Acting CASA DAS Shane Carmody touched-off a bit of gunpowder in the senate this week when he told NXT's Nick Xenophon that he didn't think the cost of ADS-B technology would decrease after the US mandate deadline in 2020. That volume efficiencies would reduce costs has been the bulwark reason why sections of the Australian aviation community
have been lobbying ferociously to have the Australian deadline pushed out past the US one. Although we'd probably rather chew on a bucket of nails that be forced to admit it, Mr Carmody could be right. The noise coming out of the US is that ADS-B unit prices have hit the bottom of the curve now, and are likely to plateau from here on. If they're right, then moving the mandate deadline won't deliver cheaper ADS-B to Australian aircraft owners. AOPA Australia in particular has a different opinion, steadfastly maintaining a case for a deadline after the US one, based on the fear that installation prices will go up if the Australian deadline remains in place. Who's right? We'll tell you in 2022.
AOPA has also started a campaign to tackle First State Super over the existing conditions at Bankstown. First State and Altis Property Partners bought the lease for both Bankstown and Camden in December, and clearly AOPA sees this as an opportunity to improve general aviation's position within the airport. Just about every attempt to talk aviation sense into the previous lease owners Mirvac and Colonial First State failed, and this is no small mountain AOPA is looking to climb. The case put forward hinges on AOPA collaborating with First State on better business practices, something First State and partner Altis Property Partners might feel they don't need any help with. It is, however, one point of approach, and far better than AOPA sitting down and watching the world crumble around them.
The burning sensation felt by too many Samsung Galaxy Notebook 7 owners as their device burst into flame has prompted CASA to ban people taking them on planes. Yes, that means us! General aviation is included in that ban, so you'll have to re-think if your plans included taking your phone with you.
The Bureau of Meteorology is changing the way low-level ARFORs (area forcasts), SIGMETs and AIRMETs are presented. From 10 November, you may start to see some things that look a bit unfamiliar on your usual WX forecasts. To prevent confusion, check out the explanations on the BOM website.
2016's Red Bull Air Race season came to a whimpering end in Las Vegas last weekend, as high winds put paid to any chance of big finish to the year. Matt Hall never got to the grid; the MXS-R suffering a failure in one wing that put the safety of the plane in question. Consequently, the Australian had to watch as his rivals struggled with 30+ knot winds that scuppered the race day program and ruined any chance Nigel Lamb had of entering retirement on a high note. The year saw Matthias Dolderer win his first championship, but also saw the tragic death of Hannes Arch in a helicopter crash. Hall scored two race wins, but was dogged by a bad back in some races, and was simply off the pace in others. Some race experts have already penciled in Hall for next year's title, but as 2016 showed, anything can happen.
May your gauges always be in the green,
Hitch