Smoke, Mirrors & Lost Opportunity
It’s 9:00am Wednesday morning and I open my email inbox to find the ‘Sydney Metro Flyer’ newsletter from Bankstown Airport Limited. Taking 2 minutes to read through it, you quickly discover why Kim Ellis, Bankstown Airport Limited CEO has earned the reputation that he has.
Following on from our feature interview with Clamback and Hennessy, I made a call requesting an over the phone interview with Kim Ellis. Conversing with Kim, it does not take long to realize that he is very talented at spin. Responding to my questions in a calm, polite and controlled manner, he displayed the strict discipline of answering questions, whilst not answering them at all (an interview technique more akin to an experienced federal politician).
I presented many questions to Kim with topics ranging from Clamback & Hennessy to the operation and promotion of Bankstown Airport – as an airport.
Kim’s clearly proud of how hard his team have worked in marketing, promoting and managing Bankstown Airport as an aviation hub. He reflected on their fine efforts of strategic advertising for pilot training (signs on local Bankstown buses), the erection of flagpoles on the airport main road (promoting Bankstown airport limited) and the establishment of an aviation careers day that attracts 600 high schools students.
What Kim will not talk about however, is the growing decent and anger between the aviation airport businesses and Bankstown Airport Limited. According to Kim, the airport and aviation businesses are thriving. Enjoying a 5 year high in aircraft activities and the abundant business environment that Bankstown Airport Limited has created since privatization.
However, you only need to walk around the aerodrome and you can see for yourself that things just don’t look that busy.
A tenant on the aerodrome lamented that prior to the privatization of Bankstown airport over 1,000 aircraft used Bankstown as their base of operations. Today you would be lucky to find 300. I questioned Kim about this very fact, interested to learn where over 700 aircraft had gone.
Quite to my amazement informed me that the aircraft were now inside hangars where you could not see them, denying that there had been a large reduction in aircraft numbers.
Is this guy serious? Is he joking?
If you do a little digging and some homework its easy to discover that aircraft parking charges post privatization have increased – astronomically. Private hangar space has become premium real estate to aircraft owners – a safe haven from charges and fees. And, if you are unable to secure this valued private hangar space, you need get your chequebook out. Parking fees for light aircraft can be as much as $20,000 per annum – payable to Bankstown Airport Limited – Thank you.
As for the missing 700 aircraft – I believe there is no mystery here – they left to avoid the outrageous financial punishment now imposed on aircraft owners and operators by the new private airport operator.
Going back to the Sydney Metro Flyer (Bankstown Airport Limited Aviation Newsletter) Kim Ellis notes that a journalist (me) had asked what Bankstown Airport Limited had done for aviation since it took over the operations. Kim has provided 8 bullet points of things that he believes Bankstown Airport Limited has achieved for aviation in the past 3 years.
It makes for entertaining reading.
What Kim has failed to detail on his impressive list, however, are the real activities Bankstown Airport Limited have engaged in, since privatization. I thought I would share several of them with you some of the real activities;
Closure of Sydney’s Hoxton Park Airport. Remember this great airport? Hoxton Park’s closure has been for the sole purpose of subdividing and selling as a land package. It is estimated to net the property development shareholders of Bankstown Airport Limited some $200 million for its sale. Interestingly, the federal government sought fit to release Hoxton Park from Commonwealth title as a sweetener. Having only spent around $200 million for the purchase of all three airports, Bankstown Airport Limited now looks set to recover its entire investment with the sale of Hoxton.
Closure of Bankstown Airport’s Cross-Runway. Bankstown Airport has a long-standing heritage as one of Australia’s greatest training aerodromes. The principal reason for this is because Bankstown Airport provided runways that were suited to operations on calm and very windy days. With the cross runway, Bankstown airport users were provided a safe alternate in case the famous Sydney southerly’ blew in. Not anymore. Bankstown Airport Limited in it’s pursuit to build Bankstown Airport as one of Australia’s greatest aviation facilities, completed the teardown of the cross runway. Now you can find an incredible non-aviation industrial/commercial subdivision. Another superb Bankstown Airport Limited initiative in promoting and building aviation for the Sydney basin.
