“Ridiculous”.
Smuggled out of the dark recesses of Sleepy Hollow, the BRB acquired a new training video, provided by the DoIT to train up officials confronted by any unpleasant, shape shifting apparition popping out of the woodwork. By muttering the incantation and waving a wand the unpleasantness can be readily converted to something amusing. Of course the 'fix' is only temporary; but at least it allows for a hasty, if ungainly temporary escape from dealing with the Bogarts emerging from the aviation industry.
The 'training' is all well and good for those at the coal face; but for the ministerial minions, something a little more permanent is required. The arcane art of 'writing' out the incantation, carefully camouflaged to induce tedium and disinterest is always a winner. Part of the deception is the use of the word 'Expectation'. There are many definitions of the word provided in dictionaries; all pretty much say the same thing:-
“A person's expectations are strong beliefs which they have about the proper way someone should behave or something should happen.”
One of my favourite reads is the Dickens classic, 'Great Expectations'. The story is intriguing; but the real message is how little those 'expectations' have to do with the brutal realities of life and fate. Our incumbent minister is required to produce a 'Statement of Expectations' (SoE)– a wish list if you will; the latest epistle a slightly altered repetition of the last incumbent's wishful thinking and 'advice'. In theory those 'expectations' should be met, they are, after all, what the minister expects the administrative body to accomplish. These 'expectations' are carefully worded to convince the nation that the minister is on the job and in control, the changes expected to be beneficial to the nation and the industry. Reality is a long march away from the spirit and intent of the SoE. There's a Choc Frog in it for the first person who can cite a question asked in an Estimates session asking 'how' any one of the ministerial 'expectations' has been met - fully and completely, without one porky-pie being uttered.
“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself.
One of the most common public expectations is that their safety is the highest priority when it comes to air travel. – Ask any one of the millions who travel by air any day of the week if they feel 'safe' in the terminal or airport surrounds. You may get a strange look for asking a seriously silly question “of course we are”. That would be a perfectly accurate answer in 99.99999% cases, world wide. Across the planet the gold standard ICAO rules and the 'California code' are diligently applied to the spaces which separate buildings (like terminals, shopping precincts and motels ) from aircraft landing and taking off on the runways. Everywhere and almost anywhere you care to travel; the promulgated Public Safety Zone (PSZ) rules apply – except in Melbourne Vic, where the unthinkable happened. Ayup, an aircraft ploughed into a shopping complex. As luck would have it the place was almost empty; but – 10 foot lower and an hour later; the carnage would have been significant. Countless hours and dollars have been expended examining and investigating this 'almost' disaster. The ATSB have finally produced their report – which is work of art by the way – HERE. But no one, not as yet, has asked the big question. Why, in all the world is Essendon the only non ICAO compliant major city airport not only tolerated, but supported by the ATSB investigation? Technically, if you 'do the numbers' the ICAO percentage chances of buildings being in collision with an aircraft are remote, in the extreme. However, in the Essendon case that remote risk factor has been reduced by a significant margin. How the insurance gurus will view that anomaly is yet to be determined. Across the globe ICAO compliance is the golden rule – except at Essendon. Almost as remarkable as mountain of arse covering paperwork; manufactured at public expense, to defend the indefeasible... ..
"A CASA spokesperson said the agency “remains satisfied” the DFO did not breach the runway clearance area, and “that the development was safe and compliant when it was approved and remains safe and compliant”.
“In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible.
Item last from the 'remarkable' pile is the complete lack of public and major carrier interest in the sad state of our air traffic control system (the remnants thereof). Nary a ministerial 'peep' or questions being asked in 'the house'; no action plan from ASA – except text messages telling controllers to lift their game etc.
ATCO wrote - “Read an email on my break from an executive essentially saying we are slacking and it is the fault of the operational ATC that the staffing and airspace crisis is the way it is.”
I don't truly know where the 'crisis' level mark is painted on the ministerial walls; but I do know that a jolly, rear view photograph of the ministerial rump, parked at an ATC consul will not fix the appalling mess consecutive ministerial types and their advisers have allowed to develop through abrogating any and all responsibility to the various 'agencies'. As a ministerial protection racket, it works just fine; but the operational reality fix cannot be too far away; the writing is on the wall.
“the words of the prophet are written on the subway walls” Etc...
Aye well, the smells of coffee, bacon and eggs on the stove has been noted by all; the hint from big dog subtle – the Mog is already en-route; best crack on while the going is good.
