Sir Angus Houston Supports Government Policy
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Maybe its just me, but does anyone else get the vibe that some people hate Sir Angus because he is of a military background?
Looking at his career objectively I can see a lot of evidence that would indicate he wasn't just a yes man...
Looking at his career objectively I can see a lot of evidence that would indicate he wasn't just a yes man...
The Chairman of the ASA Board is ex RAAF, the CEO of ASA is ex RAAF, the EGM ATC is ex RAAF. The Director of Aviation Safety is ex RAAF. Have any of these people run small, medium or large businesses that run on small profit margins. Have they had the pressure of paying wages, bills, random checks on their compliance that carry strict liability. Plus the other stress & pressures that come with running businesses.
I'm not questioning the integrity of any of the above, running military budgets is a stack different to running a business that will live or die based on the decisions made by the above. Maybe that's why people in the industry slag the above people?
Centaurus,
Surely you would concede that the business of operating a small GA operation is vastly different to operating the business of a sqn of Hercs, Sea furies, Lincolns?
Serving in the upper echelons of the ADF gives you a lot of political contacts and an understanding of the business of government. It places these men where they are most likely to win these roles at the top of public life.
Unfortunately those of us serving the smaller end of the industry are out of sight and out of mind; we have little political clout; we who are least able to afford ADSB (for example) are still forced to make the expenditure with little or no benefit and zero ability to recover it.
In government and defence the budgets come and budgets go but the "revenue" is always there.
In GA we are exposed to business conditions and events far beyond our control and often out of sight that make the difference between 5 charters or zero charters this week.
When GA is constantly squeezed between government on one side and "business reality" on the other, do you think accusations of "professional jealousy" and "tall poppy syndrome" might just be a little harsh???
Surely you would concede that the business of operating a small GA operation is vastly different to operating the business of a sqn of Hercs, Sea furies, Lincolns?
Serving in the upper echelons of the ADF gives you a lot of political contacts and an understanding of the business of government. It places these men where they are most likely to win these roles at the top of public life.
Unfortunately those of us serving the smaller end of the industry are out of sight and out of mind; we have little political clout; we who are least able to afford ADSB (for example) are still forced to make the expenditure with little or no benefit and zero ability to recover it.
In government and defence the budgets come and budgets go but the "revenue" is always there.
In GA we are exposed to business conditions and events far beyond our control and often out of sight that make the difference between 5 charters or zero charters this week.
When GA is constantly squeezed between government on one side and "business reality" on the other, do you think accusations of "professional jealousy" and "tall poppy syndrome" might just be a little harsh???
The Chairman of the ASA Board is ex RAAF, the CEO of ASA is ex RAAF, the EGM ATC is ex RAAF. The Director of Aviation Safety is ex RAAF. Have any of these people run small, medium or large businesses that run on small profit margins. Have they had the pressure of paying wages, bills, random checks on their compliance that carry strict liability. Plus the other stress & pressures that come with running businesses.
Just a question from the pink field to encourage discussion. The RAAF is a highly professional organisation, with many, many trades and professions. Its task is not in the management of Australian Airspace, or mentoring future managers of the same, it is national defense. I do not see a "natural" progression from RAAF to ASA. ASA is a big data IT company, managing very small perturbations in a commercial landscape (use pays). I see more similarity with the rollout of the NBN with the rollout of ADSB than I do see with the RAAF.
I see a natural progression for those who were trained as military controllers and associated functions in the Australian military to ASA as controllers and flight service officers, that does not directly translate to management IMHO.
The RAAF missed MH370 for the 4+ hours it was within its over the horizon radar. Have we got a fundamental problem in government in what the RAAF and ASA are actually capable of ? We are not alone, MH370 went straight through the equivalence of SYD in Malaysia, Pine Gap in India, Towsnville in Singapore, and Learmoth in Indonesia before coming to Australasian Airspace.