Increased aircraft handling charges. Astronomic increases in aircraft handling and parking charges at Bankstown Airport have resulted in a mass exodus of aircraft owners and operators from Bankstown Airport. Less aircraft means less revenue for the airport operator. Less aircraft means less opportunity for aviation businesses. Less aviation businesses means no need for aviation related real estate. You do not need to be a Rhodes scholar to work this one out. Why would a private airport operator, who’s shareholders are made up of property development companies, want less people on the aerodrome? Can anyone help me on this?
Increased building leases. Since privatization rents at Bankstown Airport have increased by as much as 300% if not more. Why? According to Kim Ellis tenants at Bankstown Airport are now paying commercial rents, and the “peppercorn subsidization” of the federal government has finished. Because, let’s face it. If you were trying to build your airport as an aviation hub, the first thing you would do, is jack up the rents and force many of the businesses to leave – right? Clearly promoting aviation business and growth at Bankstown Airport.
If Kim’s impressive list of promotional activities were not enough to convince you that Bankstown Airport Limited are doing everything possible to build and promote aviation at Bankstown Airport, lets take a look at the remainder of his newsletter.
Titled ‘Supporting Bankstown Airport Businesses’ is a great article on ‘Pro Auto & Marine’. Promoting an automotive and marine service centre. That’s right, cars and boats at Australia’s premier aviation training aerodrome.
Titled ‘Hangar in Top Gear’ is an article on how an ‘empty aviation hangar’, on an airfield where its almost impossible to obtain a hangar lease is being rented to film crews to film a tv show.
Titled ‘Sydney to Hobart Triple Champion’ is an article on how another ‘empty hangar’ is being used to store Sydney to Hobart race yachts.
From what I can see with my own eyes, there has been very little done by Bankstown Airport Limited to promote Bankstown Airport – As an airport.
There has been an incredible amount done in the quest for land development and non-aviation industrial/commercialization of the airport precinct.
I will leave it to you, to draw your own conclusions as to whether Bankstown Airport Limited is promoting aviation or non-aviation land development.
End.
Here here Ben, once again you have hit the nail on the head. The only thing I disagree with is there were actually 1500 aircraft based permanently on this airport prior to privatisation. This figure was given to us by a former BAL employee.
The short-term occupation of Bankstown AIRCRAFT hangars by non-aviation industries (like TV shows and racing yachts) is an indicator of the aviation industry being unable to afford the artificially inflated prices foisted upon our industry.
I sincerely hope that during the current recession:
1. The value of commercial land drops in the Sydney Basin, and
2. As rental properties become abundant, with attendant decreases in rental returns
………..that BAL will approach each tennat’s biennial rental review in a realistic fashion.
Hardly likely!
This airport is alledgedy owned by the taxpayers of Australia and the Government has wontonly agreed to its destrcution by virtue of not putting enough guidelines and restrcitions into the Head Lease agreement, which incidentally is an interesting read.The airport has been put asunder over the longterm. With the destruction of run-up bays, taxiways and runways that means they will never come back. Pre-privatisation the new airport management started the destrcution by separating the airside and non airside so that it was a requirement for both sides of the fence to make a profit. This was called proper business pracitices. Proper business practice also meant divide and conquer and above all do not communicate in any meaningful manner with anything other than a charge for this and a charge for that. With the approval of the 20 year plan the leaders came to Clamback & Hennessy in person and said ‘Sorry to tell you but Tower Road is now zoned for a business park and when your lease runs out you will have to leave”.. No letter, no warning, no buyout, no offer of compensation, nothing. Just ‘you will have to go’. End of interview. Then along came the present Minor Variation whereby Tower Road is requested to go back to aviation usage. Aren’t we lucky we were told at a meeting last year, if it is approved you can stay. Oh yes and at what cost. Take the hangar that you owned and rent the hangar and the land back to you at up to three times the present rent. This of course at the beginning of a recession. They continually talk about commercial rents outside the airport. Well outside in the real rents go up and down. Not here at Banstown Airport. The real world does not require large spaces for running up cars, taxiing cars and taking off cars. In the real world cars have lanes going in either direction. Now at Bankstown airport much of the paralell taxiways have been destroyed and you are now in for a head-on, or move to the grass and get bogged, or stop and get towed! Due to the building of the new business park, fences have been especially built to trap any young player who might come adrift from time to time – the aircraft going for an unexpected romp off the ruwway. Before you just had a bashed up ego, now you can get killed by winding up in the fence. I wonder what will happen when the first aircraft crashes into the proposed new business park. I would have thought that the business park would be a Health and Occupational hazard. And so it goes on. Pilots are on the endangered speicies list for immigration these days – I wonder why? Is the destruction of aviation businesses and the loss of skilled pilots and instructors a contributing factor? Hoxton Park going on 15 December – Sydney a vast international city, where do people go to do business flying and training now. Looks like Wagga, Bathurst, Merimbula, Moruya, Goulburn, Narromine, Taree – where-ever et al are the places to go. The saddest part of all which is a reflection on the style of people that BAL employ is that when they actually have a public meeting the property managers and their cohorts sit in their chairs at the front of the meeting half turned towards the audience behind them and snigger and laugh at your plight. Yes I say again snigger and laugh at your plight. What more can one say – 1967 – 2008 – dollar value of one’s lifes work = ? Cup of coffee and raisin toast on the airport is $7.00 or there abouts, Bankstown $4.60
Another great article, well done.