Selah....
Smuggled out of the dark recesses of Sleepy Hollow, the BRB acquired a new training video, provided by the DoIT to train up officials confronted by any unpleasant, shape shifting apparition popping out of the woodwork. By muttering the incantation and waving a wand the unpleasantness can be readily converted to something amusing. Of course the 'fix' is only temporary; but at least it allows for a hasty, if ungainly temporary escape from dealing with the Bogarts emerging from the aviation industry.
The 'training' is all well and good for those at the coal face; but for the ministerial minions, something a little more permanent is required. The arcane art of 'writing' out the incantation, carefully camouflaged to induce tedium and disinterest is always a winner. Part of the deception is the use of the word 'Expectation'. There are many definitions of the word provided in dictionaries; all pretty much say the same thing:-
“A person's expectations are strong beliefs which they have about the proper way someone should behave or something should happen.”
One of my favourite reads is the Dickens classic, 'Great Expectations'. The story is intriguing; but the real message is how little those 'expectations' have to do with the brutal realities of life and fate. Our incumbent minister is required to produce a 'Statement of Expectations' (SoE)– a wish list if you will; the latest epistle a slightly altered repetition of the last incumbent's wishful thinking and 'advice'. In theory those 'expectations' should be met, they are, after all, what the minister expects the administrative body to accomplish. These 'expectations' are carefully worded to convince the nation that the minister is on the job and in control, the changes expected to be beneficial to the nation and the industry. Reality is a long march away from the spirit and intent of the SoE. There's a Choc Frog in it for the first person who can cite a question asked in an Estimates session asking 'how' any one of the ministerial 'expectations' has been met - fully and completely, without one porky-pie being uttered.
“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself.
One of the most common public expectations is that their safety is the highest priority when it comes to air travel. – Ask any one of the millions who travel by air any day of the week if they feel 'safe' in the terminal or airport surrounds. You may get a strange look for asking a seriously silly question “of course we are”. That would be a perfectly accurate answer in 99.99999% cases, world wide. Across the planet the gold standard ICAO rules and the 'California code' are diligently applied to the spaces which separate buildings (like terminals, shopping precincts and motels ) from aircraft landing and taking off on the runways. Everywhere and almost anywhere you care to travel; the promulgated Public Safety Zone (PSZ) rules apply – except in Melbourne Vic, where the unthinkable happened. Ayup, an aircraft ploughed into a shopping complex. As luck would have it the place was almost empty; but – 10 foot lower and an hour later; the carnage would have been significant. Countless hours and dollars have been expended examining and investigating this 'almost' disaster. The ATSB have finally produced their report – which is work of art by the way – HERE. But no one, not as yet, has asked the big question. Why, in all the world is Essendon the only non ICAO compliant major city airport not only tolerated, but supported by the ATSB investigation? Technically, if you 'do the numbers' the ICAO percentage chances of buildings being in collision with an aircraft are remote, in the extreme. However, in the Essendon case that remote risk factor has been reduced by a significant margin. How the insurance gurus will view that anomaly is yet to be determined. Across the globe ICAO compliance is the golden rule – except at Essendon. Almost as remarkable as mountain of arse covering paperwork; manufactured at public expense, to defend the indefeasible... ..
"A CASA spokesperson said the agency “remains satisfied” the DFO did not breach the runway clearance area, and “that the development was safe and compliant when it was approved and remains safe and compliant”.
“In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible.
Item last from the 'remarkable' pile is the complete lack of public and major carrier interest in the sad state of our air traffic control system (the remnants thereof). Nary a ministerial 'peep' or questions being asked in 'the house'; no action plan from ASA – except text messages telling controllers to lift their game etc.
ATCO wrote - “Read an email on my break from an executive essentially saying we are slacking and it is the fault of the operational ATC that the staffing and airspace crisis is the way it is.”
I don't truly know where the 'crisis' level mark is painted on the ministerial walls; but I do know that a jolly, rear view photograph of the ministerial rump, parked at an ATC consul will not fix the appalling mess consecutive ministerial types and their advisers have allowed to develop through abrogating any and all responsibility to the various 'agencies'. As a ministerial protection racket, it works just fine; but the operational reality fix cannot be too far away; the writing is on the wall.
“the words of the prophet are written on the subway walls” Etc...
Aye well, the smells of coffee, bacon and eggs on the stove has been noted by all; the hint from big dog subtle – the Mog is already en-route; best crack on while the going is good.
Selah....