One of the previous posters suggested we are dumping on RAAF officers, that is far from the truth. Myself and many like me see the RAAF as a very large encompassing organisation. Is the RAAF where the managers of one of the most dynamic IT organisations in Australia (ASA) should come from ?
Australia does not get the head of ASIS to run Telstra.
Just a question for those in industry to debate.
Interesting points - raises the question of what is the ideal background (if it's possible to pin it down) for a high level CASA or ASA executive?
One criticism of the above is that it seems to imply that someone who has run a business with slim margins and a lot of commercial pressure would be more suitable for the top regulatory jobs than these ex-RAAF (or other comparable background) people, which I don't think necessarily follows.
If those with lots of experience running GA or other similar businesses are the ones who should be at the helm, why aren't they? And don't tell me it's because there's a conspiracy keeping them out. Are they applying? Are they interested? Are they suitable?
These regulators are rule makers but also analogous to police; nobody's jumping up and down saying the top drug squad coppers should have had a strong background in ice production! I know that's a bit facetious, but the point is - where should the top regulators come from?
Have they had the pressure of paying wages, bills, random checks on their compliance that carry strict liability. Plus the other stress & pressures that come with running businesses.
I'm not questioning the integrity of any of the above, running military budgets is a stack different to running a business that will live or die based on the decisions made by the above. Maybe that's why people in the industry slag the above people?
I'm not questioning the integrity of any of the above, running military budgets is a stack different to running a business that will live or die based on the decisions made by the above. Maybe that's why people in the industry slag the above people?
If those with lots of experience running GA or other similar businesses are the ones who should be at the helm, why aren't they? And don't tell me it's because there's a conspiracy keeping them out. Are they applying? Are they interested? Are they suitable?
These regulators are rule makers but also analogous to police; nobody's jumping up and down saying the top drug squad coppers should have had a strong background in ice production! I know that's a bit facetious, but the point is - where should the top regulators come from?
AOTW
Good point, well made.
The problem as I see it is that these decisions are made while trumpeting the benefits to industry.
Those segments of Industry least able to afford the change are also least likely to benefit from it.
There was, at one stage, talk of compensation for the mandated upgrade to small aircraft but that disapeared. Would someone more conscious of small-aviation pressures be less likely to act in the big-businness-prefferred manner that we are dished out by government (of both flavours)?
The problem as I see it is that these decisions are made while trumpeting the benefits to industry.
Those segments of Industry least able to afford the change are also least likely to benefit from it.
There was, at one stage, talk of compensation for the mandated upgrade to small aircraft but that disapeared. Would someone more conscious of small-aviation pressures be less likely to act in the big-businness-prefferred manner that we are dished out by government (of both flavours)?
These regulators are rule makers but also analogous to police;
where should the top regulators come from?
Almost 'ANYBODY', so it would seem - from the current job being done...on GA....anyway.....
Certainly, 'anybody' who can cause rules and regs to be described in CLEAR / CONCISE (short) ENGLISH sentences, using words of 1 syllable if necessary.....
e.g. PIC's must not start the aircraft in the (feckin') hangar! - It must be wheeled outside first!
Like, made so that us 'Mere Pilots' can read and understand / remember them.....(I'm not a (feckin) lawyer and don't unnerstand their 'lingo' / jargon...)
And 'anybody' who can see the commercial ramifications of decisions made 'in the interest of 'Public Safety' - noting first that there IS a direct cost benefit to the industry, which is now 'on its knees'.....
He / She will have my Vote..!!
Just WHO started this 'Legal Lingo' thing with CASA, the Rulemakers..??
IF I am expected to fly to rules. I fully expect those rules to be fully understood by the 'average educated person'....
(p.s. YEP I got an A in English and English Lit in my 'Leaving Cert.)
NO cheers
Certainly, 'anybody' who can cause rules and regs to be described in CLEAR / CONCISE (short) ENGLISH sentences, using words of 1 syllable if necessary.....
e.g. PIC's must not start the aircraft in the (feckin') hangar! - It must be wheeled outside first!
