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AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA
QUI PROCURANTUR PROCURANDI
One must represent those one claims to represent


 

PHONE: 08 8276 4600

See also Dick Smith Flyer for more information with a different slant

This site provides information about air safety issues peculiar to Australia. It advocates aviation reform without needless change.  

  1. The Phantom Airspace Directorate gets its first mention
  2. The Howard Government gets the excuse it needs to break its aviation promise
  3. Will the Howard Government keep its Aviation promises now the election is over?
  4. Removing light aircraft from the sky
  5. The Coalition's Aviation Policy 2004
  6. Labor's Aviation Policy 2004
  7. The Minister for Transport gives strong support to Airspace Reform. On 29th April 2004 the Minister, John Anderson, issued a very strong statement of support for airspace reform.
  8. Can it ever be appropriate to monitor 121.5 en route? 19th March 2004. This is question of airmanship v. talkmanship, really.
  9. A commonsense change to CAR 166 9th March 2004. AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA urges members to support this change. Other jargon for this is "NAS 2C" or "NPRM 0401AS".
  10. AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA Celebrates the Wright Brothers' Centenary, 17th December 2003 AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA is hosting an invitation-only celebration of the Wright Brothers' wonderful achievement. It takes place at Historic Wooloomanata Station, 40 miles West of Melbourne, and will be CASA-free.
  11. The Civil Aviation Amendment Bill 2003 was amended extensively before it was passed, thanks mainly to the energetic lobbying of AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA's members. Although very threatening in its original form, it was not too bad when finally passed.
  12. The Transport Safety Investigation Bill.  This will change the ATSB from a co-operative organisation to a combative and dictatorial one, like CASA, because it gives the ATSB dictatorial powers like those CASA already has. On 19th September 2002 all three Independent MPs spoke against the harsh provisions in this Bill, and moved an important amendment to eliminate one of the proposed dictatorial powers - 2 years jail for copying a draft ATSB report.. The members of AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA then flew into action with a well-organised, well-argued, loudly-voiced lobbying campaign and as a result on 24th September this important amendment was carried unanimously. But much more must be done if this Bill is not to seriously damage aviation in   Australia.    If you are willing to do your bit for aviation in Australia, call AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA on 08 8276 4600 or click here
    This Bill finally passed the Senate on 26th March 2003 but with some valuable further amendments. Nevertheless it will have a VERY bad effect on aviation because it has created a second unaccountable organisation with draconian powers to make ordinary people toe its line. It will become law on 1st July 2003
  13. The accident to Whyalla Airlines Flight 904 on 30th May 2000 (VH-MZK Piper Chieftain).
  14. Another day, another rule. On Friday 13th September 2002 the ABC carried news the news that CASA is considering compulsory in-cockpit recorders for ALL aircraft. If you don't every word you say in the cockpit recorded, now matter how private it is, here is another proposed rule we'll have to defeat. It may be better to demand the replacement of the present Minister, because it is he - not CASA - who is responsible for the introduction of new rules.
  15. Yet another change of course in the Flight Manual Fiasco   On 12th September 2002 a major amendment of the Flight Manual Requirements was introduced without any prior consultation. It's of great benefit to Aircraft Owners and Pilots - even though the Minister says it wasn't meant to be! What a farce this is.
  16.  Beware the trap with the new Flight Manual Requirements. (9th August 2002)
  17. COMPULSORY SHOULDER HARNESSES FOR PASSENGER SEATS. See www.airsafety.com.au/dp0109cs for CASA's plan and AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA's rejection of it (1st March 2002).
  18. TWO NEW AIRSPACE PROPOSALS FOR AUSTRALIA. See www.airsafety.com.au/sarg/c222sarg.htm for details of the latest announcement from the Minister for Transport. This is important if you are a member of AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA. (22nd February 2002)
  19. A HUGE WIN for AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA!  We have forced out ENFORCEABLE VOLUNTARY UNDERTAKINGS! The government has abandoned Aviation Legislation Amendment Bill (No 1) 2001 - the Bill which would have brought in Enforceable Voluntary Undertakings. Great news for Australian pilots. (5th October 2001)
  20. AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA congratulates The AUSTRALIAN ULTRALIGHT FEDERATION on a huge political step forward. The Minister has told CASA to hold fire on its proposal to require Ultra-Light training schools to obtain AOCs. The war is far from over, but the AUF has won a major battle. (5th October 2001)
  21. Results of AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA's ballot on Australia's aviation reform program Our members utterly reject the Reform program in its present form - i.e. run by CASA. (24th September 2001)
  22. AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA's second ballot got under way on 10th September 2001. It is on the question of Australia's aviation reform program, and the closing date is 16th September 2001. Only members may vote, and only one vote each is allowed. But you may vote by fax or e-mail, and you don't need any special form. I encourage all members to have your say. [The closing date was subsequently extended to 23rd September because some ballots had not gone out before the horrendous events of 11th September.]
