 

 

That's why I cringe every time I hear we have ex-defence people getting into RAus management. ( I'm ex defence too BTW)

[Yenn]

Is it really defence force personnel outlook causing the problem? It could be just bureaucrats, people who make rules and cannot believe they are stupid. When queried they fall back on the old position of I am in charge, I know what is best, I will not change.

All they want is control.

[Jim McDowall]

Same problem exists in SA's Country Fire Service which is top heavy with ex-defence types - lots of new toys and tech to play firefighter with, but no attention paid to the basics - ignition + fuel = fire. Roadside vegetation must be sacred as nothing is ever done to reduce fuel load on roadsides but this is where 50% of the fires start.

[kgwilson]

I am a volunteer and Trainer with SES. We have a lot of ex Police & military who end up in the paid part of the service mostly in a remote office on a 6 figure salary. Then they seem to go about dictating and giving orders to volunteers. We give our time, knowledge and labour free and have other commitments so we need to be asked if we can do something at a particular time/date. This seems to be a foreign concept for them & they do not want to change. 

 

I can see parallels in CASA. Having power can be addictive to many. This has not happened overnight as the revolving door of directors will attest. None have been able to change the culture & only legislative change and a total clean out would be able to make any headway.

 

I spent 30 years dealing with CAA in NZ, originally as the President of the NZ Hang Gliding Association and the difference between that organisation & CASA could not be more stark. When I started flying in Australia I found the general opinion of pilots was that CASA was the enemy. This was quite a shock at the time. It was brought home to me during the Jabiru engine debacle. In simple terms the NZ CAA are like a Coach and CASA is the Cop. 

[turboplanner]

2 hours ago, kgwilson said:

It was brought home to me during the Jabiru engine debacle.

 

In simple terms the NZ CAA are like a Coach and CASA is the Cop. 

What was the Jabiru debacle?

 

CASA is a Compliance and Enforcement (C&E) organisation. It may be that CAA has a dual role

[Jim McDowall]

NZ is different because it is so small they are probably all related!

[facthunter]

They can't be because they look very different  to each other and actually achieve things. They fly good because it's always windy. Years back they kept old cars going because that's all they had. It's a harder environment all round.. They frequently punch above their weight in many things. Nev 

[jackc]

For what it’s worth, the SAFETY  buck stops with me......doing a preflight with a CASA guy and his book of rules looking  over my shoulder  will do nothing, because he probably does not have clue on the aircraft I am preflighting.

When I am flying, am I gonna consult the rule book before I do something at 4000ft?  No, I am flying the plane the best way I know I have been taught.  I will fly as safe as I can, and nothing CASA ever does can save me from a disaster if I get it wrong.

Like everything in this life, I just do my best......

CASA will never save my sorry arse......

[M61A1]

9 hours ago, Yenn said:

Is it really defence force personnel outlook causing the problem? It could be just bureaucrats, people who make rules and cannot believe they are stupid. When queried they fall back on the old position of I am in charge, I know what is best, I will not change.

All they want is control.

I see it as part of the problem. That and the "Safety at all costs" mentality, and other issues.

[M61A1]

1 hour ago, jackc said:

For what it’s worth, the SAFETY  buck stops with me......doing a preflight with a CASA guy and his book of rules looking  over my shoulder  will do nothing, because he probably does not have clue on the aircraft I am preflighting.

When I am flying, am I gonna consult the rule book before I do something at 4000ft?  No, I am flying the plane the best way I know I have been taught.  I will fly as safe as I can, and nothing CASA ever does can save me from a disaster if I get it wrong.

Like everything in this life, I just do my best......

CASA will never save my sorry arse......

Exactly....No one else can do as much to keep you safe as you can do yourself. Dan's trying hard though.

[walrus]

What concerns me is that light aircraft flying is starting to “go underground” which is considerably less safe but avoids the endless double bind situations you might face trying to comply with regulations.

 

By that I mean:

 

- if there is no flight plan, there is no evidence to convict me.

-if there is no transponder, I can’t be identified if I break controlled airspace.

- If I don’t have ADSB, I can’t be flight followed and identified.

-If I maintain radio silence, nobody knows I’m flying.

- If I don’t get treatment for my illness, Avmed won’t cancel my medical.

-If I don’t do a fuel plan and weight and balance, there is no evidence to convict me.

-if I don’t use certified airports, I can’t be harassed.

-if I don’t enter a defect on the maintenance release, there is no evidence the aircraft might be unsafe.

- if I press on, nobody will know about my fuel state.

-if I don’t tell people about my accident, it can’t be investigated.

 

...and last but not least if I don’t call for help now that I’m in trouble, nobody will know I’ve made a punishable serious mistake.

 

‘’Thoughts running through my mind; CASA, all stick and no carrot. I am told, but have not seen it for myself, that the reputation of CASA is so bad in some places, that GA businesses have been known to stop work, lock up and shut down for the day  if a CASA inspector is seen arriving at the airport. The comment was made that :”even people who normally hate each other will ring to pass the warning”.

Edited October 27, 2020 by walrus

[Downunder]

10 hours ago, jackc said:

For what it’s worth, the SAFETY  buck stops with me......doing a preflight with a CASA guy and his book of rules looking  over my shoulder  will do nothing, because he probably does not have clue on the aircraft I am preflighting.

When I am flying, am I gonna consult the rule book before I do something at 4000ft?  No, I am flying the plane the best way I know I have been taught.  I will fly as safe as I can, and nothing CASA ever does can save me from a disaster if I get it wrong.

Like everything in this life, I just do my best......

CASA will never save my sorry arse......

A phrase l like to use which sums it up, "CASA won't be at your funeral".

[old man emu]

Here's how the FAA handled a complaint from a member of the public based on videos posted on Youtube.

 

[M61A1]

  Here's one that got a bit more complicated...

[Shortfielder]

Meanwhile, a late night parliamentary discussion was convened to investigate the behaviour of the Qatari airport manager Randy Chimpski.

Chimpski was not available for comment and has taken refuge in his tree where he is studying the rudimentary aspects of administering a DNA test and enjoying his banana.

[jackc]

7 hours ago, Shortfielder said:

Meanwhile, a late night parliamentary discussion was convened to investigate the behaviour of the Qatari airport manager Randy Chimpski.

Chimpski was not available for comment and has taken refuge in his tree where he is studying the rudimentary aspects of administering a DNA test and enjoying his banana.

Sorry, you made a mistake and selected a file photo of the last parliamentary sitting for the year 🙂

 

[old man emu]

That post is an insult to sentient beings!

[Yenn]

All the self righteous rage about the Qatar airport episode. Nobody has come out and saud what the Qatari authorities should have done. I wonder what would have happened if the same thing happened at Sydney airport.

My immediate thought was that all the possible women should have been asked to provide a sample of their DNA. That would have enabled a yes or no to parentage even though the person would be out of the country by the time parentage was established.

[old man emu]

I would have thought that the authorities should have looked at the baby to determine race. That would eliminate many of the women. I dare say that a woman who has just given birth isn't going to be able to stand in a line for very long.

 

I bet most of the women's fear was due to not knowing why they had been called out. I bet most of them thought that there had been a revolution or some strange misogynistic command had come from a radical religious leader. I bet the women's menfolk were panicking too.