Like, made so that us 'Mere Pilots' can read and understand / remember them.....(I'm not a (feckin) lawyer and don't unnerstand their 'lingo' / jargon...)
And 'anybody' who can see the commercial ramifications of decisions made 'in the interest of 'Public Safety' - noting first that there IS a direct cost benefit to the industry, which is now 'on its knees'.....
He / She will have my Vote..!!
Just WHO started this 'Legal Lingo' thing with CASA, the Rulemakers..??
IF I am expected to fly to rules. I fully expect those rules to be fully understood by the 'average educated person'....
(p.s. YEP I got an A in English and English Lit in my 'Leaving Cert.)
NO cheers
Last edited by Ex FSO GRIFFO; 29th Jun 2015 at 09:56. Reason: fbl turb on final.....
Agree. Stick an ADSB aerial on each mobile phone tower and bingo, we would have coverage at lower levels and multiple redundancies. OK, its not that simple (duplicated lines, back-up power) but lower level coverage costs more $.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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Just WHO started this 'Legal Lingo' thing with CASA, the Rulemakers..??
IF I am expected to fly to rules. I fully expect those rules to be fully understood by the 'average educated person'....
(p.s. YEP I got an A in English and English Lit in my 'Leaving Cert.)
IF I am expected to fly to rules. I fully expect those rules to be fully understood by the 'average educated person'....
(p.s. YEP I got an A in English and English Lit in my 'Leaving Cert.)
Even way back in 1982 when I first started my flying training, Aviation laws and regulations were a legal minefield!
I have mentioned the following in some previous threads, but I consider it worth repeating.
I well remember somewhere around 1985 when I gained my CPL, a Lawyer acqaintance of mine mentioned to me that he had briefly perused a few of the ANR`s as they were at the time and stated that he could see rather large `holes` in them.
A long story shortened; After he spent a few evenings in his loungechair with a glass or three of red nearby, reading the ANO`s and ANR`s of the time (and Yes; he went through the entire lot!!
) he contacted me and stated that he found `a rather alarming` number of direct contradictions in the orders and regulations!His final opinion was that the whole lot (ANO`s and ANR`s) were a massive legal minefield and desperately needed attention!
Fast Forward 30 years; So what`s new?
I seem to rememeber the lecturer in my first ever Law lecture stating something along the lines that as soon as you define a rule in written word, you provide the means for someone to dispute it and work around it.
We have all seen instances where CASA has prosecuted and failed to secure the desired end result. We have also all seen a great number of flagrant breaches of the law, KNOWING breaches of the law, that CASA has been unwilling or unable to act upon because they KNOW they won't be able to make it stick.
The drafting of the CASRs is not CASA's idea but that of the A-G's department. Speak to your local member if you don't like it!
We have all seen instances where CASA has prosecuted and failed to secure the desired end result. We have also all seen a great number of flagrant breaches of the law, KNOWING breaches of the law, that CASA has been unwilling or unable to act upon because they KNOW they won't be able to make it stick.
The drafting of the CASRs is not CASA's idea but that of the A-G's department. Speak to your local member if you don't like it!
Thanks Guys, but I still have the opinion that to comply with any rules, they need to be written simply so that the 'average' pilot sitting in his cockpit / flight deck may understand them....
And, please tell me why 'breaking' any of the multitude of them makes me a 'criminal'..???
A driving 'offence' does not make a 'criminal', am I not driving another type of vehicle..??
'Cranky, Old, but not these days, 'bold', pilot'.....
Cheers
And, please tell me why 'breaking' any of the multitude of them makes me a 'criminal'..???
A driving 'offence' does not make a 'criminal', am I not driving another type of vehicle..??
'Cranky, Old, but not these days, 'bold', pilot'.....
Cheers
Last edited by Ex FSO GRIFFO; 30th Jun 2015 at 03:00.
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At a CASA conference some 12 years ago, the AG's Dept was noted as a hazard to aviation safety. Of course nothing ever came of that... Nothing has changed! They still are, even more so.