I can only hope that the companies involved in the consortium that own BAL find themselves in real financial trouble due to the economic crisis, not only will they get a taste of what its like to be put under financial pressure and feel somewhat helpless, but they might have to sell the airport back to the Government or someone that actually wants the airport businesses to thrive (wishful thinking I know).
I would like to remind the people in these companies that they will all grow old, maybe at the moment they believe they are invincible, but they will all be leveled. Have they thought that they and their friends are not dependant on aviation for their own health?
Once GA is disbanded through impost, the flow-on will affect all aviation services: Air Ambulance, RFDS, Angel Flight, maintenance, training, even air-traffic control, and ultimately the ability for this country to provide safe National and Internation Regular Public Transport by air.
The flow-on effects will then progressively affect other industry, and the well being of our country as a whole, with the degradation in trade and tourism.
Other than exporting our mineral wealth, our financial services, and our land – what else will we as a country own and what else will we be able to do for ourselves? Please reverse the privatisation of essential infra-structure, or alternatively why not just feather your nest-eggs further by selling off all our roads and railway tracks as well?
Federal government has the ability to resume land, I would like to suggest that they give this very serious consideration., re-acquire airports and re-establish the original land use.
SHAME Kim Ellis, SHAME. You and your property developing and investment banking cronies are working hard to destroy an industry in which Australia has been a pioneer for well over a century. Why on earth did you purchase an airport asset in the first place if (as your actions have clearly demonstrated) you did not do so with the intention of operating it in the long term for the purpose for which it was intended?
Since you and your cronies have taken posession of Bankstown airport, we have seen the loss of one runway, the closure of the bi-directional taxyways (which presents a serious operational hazard — not sure how you got the “safety case” for that one approved; or if you even prepared one!), and (most concerningly of all) the systematic re-purposing of aviation assets (i.e. airport land) for non-aviation uses (i.e. more “Bunnings-style” stores .. yes, oh yes, that’s what Sydney really needs right now!)
Furthermore, as a monopolist owner and operator you have gained a strangle-hold over all three GA airports (soon to be 2, as Hoxton Park is to be sold for … you guessed it … property development!) in the Sydney basin. The ACCC has been truly asleep at the wheel to have allowed this situation to come to pass. They have failed in their duty to ensure that competition is maintained in the aviation marketplace. Shame on them.
All I can do Kim is to encourage you (and BAL) to continue on your merry way — every further anti-competitive or unconscionable step that you take from here will further intensify the media exposure that you will face, and the demands for the Federal government to intervene by stripping you of your operating lease, or forcing the divestment of one or more of your airports. I can only hope that this comes to pass before you destroy what is left of GA in this state.
It’s 12 years now since I walked out of general aviation without a backward glance – life’s work a shambles. Since then, I have made every effort to put flying behind me – telling myself that GA is a mug’s game, and trying to work out why so many dedicated/ talented/ idealistic mugs (myself included) persist in following it – if not physically, then at least in spirit. Why DO we continue to hold that flame high, making so many sacrifices on its behalf, when the only real beneficiaries end up being pathetic, mean-spirited, deviously cunning people like the BAL???
