– Steve Hitchen
Every year at around this time, one of my tasks is to sift through the Australia Day Honours List to separate those who have been honoured for their contribution to aviation. This is then used as a basis for a News story. This year I went through all 653 awards in civil categories and found that not one person was recognised specifically for their contribution to civil aviation. There may be some aviators who were gonged for other contributions, but not for aviation. That's a sad a perplexing state of affairs. No community as strong as aviation can thrive without significant contributions from key people. People are out there getting it done, but the problem is that they are not being nominated for their work. Putting together a submission for an AO or an OAM is, admittedly, a lot of work that tends to generate enough paperwork to fell a state forest, if you do it right. But that effort is generally nothing compared to the amount of energy the nominees put into aviation, from which we all benefit. Surely, we can return a bit of that by making sure these people are properly recognised. Nominations are open all year round, and it would be good if the aviation community could roll up there sleeves and make sure I have something to write about on the King's Birthday in June.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security is in the throes of reviewing the Transport Security Amendment (Security of Australia’s Transport Sector) Bill 2024. This is a bill that is still before parliament, but the review is all about making sure the security regulations are appropriate and updated. And, that they are risk-based. That caught my eye when I read that: risk-based. One of those security regulations is the demand for Aviation Security Identification Cards (ASIC) for general aviation aircrew when using airports that have regular public transport. If the regulations are genuinely risk-based, then it follows that the Federal Government believes that general aviation pilots are a risk to aviation security, and furthermore, that they have to be background checked every two years or aviation security is at risk. Really, it doesn't take long for that logic to whither and die under the searing rays of scrutiny. If general aviation pilots were a risk to aviation security then the government would be plagued with incidents and it would be all over the news. It's not. You see, the ASIC doesn't stop qualified pilots from carrying out any form of terrorism; it's the pilots themselves that do that. And the fact that nothing is happening is proof positive that ASICs are not needed, just as they aren't required in just about every other country in the world. The parliamentary committee is taking submissions right now. Perhaps we need to open our mouths.
Bristell Aircraft is putting their best wing forward, anticipating the impact of MOSAIC on the LSA community. Known best for their UL and LSA designs, Bristell is also developing 160-hp Rotax and Turbotech turbine versions in the USA, where MOSAIC will come to fruition first. The finer points of the MOSAIC standard, which will revolutionise the definition of LSA, are not yet known, but manufacturers do know enough to be sure of some designs. The MTOW limit will be removed and engines other than pistons are likely to be permitted. This is enough of a catalyst for several manufacturers to start churning out the first designs to be made in the image of MOSAIC. Interestingly, nearly all those who have jumped the gun are current LSA builders; not much has been heard from the traditional GA companies. A couple of GA stalwarts have dabbled in the LSA market before, but got mud on their hands and didn't like it. Those companies are turning out FAR 23 designs that have roots going back to when Bill Haley had Comets. Many of those designs are likely to squeeze into the new LSA standard, handing the manufacturers a "do nothing" option. However, they may find themselves struggling to stay in lock-step with the current crop of ambitious LSA builders who, thanks to MOSAIC, will be able to take advantage of new technology in designs.
May your gauges always be in the green,
Hitch