CASA is very happy with the quality of feedback coming from the industry over Part 61, calling much of it constructive. The call for input also raised the hackles of some parts of the aviation community who have feedback fatigue and now want to see action. That is largely to be expected; in the past a lot of time has been spent formulating input only to get the creaking sound of crickets back from Canberra, or worse, a tome that not only ignores the input but tells the industry it wanted the tripe served up (think White Paper). I look at the issue another way: this is not, and never will be, an end-game. Even if we get a complete culture change and a regulator to be proud of, we are always going to have to work to keep it. Governments change, board members change, Directors of Aviation Safety change, and so do policies and procedures. We need to make sure we are always there whenever they turn their heads.
That being said, the hard work of the aviation community thus far does deserve some reward in the form of action.
Cessna's mighty C182 is back! Persistent delays to the diesel JT-A Skylane have cost the company quite a bit in the way of deliveries over the past two years. Confident of the SMA engine, the company re-tooled the Kansas plant, which meant customers couldn't get the venerable avgas model anymore. Then came the engine failure with the JT-A prototype and there's been little good news on the subject since. Under the circumstances, it makes sense for Cessna to revive the C182T; they have to have something to sell to customers and the tardiness of the JT-A left a huge hole in their product offering.
Matt Hall: second again at a Red Bull Air Race for the second time this season. His performance in Chiba was slightly down on what he would consider his best, but the improvement in the team and the aeroplane over last year is becoming evident. The series is now off to Rovinj in Croatia on 31 May. Last year Hall finished seventh after the wind sprung up and he clipped a pylon. This time, with the metaphorical wind at his back, he'll be hoping for a much better result.
There is only a bit over a month before nominations for the Wings Awards close. That's plenty of time to polish your submission to ensure the maximum chance of winning, but if you haven't started yet, now is the time to get your skates on. Last year, some very worthy people missed out because the nomination was done at the last minute and was simply not enough for the judges to evaluate properly.
May your gauges always be in the green,
Hitch