There is a lot more to it than just this Bankstown issue.
We’re actually seeing in practice the same process that has occurred over generations in so many countries, whereby “the people” are (slowly but surely) progressively swindled out of their land, possessions and ultimately, livelihood, by a greedy “aristocracy” – or whatever name the perpetrators go by at the relevant place/ time. And they win because people like us whinge about them to each other and publicise their unjust/ unreasonable/ unethical methods – but take no EFFECTIVE action to put a stop to it. How about trying this?? (Don’t know if it would work; just putting it up as a possible effective line of attack).
They hide behind the Law. So the Law should be the way to overcome them. But if the Law is in cahoots with the “plunderers” in any country, then it needs to be forced into line by the International Courts.
The only alternatives to the Rule of Law are fair and reasonable mediation, or open warfare. Fair and reasonable mediation has failed to deliver justice. So has the Law. It’s time to go international.
Why not start with the Royal NSW Aero Club (or current members/ “should-be” inheritors) demanding its 5 acres at Mascot back? Or compensation for being swindled out of it?? Or royalties for its ongoing use as an airport terminal area?? That would be a good start. The Aero Club’s accumulated debts were comprised of sky-high rentals to the FAC instead of the “peppercorn rental in perpetuity” promised in writing by the Federal Govt. at the time of the Mascot-for-Bankstown land-swap. These debts would have been chicken feed compared to the income its 5 acres at Mascot could have generated (if it had not been fair and reasonable in its dealings with the Federal Government, that is!!)
The New Zealanders are honouring the Waitangi Treaty. Why couldn’t the Federal Govt. have honoured the provisions of the legal document signed by authorised Govt. and Aero Club representatives? The wiki and Mabo legislations should also have some relevance for the “should-be” inheritors of the Aero Club (defunct or not). It’s not as if an Aero Club is quite the same thing as any other incorporated body. It’s made up of its members – past, present AND FUTURE. And everyone on Bankstown should have been a member. And the Aero Club is/was no ordinary aero club; it has/had a long and proud history intrinsically linked to the development of Aviation itself. Only to be “done like a dinner” by the Government and the FAC. THAT deserves legal revenge action in itself – even if only to provide the Bankstown aviation community with the wherewithall to start again somewhere else – on freehold land.
I hope somebody out there has enough legal know-how to be able to turn their own weapon back on these parasites, and spearhead some effective legal action.
Moorabbin airport is going the same way. After some 40 years in GA it is sad to see our industry in such a poor state. I feel very sorry for Aminta and all the other operators who are in the same boat.
Our only hope is to make the case to our parliamentary representatives. We need also to free up the rules regarding the businesses of instructing and maintenance. In the States some 70% of pilots are trained by individual instructors who do not need to have the huge and expensive impost of applying for and then maintaining an air operators certificate. Maintenance organisations do not require FAA approval either.
Copy of part of a typical Fixed Base Operator agreement herewith. Model Minimum Standards
for Fixed Base Operators (FBO) (courtesy Ken Cannane of AMROBA)
“I. Services and Requirements
A. An FBO [ARB] is authorized to offer or perform any or all of the following services or functions for the public. The guidelines for each service or function are listed.
1. Airframe or power plant repair [maintenance]: Sufficient hangar space, FAA certified mechanic [LAME] on duty, paved outside parking area for aircraft, and paved access to the runway-taxiway system (if connecting runway or taxiway is paved).
2. Fueling: Avgas and jet fuel storage tanks (tanks must be State approved and registered if required), fuel delivery by means of pumps and/or trucks, trained and qualified fueling technician, plan of action in case of a massive fuel spill, and at least the minimum number of working fire extinguishers and bonding cables as recommended in the latest edition of the National Fire Protection Association booklet, Manual 407 – “Standard for Aircraft Fuel Servicing, 2001 edition,” (or as revised) published by the National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy MA 02269-9101, 800-344-3555. Fuel pumps and trucks must meet all applicable local and State codes and be approved for use by the local fire marshal.
3. Line service: Properly trained personnel [LAME]; ropes, chains, or other restraining devices and wheel chocks for each tie down position.
