Casino’s aviation community is outraged at a bid to close their airport for up to twelve days a year to allow drag racing events. Two dragster sessions already held by the “Summerland Drag Racers” have left the tarmac melted in parts under the heat of the spinning tyres, and airport users fear that more such usage would soon damage runways, taxiways and aprons so badly that they would be useless to aircraft – and probably also eventually to dragsters.

If anybody was wondering when the airport privatisation penny would drop, they’ll be happy to know that has now happened! The heartening display of totally sympathetic support and downright generosity towards one of Bankstown airport’s best-known flight training organisations was an outstanding testimony to the determination of an entire industry to arrest the demolition of those critical community assets – our aerodromes.

Tenants of Caloundra airport are gearing up for another fight in defence of their airport, fearing that some Sunshine Coast Regional Councillors (SCRC) are getting too close to the land developers who are pressing for aerodrome closure.

Attention anyone conducting retail business on GAAP or other Commonwealth-owned airports. Airport tenant Bema Gold (Australia) Pty Ltd yesterday was before the Victorian Civil Administration Tribunal (VCAT) seeking relief against forfeiture of its premises at Moorabbin Airport. It sought a declaration that the premises are retail premises within the meaning in the Retail Leases Act 2003. And they had a win.

Helicopter pilot training professionals contacting AviationAdvertiser say they were appalled to hear that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) was not investigating the training helicopter crash on Mount Barney near Kyogle on January 28.  According to reports and photographs, Robinson R44 Raven helicopter VH-RWN collided with a sharp rock-strewn ridge, at the very lip of an almost vertical precipice estimated at about 1,000 feet.

Qantas’ low-cost carrier Jetstar has changed its operating procedures following a mishandled missed approach during an attempted instrument landing system (ILS) approach at Melbourne on July 21, 2007. A report released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) found that the go-around didn’t work as intended for two primary reasons

Pressure is now mounting from all GAAP airport users for a case by case review of  CASA CEO John McCormick’s “Directive 329/09”,  which applies uniform restrictions on all GAAPs regardless of major differences in airspace layout, traffic movements and other key issues.  In the most recent move Jandakot airport users have written to the Director claiming his decision was based on now-discredited advice, without an impact statement or appropriate consultation, battering their businesses and damaging the training industry’s international credibility.  Several independent experts have also criticised the language and the risk analysis methodology and assumptions of the “Ambidji Report” on which the decision was based. Jandakot users say they are now being locked out of…

Industry identities this week were dismayed at a reported CASA decision to establish an in-house “Ethics …

Many aviation industry identities have contacted us over the past week to express surprise at a series of recent executive appointments by CASA’s new CEO John McCormick. Their concerns cover virtually all CASA activity – regulatory reform, flying operations, airworthiness, aviation medicine, compliance & enforcement and legal. They are shocked to find that many of the necessary reforms implemented under Bruce Byron appear now to be reversed by individuals who have been unexpectedly promoted within the organisation.

Imagine finding yourself at the controls of a heavy jet bomber that just accidently became airborne, …

Three Queensland pilots set out from Caboolture today on a 5,000 km tour of far-flung coastal …

Opinion Editorial – Paul Phelan,
Two years and two months ago, a Jetstar Airbus A320 jet laden …

A serious in-flight electrical system failure in an Easyjet Airbus A319-111 has prompted a concerning final …

In case you haven’t heard of Jack Pelton, he’s American, and a true-blue GA pilot with …

It’s almost as if Bankstown Airport Limited (BAL) was deliberately thumbing its corporate nose at both Minister Albanese and aircraft operators with its seemingly unbridled anti-aviation activity.  The Minister has warned all airport lessee companies (ALC) that the government now believes there are a range of activities approved or sought by ALCs that “may be incompatible with the aviation operations of airports.” The list of such activities is almost a catalogue of the various uses implemented or proposed by ALCs in the recent past.

A weekend ring-around to senior staff of GAAP-based flying schools told us they’re unanimous that CASA Director John McCormick’s Class D airspace directive is the most positive step GA has seen from the regulator for many years.  But our survey also revealed serious unintended loose ends that need to be fixed very quickly. Most of these don’t spring from Mr McCormick’s Class D edict, but from two related issues.

CASA Director John McCormick has issued legal directions to Airservices Australia, ordering a sweeping transformation of the air traffic control environments at Australia’s six capital city general aviation airports’ (GAAP).  Notice and draft copies of the proposed directions were first issued on 15 July 2009, and became effective from 0001 AEST on Tuesday 21 July.

CASA has engaged Melbourne-based external investigator aCkTiF Solutions to aid it in a review into Mr Rudd’s written (and later verbal) allegations that three its inspectors have “acted in a way that breaches the CASA Code of Conduct.” (See previous article – Dad’s Army Rides Again.)  Although there are lots of references…