[thorn bird]

Dear, Oh dear, Oh deary me, not AGAIN?

You couldn't make this stuff up, but it's all too familiar.

The Polliwafflers make much noise about "Sovereign Risk" when dealing with foreign enterprises attempting to invest in Australia. What about the "Sovereign risk"or lack thereof for Australian entrepreneurs attempting to invest in Australian aviation?

Glen Buckley, from what we see, saw a problem, namely the inordinate costs involved with CAsA's draconian, absolutely inane concept of teaching people to fly an aeroplane, in that those costs could not be borne by any enterprise other than a large company with very deep pockets. A small regional aero club or flying school could not possibly sustain the overheads required.

Mr Buckley saw a solution and applied his innovative ideas to corral the administrative burden of those costs into a single entity which would have compliance oversight over satellite organisations at the coal face thus sharing the huge cost burden of meeting CAsA's gobbledegook regulations, leaving them free to get on with their job and focus on teaching their students.

Mr Buckley"s innovative idea opened up the potential to revive general aviation and restore small country Aero clubs and flying schools to their former place in regional Australia, and therein lies the rub. Mr Buckley is an innovator the very antithesis of the CAsA iron ring management ethos, his true "Crime" was he had the potential to make a success of his enterprise.

I can't help wondering if pressure was brought to bear on CAsA by the large integrated schools to bring him down, many in the industry believe CAsA is corrupt, largely because there is no apparent Rhyme or reason behind their pathetically amateurish attempts as a regulator, maybe the question should be how corrupt?

The tragedy illustrated by Mr Buckley's experience is the obvious, absolute disconnect between the upper echelon of CAsA and its minions and the disparity amongst those as to what the regulations mean and how they should be applied. As we have seen over time what is kosher to one aint necessarily so for the another.

Mr Buckley was led up the garden path by some White Hats within CAsA eager to help him, as they had empathy with the industry and saw an opportunity in his vision and did their best to assist it. Good for them, but they probably paid a heavy price for that.

Enter the Black Hats, unfortunately after Mr Buckley had invested his money in the mistaken belief he had CAsA's anointment. Then everything began to fall apart.

Here's a man with an innovative vision, imbued with a safety ethos, with a solution to the death of regional aviation caused by CAsA. He did all in his power to consult, seek guidance and act on the advice provided by CAsA.

Where he fell down was not realising he was dealing with a completely unethical, incompetent organisation.
An organisation managed by egotistical sociopaths who would stoop to any depths to protect their hegemony over Aviation. Mr Buckley unfortunately did not understand that innovation is the antithesis of CAsA managements beliefs.
They can not nor will not allow him to succeed,whatever it takes.