4. Aircraft sales and/or rental: Sufficient office space, aircraft display area, telephone, and aircraft inventory.
5. Flight instruction: Trained and certified instructor, classroom, telephone and restrooms, and aircraft available for instruction.
6. Avionics: Shop area, office space with telephone and restrooms, and trained and certified personnel on duty.”
…..and so on. How simple and practical. If our experienced instructors and maintenance engineers were allowed to practice wherever they liked with some freedom we would have a resurgence in GA, similar to the great work by RA Aus and the low weight category in general. The ACCC should look into our industry more closely, but in the end it is only our representatives who can make the necessarychanges.
G’day Ben
Great Job!
Anthony Albanese is a Labor party apparatchek and has always been so. Was (is) a foul mouthed union brawler and one from the ‘Hard-left faction’, this faction is in the minority of the Rudd Government. But he, or at least his faction, was gifted this portfolio (a blue-collar in an Armani suit). He’s not our man for this, in spite of his title. He is already a sworn enemy of free enterprise and liberty. So don’t be too disappointed, you’ve still done great.
This is a national issue, not just local. It’s about jobs and infrastructure and the time couldn’t be better to do something on a nationally coodinated basis.
JOBS. I figure there are fifty thousand jobs involved in GA nationally, both directly and indirectly. Yes there are the flight schools and associated businesses, but there are too, many ‘working families’ depending on GA aiports from owners of sandwich shops, and petrol stations and in turn their suppliers and so on it goes. If an assistance package needs to be given to the automotive industry on the basis of jobs then there’s a discussion to be had – both in Canberra and better still, in the media.
INFRASTRUCTURE. When comments are made about infrastructure, airports are conspicuous because remarkably, they are not mentioned. If there is an infrastructure fund then GA needs to (a) get in line with a solid and persuasive argument and (b) ensure any aviation infrastructure funding is not hijacked by Qantas’ self-interest.
This will require some work.
I have to say the silence is deafening from the likes of AOPA, ABAA, RAAA and other so-called industry groups. When compared to their counterparts in the US, they seem to me positively anaemic. Maybe they don’t have the stomach to fight for what they believe in. I could be wrong. I hope I am.
There are enough brains in our industry to get this job done. (there are over 7,000 owners of non airline aircraft alone!). If we are to win then we will need the following. The Canberra lobbyist, The Publicist, Advertising and marketing guru, a fundraining-finance specialist and probably a few more.
We also have some unlikely allies such as some local government thoroughout Australia, all of whom are wondering what happened to their aircraft tenants and visitors but who are stuck with maintaining ageing infrastructure.
If you want to give me a call we can get together, I’m sure there are many people who would want to be involved, we just need to invoke that courage and passion that the early aviators had harness that talent and intelligence that Carmel spoke so well about.
But it’s a national issue, with one national agenda, not a series of voices in the wilderness.
Best regards,
Simon Mathews
General Aviation is a very broad term and covers the entire fleet of aircraft and operators from the Cessna 150 in a training school to the large 4 engine turbo-prop freightliner. If you like, you can break this into a number of groups and I will use the metaphor of ‘the small end of town’ and ‘the large end of town’. The photo of Kim Ellis clearly shows where his interests lie, and it’s not with ‘the small end of town’. Now if Kevin’s publicity department had been involved Kim might have been seated amongst a group of students reading to them from the AIP. Lets face it, Kim’s often stated intention (in the flier for one) is to turn Bankstown Airport into a RPT passenger and freight terminal, period. He has no interest in the (timetable) disruptive practice of training aircraft doing circuits or arriving and departing at random times.
We (the small end of town) have been sold up the creek without a paddle and unfortunately the wider Aviation Industry and the public will be the looser as training is diminished. I have to agree with Carmel Piccolo that the public are being slowly swindled out of their inheritance in the name of free enterprise. The Government originally was seen to be a “public servant” and they made decisions (law) to benefit their constituents (the public). Today, politicians seem to do everything they can to distance themselves from any responsibility and they palm off all decision making to “Commercial Interests”. And they have a real interest in looking after the public interest….not.