  23. Yet another proposal for a new aircraft registration system. This is change for the sake of change, pure and simple. The proposal is called CASR Part 47 and appeared on 24th August 2001.
  24. AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA's first ballot has been counted. Our members decisively reject AOPA's proposal to introduce no-fault liability for aircraft owners.
  25. AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA's first ballot is under way. It is on the question of compulsory no-fault insurance, and the closing date is 21st June 2001. Only members may vote, and only one vote each is allowed. But you may vote by fax or e-mail, and you don't need any special form. I encourage all members to have your say.
  26. Matthew Heneker has joined AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA as our Research Assistant. Welcome, Matthew!
  27. AIR SAFETY AUSTRALIA has been formed on 15th April 2001 to provide political representation for Australian pilots. Boyd Munro is at the head, and has been joined by Jim Dawson as Research Officer. Our offices are at PO Box 172, Unley, South Australia 5061, phone 08 8276 4600, fax 08 8276 4666.  Click here for more information.
  28. Proposal for COMPULSORY no-fault third-party insurance for all private aircraft in Australia.
  29. ENFORCEABLE VOLUNTARY UNDERTAKINGS - Another legislative assault on Australian pilots The Aviation Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2000 passed the House of Representatives on 8th February. This is a serious assault on aviation safety in Australia, and on Australian pilots. It introduces Enforceable Voluntary Undertakings (EVUs), which will allow CASA to create designer law in secret.  And it perpetuates 2-year jail terms for pure paperwork offences.
  30. A GREAT WIN FOR THE FAX BRIGADE AND OTHERS The new Aircraft Registration requirements were disallowed in Parliament on Wednesday 8th November 2000, thanks to the efforts of the Fax Brigade and others. This shows we live in a working democracy and we don't have to roll over and cop nonsense like that which CASA proposed.
  31. Aircraft Registration - unless you are prepared to accept the consequences, don't ... transfer your registration to anybody else..
  32. Click here for GOOD NEWS and REAL HELP from Cessna for Cessna owners. Cessna has provided a lot of valuable and understandable information.
  33. Click here to read about CAAP 54-1. The Flight Manual you HAD to use on 15th August 1999 will become illegal on 16th August 2000.
  34. The crash looks very different from the cockpit. From The Sunday Times of London, 25th June 2000.
  35. AVGAS CONTAMINATION - THE LONG-TERM ISSUES. In the early part of the year 2000, Australia suffered a serious problem with avgas contamination. This problem raised some important issues which were completely overlooked. See Boyd Munro's e-mail of 10th January 2000 on this subject.
  36. THE END OF AVIATION REFORM IN AUSTRALIA.  On 4th November 1999 the Minister for Transport, John Anderson, announced the end of aviation reform in Australia.  The ABC reported "The Minister has told a conference in Canberra there will be no major overhaul of CASA.  He says Air Services Australia won't be privatised." This is a monument to the failure of Australian pilots' representative organisations.
  37. AVGAS TAX INCREASED BY 1999 BUDGET. The increase announced on 12th May 1999 was only 1 cent per litre, but it followed three consecutive reductions in 1995, 1996 and 1998. The tide has turned. The Minister's Press Release says "The Government will immediately increase the duties on aviation turbine fuel and aviation gasoline to 2.71 cents per litre". Refer to Meeting between AOPA and the Minister for Transport to understand why we are getting such a string of unpleasant surprises from the Minister.
  38. Dick Smith has been forced out of the chairmanship of CASA - Copy of fax out from Boyd Munro on 22nd March 1999.
  39. SEARCH this site.
  40. CASA's "Show Cause" notices.
  41. Senate hearing of 8th February 1999. Dick Smith alleges that Ansett is exerting undue influence on aviation safety decisions.
  42. Same Minister, same department! - but what a different approach to safety regulation. The Transport Minister's Press release of 7th February 1999 announcing a new road safety enforcement policy. It's fair, it's predictable, it's graduated - and therefore it will be effective. The Road Safety policy does not deprive truckies of their right to a fair trial. What it does do, though, is say very clearly that if you persistently break the law you will certainly be penalised. It does not give unfettered power to the truck police to shut down trucking companies or cancel truck-drivers' licenses.  The road safety enforcement policy is fair and it is predictable.  CASA's aviation policy is unfair and unpredictable.

    Why, in the light of the Skehill report, doesn't the Minister apply the same principles of fair, predictable, graduated enforcement to aviation safety? In my opinion, it is because he dares not control his own staff. CASA's method of enforcement is unfair, unpredictable, and is not graduated - it is "all or nothing". It is also unsuccessful if success is to be judged by results. But if success is to be judged by the number of jobs created for bureaucrats, CASA's system is spectacularly successful. You only have to read the Skehill report to learn just how many bureaucrats can spend how much time achieving nothing!

 

  


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