Before getting into this week's news, I would like to acknowledge the sacrifice made by Australia's aviators who died in the service of their country in every war and conflict since 1914. They will never be forgotten. It's timely also, to recognise the efforts of all those who have flown in the Australian Defence Force, and those who continue to fly today. Their contribution to the security of Australia and the advancement of aviation is significant.
If there is one phrase that could be used to sum up the KPMG report into the Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) it would be "move along ... nothing to see here." Other than some administrative tweaks and the recommendation of a national representative for the RAPACs, the report has not uncovered any earth-shattering defects in structure or operation. It has completely managed to side-step any controversy, surprising given that former Minister Warren Truss included the requirement to review in his last Statement of Expectations presented to CASA. I would have thought that there was some trigger that prompted Truss to include that, so have to wonder if the trigger has been addressed in this report. For example, did KPMG consider how the OAR deals with undue pressure from the Airspace Change Proponent, especially when the proponent may stand to make commercial gains from the change. Anyway, CASA will be happy to be dealing with a review that has come up a lovely shade of beige instead of the usual fire-engine red.
AMROBA's Ken Cannane makes an excellent point about the impending GA study: it's a waste of time unless action results from it. I have no doubt that BITRE will weavil into the economic intricacies of the industry and present the department with a glory box of numbers, charts, statistics and trend lines. That's OK, and to be expected of a bureaucracy, but for general aviation it's paramount that the department is able to interpret those numbers and blend them in with feedback from the industry itself to recognise the issues and act. But this time, we need real action, not White-Paper-style action where "do-nothing" seemed to be the government's default preferred option.
What a big weekend there is coming up in aviation! On Saturday night the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame (AAHOF) holds the 2016 induction ceremony. This year, the function is at the Temora Aviation Museum, a very appropriate setting given the town's aviation heritage and that TAM itself won the AAHOF's Southern Cross Award for its contribution to aviation in 2015. This year's inductees represent some of the great pioneers of civil aviation in Australia, in particular the airline industry. Alongside them will be a true giant of the industry: the late Mac Job. Mac deserves to be the first aviation writer inducted into AAHOF; his contribution to aviation safety is profound and his career marked him as one of the most respected people in aviation.
And on Sunday, it's FunFlight Day! Having done several of these myself over the years, I can guarantee you that it is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do with your pilot's licence. Having a stream of happy, smiling kids flowing through the back seat of your aeroplane will light up your day as much as it will theirs. Some of these children don't have as much light in their lives as we all wished they had, so anything we can do it brighten their smiles is well worth it. If you've never done FunFlight, think about it; you'll always be pleased you did.
May your gauges always be in the green,
Hitch