– Steve Hitchen
LMH is a bit late getting away this year; by this time most years we would have had three out by now. The delay has been due to suspending the website news service whilst your editor took R&R weeks. This year is going to be a big one and I needed to start out with my batteries at 100%. If things go according to workplan, this year will deliver general aviation reforms in the medical system to finally eliminate the onerous medical examination for most PPLs (due Q2), a proposal to admit RPC holders into CTA (Q1), a new Part 103 Manual of Standards (Q3), and reforms to the maintenance licencing system for light aircraft (Q4). If it all gets done, we'll have a different GA landscape by the end of this year. This is a pile of work, and more will be heaped on CASA before the start of 2024. Let's hope they can deliver on the promises. Above and beyond the workplan is the ALP's plan for another white paper. Although we need this like we need a 40-knot headwind, we really don't have any option but to play their game once they bounce the ball. The general consensus is that a white paper will reveal nothing the government doesn't already know, which is frustrating to the entire industry. But that's politics; once a government announces a policy that no-one asked for you're guaranteed to get it.
Announcing the CASA Wings Awards is one of the most satisfying things we get to do every year; it enables us to formally recognise significant and ongoing contributions to GA in this country. This week we released the names of the 2022 winners and, as with every year, accolades from the industry followed. Those accolades are important because they let the judging team know they've got it right. The Col Pay Award can be particularly difficult to assess. An industry as critical as GA needs a lot of dedication to thrive, which means there are many people out there that would qualify for a Col Pay. There is only one awarded every year, which means that many worthy people missed out. However, if the nominations are compelling enough, it becomes a perpetual nomination. Time does not extinguish the value of the contribution. In 2023, we are looking forward to receiving more quality submissions from the industry. Before we move on, just a clarification. CASA is the key supporter of the Wings Awards, but the award is actually made by the Australian Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and Australian Flying. CASA has no members on the judging panel, but does get the privilege of notifying the winners and presenting the awards. It's a happy arrangement for all. Congratulations to all the winners of the 2022 CASA Wings Awards.
It is very pleasing to see that COVID could not deep-six FunFlight. It came very close, but the aviation charity is back with a big milestone to celebrate. At Tyabb on 11 February, FunFlight will fly its 15,000 passenger in its 15th year of operation. This is a mighty achievement for a last-minute a course project that got very big very quickly. We shouldn't really be surprised; Australia's PPLs are one of the great ignored resources this country has, and the opportunity to fly for the good of the community proved too good to let slip. Pilots and aircraft owners came in droves and they still do. But it's an expensive operation and the cost is shouldered largely by the pilots, so the more that sign-up the more the workload and cost can be spread out. If you qualify and what to be a part of a great movement, get yourself to FunFlight.org and register yourself as a Captain ASAP. They are paticularly chasing aircraft owners that have something large enough to cope with a wheelchair. At the moment the Tyabb event is the only one scheduled, but this year aero clubs have the flexibility to choose their own dates, so expect the calendar to grow from here.
With Round 3 of the Regional Airports Program (RAP) now settled, it seems the Federal Government's coffers are now bare. When the Coalition government announced the RAP in 2019-20, they committed $100 million over four years. Now, after three years, the RAP has shelled out a total of $98.7 million. That has bought a lot of upgrades to a lot of airports around Australia, and we'd be in much more dilapidated state had the money not been available. But what happens now? Regional airports cost money to run, and too often that cost burden is carried by a municipal council that sees an airport as a liability rather than an asset. Upgrades funding is good, but it can't pay the regular cost of maintaining an airport in acceptable condition. Perhaps what is needed is a partnership agreement with regional airport owners similar to the much-trumpted city deals. The Federal Government divested itself of the regional airports many years ago, but they are such critical infrastructure that airports can be secured only by the government re-investing itself by sharing the cost burden. We may find proposals of such theme in the submissions to the white paper, but don't expect them to be warmly welcomed in Canberra.
During my absence, the March-April edition of Australian Flying was left in the capable and creative hands of Kreisha Ballantyne. Consquently, you can expect a magazine that is certainly not more of the same, but rather the expected information and entertainment presented with a distinctly different style. Kreisha has done a stirling job as have all the artists and contributors who supported her whilst I lazed around in Tasmania. Thanks to all those contributors and the team at Yaffa Media for helping Kreisha keep up a good standard for the readers and customers, and enabling me to step away for a few weeks.
May your gauges always be in the green,
Hitch