I fear the unfortunate accident that occurred this week may be a pre-cursor of more to come for the training fraternity. If it happens, BAL and the Federal Government will be solely responsible for having created the unsafe aviation conditions that will cause it. And I implore the Coroner to invite them to give evidence at the appropriate time. And CASA should wake up to what is happening here.
Firstly with the Federal Government’s negligence. Aviation Training started in the Sydney Basin with 4 airports; Schofields, Camden, Hoxton Park and Bankstown. Together they provided at least 8 runways and spread the training concentration evenly over the whole basin. That’s not counting the Bankstown Northerly runway which was closed down because planes were flying over a politicians home in Northerly weather. Then Schofields was de-commissioned and everyone on the site was relocated to the remaining 3 airports and 6 runways (mostly to Bankstown). Then the North-South runway at Bankstown was stolen from the ‘aviation community’ (at midnight) leaving 5 runways in the Sydney area. And now with the closure (or any other term you wish to use) of Hoxton Park Aerodrome we have 4 runways remaining in the basin and 75% are in Bankstown Airport. See where the problem is? The elected Government of the people has sanctioned and allowed this to eventuate and BAL has delighted in creating it.
Now to BAL’s responsibility in creating a serious aviation safety issue for training in the Sydney basin. They really should not have an “A” in their title because their interests are not in General Aviation, just the “commercial interests” that will benefit their shareholders (and they are not in the Aviation business either). The removal of the training ‘safety valve’ of Hoxton Park Aerodrome has compressed more ab-initio training into an already crowded narrow corridor into the Bankstown Airport. Kim probably does not know what the term ab-initio means so I’ll translate it for him; it means brand new ‘inexperienced’ student pilots. These students are better served in a low pressure environment like Hoxton Park than being thrown in to the ‘big time’ training ground from the very start of their training. I started my training outside of Bankstown to build up my confidence and skills before joining the big league at Bankstown. And given the choice, many students would to.
And finally on the big issue of safety to the entire GA fraternity, both visitors and residents of the Sydney Basin. What sort of bad weather occurs in the basin, come on Kim, take a guess? Was it a ‘Southerly Buster’ or ‘Strong Northerly’ as is often reported in the press? If you guessed that you win a six points. But you also loose ten points for having removed both North-South runways in the basin, single handed, in a 14 month period, not bad, your share holders will be proud of you. But what about the hapless pilot who arrives in the basin and finds the winds are N or S and exceed his/her crosswind personal experience. What do you expect him to do, after all you say you are working for the benefit of the aviation community? There is now only one safe choice (if you discount crashing as a choice); Mascot Airport. But without any training a pilot has no experience in this possibility and he may panic and try to land at your Bankstown airport. Does Bankstown have rescue equipment on their “professional” airport, how about fire-fighting equipment. I found even a small airport in Kent, UK had this at hand. They showed an ‘Aviation Interest’, why don’t you? So if the pilot declares an emergency about 20 jumbo jets (maybe A380s) on 40km finals will have to be diverted as Sydney Tower battles to control the airspace, the emergency, the inexperienced pilot and the rescue facilities in worsening weather conditions. Lucky you don’t have that job (KE), but you might be flying into Sydney from some shareholder meeting in Fiji and you might end up in Melbourne. Cost to the Aviation Community is $M, Shame on you and your share-holders. And, heaven forbid, if there is an ‘Incident’ BAL is part of the problem, and not the solution.
So, you might ask, why has the pilot not received (and re-trained) on extensive cross-wind landing techniques? Answer, because BAL has removed the facility! When Bankstown Airport had a N-S runway students could train cross-wind landings in the relatively benign and ‘gentle’ easterly winds and build up their cross-wind hours and experience in safety. Today a pilot can only practice when the southerlies are blowing and generally both student and instructor reduce this type of training to a minimum, for safety reasons. So the aviation industry is the looser. But wait, didn’t BAL state they were for the “Aviation Industry”, seems like a disconnect here!
Someone mentioned the rising costs of Bankstown Airport under BAL. I remember (about 8 years ago) when I parked a Cherokee for $980 per year. Last year the parking cost to sit on the grass in the hail and rain had risen to around $4000, that’s 400% in 8 years, do the maths, my Chinese calculator says an average increase of 50% per year. The share-holders will be much pleased. Did you see the previous Google Earth photo of Bankstown, aircraft everywhere. Now look at the latest picture, and that’s 14 months old, not many left. And they are all now in hangers? Must be hung on wires and multi stacked to hide so many. Who is kidding who? And speaking of our industrious Chinese neighbours, I hear that Qantas/Jetstar are recruiting there, and everywhere in the world, to fill the pilot shortages we have here in Australia. Would Dual Training costs going from $110ph to $220ph in 4 years have anything to do with it? And would these costs have anything to do with the skyrocketing lease costs on the airports? Hey, I made a joke, BAL and skyrocketing, there is a vague aviation connection there!
Federal Government come of the grass, if you can’t run the GA airports at cost what makes you think a “Private Consortium” will do a better job (and they are looking to make a profit). Some businesses are in the public interest and have to be paid for out of the public purse. Are you next going to auction off the Navy, Army and Airforce to private ownership? The GA airports of Australia are being raped by their current Commercial owners and it’s not too late to stop the rot. You can start by buying back and re-opening Hoxton Park Aerodrome or re-opening Schofields. You need to reduce the congestion over Casula and Prospect and provide low pressure training areas. Another option is to build a sealed N-S runway at Camden and extend and take the hump out of 06-24.
Well that’s my bit, but I fear its water of a ducks back in the current Government and BAL environment. The worst part of the whole sorry sage is that the people who are creating the problems of the future will not be around to see there handiwork. It’s a like the Murray/Darling debarkel all over again.
R.K.
Hi again,
I’m pleased to see people talking more in terms of positive action than attempts at fair and reasonable negotiation – because the time for that has long passed. Especially when one reads Aminta’s report of BAL-facilitated property developers “sniggering and laughing ” at the plight of “legally dispossessed” GA operators. How arrogant!! How typical!! And how indicative of how “safe” they feel to blatantly conduct themselves in this manner.
All I can say to them (and BAL) is provide them with two quotes by Marie Antoinette (guillotined in 1789).
– Quote No. 1 : “Let them eat cake!!” (on being told that the people had no bread), and
– Quote No. 2 : “Apres moi, le deluge!!” (on facing the reality that the end was near for her and her like).
History tends to repeat itself. The bureaucratic and banking champions of the “big is beautiful” concept have facilitated the development of BAL look-alikes all over Australia, in all areas of endeavour – not just Aviation. They’ve sold us out. Perhaps economic circumstances might soon force them ALL to understand that “big” is just not sustainable without the contributions of a flourishing and industrious “small” and “many” – as shown so well in the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. (And in our Aviation history).
There is a direct and obvious relationship between the “screwing” of the (self-sacrificing/ idealistic) GA Industry by the powers that be (Money!! Money!! Money!!), and Qantas looking overseas for pilots and maintenance (or Chinese airlines training their own pilots in Australia instead of paying US to do it, or remote communities with no air service, or the RAAF unable to operate aircraft due to pilot/ engineer shortages – and so on, ad infinitum).
It is beyond comprehension that a bureaucracy that once considered our Industry so important could actually have “turned” and attacked its viability so comprehensively, on all fronts. DCA – a forbear of CASA – used to pay a bonus to Aero Clubs for every PPL under 30 yrs old trained; it also offered scholarships for CPL/Instructor/CIREX trainees seeking Aviation careers. But the logical progression from “big is beautiful” to systematic legalised theft of GA’s (ie., the “small and many’s”) hard-won assets changed all that.
There must be SOME law that can be invoked to stop this rot. I think it will take a concerted campaign involving many other “hard-done-by” groups and individuals – not just GA people. Perhaps we could try to emulate the campaign waged by the native peoples in Canada in the 1970s – as reported in the following link.
http://www.brandonu.ca/Library/cjns/1.1/ervin.pdf
The writer of the report discusses at length the considerations and strategies employed by a virtually powerless/ trampled-on/ “laughed-at” section of society to achieve a win over their “plunderers.” He says “This is a social experiment that is worth close observation for its potential of transfer to similar settings. Finally, whatever the ultimate outcome, one cannot but have an enormous respect for the capacities of the A.F.N. leadership which led to such a significant political victory.”
We could learn a lot from it.