[Peetwo]

Meanwhile in the Empire of the RAeS -

Quote from "K" off the minister's thread:

Willyleaks exclusive.

At great personal risk, the intrepid GD has managed to get a peep at the minister for transport personal diary:-

Dear diary.

What a lovely day I’ve had.  It was easy away from my office, the team were coping well with some minor, non essential transport issues but still managed to get my driver and new car to the front door, so I could wave and smile at the press gallery, such nice folk.  

Memo 1– speak to the parking people about all those derelict, burned out trucks parked on the lawn and in the drive way; bloody vandals.  I shall speak sternly to our parking attendants, never too early to show them who’s boss.

Anyway, my mission today was to visit the lovely boys and girls in the air traffic control tower at Melbourne’s big airport.  

Of course I couldn’t disturb them, but I did ask one if the thing on the runway was – in fact – an aeroplane.  So nice to see one in real life; the response I drew from the ‘ATCO’ (new word for the dictionary) was a nod and a terse “Yup”, he was a pale, pallid, tired looking thing, about 60 y.o with a definite twitch in his right eye.  I strolled back to my minder: “that man looks dreadful, I expect he’ll be retiring soon”, I said.  “Oh no Sir” said the minder, “that is Charlie he’s only 25 and a senior trainer, valuable asset indeed”.  Must be the night shift look I thought.

Well my visit was short but sweet, I did get a photo opportunity which was great and as they were all so busy I didn’t get to speak to any of the troops about how things are; which was good as I would have been late for my hair dresser (big No No).  Anyway, I am assured by that nice fellah in the electric blue uniform that all is well and another $150 billion dollars will keep things ticking over nicely.  Great system, wonderful folks, terrific day.

Home for tea and cake by 4 pm.  What a productive day, it’s so great to be ‘the minister’.

All in a day's work for our intrepid minister...

Meanwhile over in the bureaucratic, trough dwelling, evil Empire of the RAeS there apparently is "nothing to see here..move along", from 'that man' via the Oz :

Harry Bradford defends ICCPM’s Airservices contract

• Ean Higgins
  
  
• The Australian
  
  
• April 1, 2016 12:00AM
  
  
  

The former RAAF test pilot dubbed the “Million Dollar Man” by Airservices Australia dissidents has hit out at his critics, denying any conflict of interest in a lucrative Airservices contract he secured...

Hmm...the Thales conglomerate seems to have their sticky fingers stuck in a lot of murky (read corrupt) pies, there is even a possible link to the Malaysian PM Najib..

A case involving allegations of high-level bribery, blackmail, betrayal and the murder of a glamorous Mongolian socialite in Malaysia has resurfaced in France, only days after Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak was cleared of corruption charges at home.

French prosecutors have charged a French businessman involved in Malaysia's $US2 billion ($2.8 billion) purchase of two French-Spanish built submarines with paying illegal kickbacks to a Malaysian official linked to Mr Najib, according to the French newsagency AFP.


Mr Najib, who was defence minister at the time of the purchase, has denied any wrongdoing but the case has been the subject of hot rumours and speculation in Malaysia's social media during his seven-year rule.


The French report named Ferrari-driving Malaysian businessman Abdul Razak Baginda, one of Mr Najib's best friends and policy advisers, as the person who allegedly received the kickbacks.



While the submarine deal was being negotiated, Mr Baginda was the lover of 28-year-old Mongolian socialite Altantuya Shaariibuu who was murdered by two of Mr Najib's bodyguards in a patch of jungle in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur in 2006.


Ms Shaariibuu was dragged from a car, knocked unconscious and shot twice in the head, according to court testimony.


She had begged for the life of her unborn baby and then her body was wrapped in C4 explosives and blown up, ensuring the fetus was destroyed, along with the identity of the father.


Ms Shaariibuu, who was abducted outside Mr Baginda's house, had reportedly demanded $US500,000 to remain silent about her knowledge of the submarine deal.


French authorities who opened an investigation into the submarine purchases almost four years ago have issued an indictment against Bernard Baiocco, 72, the former president of Thales International Asia, according to an AFP report in the French language, that was translated by the Malaysiakini news website...


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/troubles-resurface-for-malaysias-najib-in-europe-20160130-gmhmn0.html#ixzz44WSRDLgK
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook

Oh but that's not 'Thales Australia', there is no association at all, 'nothing to see here move along'
 

Busy day on Aunty today, here is a bit more goss?? - Better watch out Jase & Oliver, Dick is now writing for the Oz

Controlled airspace still under a cloud 25 years on

• Dick Smith
  
  
• The Australian
  
  
• April 1, 2016 12:00AM
  
  

It’s a nightmare. No wonder I have sleepless nights.



A series of articles in this newspaper last year covered how commercial pilots at dozens of Australian airports (Ballina in NSW and Bairnsdale in Victoria are just two examples) are forced to blunder around in cloud attempting to call other aircraft to avoid a collision.



It’s a 1930s system of calling in blind uncontrolled airspace. There is not even a radio operator on the ground at these airports to confirm an aircraft’s radio is working correctly and to give local weather conditions.



After five flights around the world where I closely studied airspace procedures, I found the Australian system was unique and existed only because of union demarcation issues after controlled airspace was introduced worldwide in the 1940s.



In 1991 the Civil Aviation Safety Authority decided to follow proven international practice and introduce controlled airspace at these busy country airports so aircraft in cloud were directed by controllers and kept apart using a proven safety standard. Twenty-five years later not one Australian airport has been upgraded to this safer level of service.



How can this be, I hear you ask. The answer is resistance to change and a lack of leadership from those entrusted with aviation safety in this country.



Airline pilots are tested psychologically to follow existing rules and those who have flown only in the Australian system oppose change. Many believe only incompetent pilots require controlled airspace and a local radio operator. So far we have not had an airline accident caused by these 1930s procedures — but we have been close. Here are two examples:



● On May 16, 1997, an aircraft was on approach in cloud to the airport at Bundaberg, Queensland, while another aircraft was on the same approach in the same cloud at the same time. Only luck prevented a collision. The investigators’ report revealed one of the professional aircrews had used the wrong “calling in the blind” frequency — a simple human error.



● On June 23, 2006, a Rex airline aircraft was on approach to NSW’s Orange airport in cloud from the east as a commercial pilot in a Baron aircraft was approaching in cloud from the west. They were on a head-on course. A collision was prevented only when the pilot of one aircraft broke the rules and turned away at the last moment from the prescribed route.



As covered in this newspaper last year, on July 28, 2004, a Cheyenne aircraft was on approach to Victoria’s Benalla airport in bad weather. Because of an error of navigation the commercial pilot was many miles from the correct approach and all six on board were killed when the aircraft hit a mountain.



Previously an alarm had sounded numerous times in the Melbourne air traffic control centre; however, the controller was not required to inform the pilot as the aircraft was heading towards uncontrolled airspace.



Such is the resistance to change of those involved in the Australian Transport Safety Bureau that, even after these two serious incidents and one fatal accident, not one recommendation was made to even consider introducing controlled airspace at these airports as per the 1991 policy.



After numerous false starts to update controlled airspace, John Anderson, the federal transport and regional services minister at the time, appointed me to the Aviation Reform Group in early 2002. This group was to recommend how much-delayed airspace reforms should go ahead.



Other members of the five-person group included the chief of the air force at the time, Angus Houston. A unanimous decision was made to move to the National Airspace System used in the US and this was accepted by the Howard government and announced as policy. Houston was particularly supportive of the system because he had flown in the US during active service.



Anderson agreed that I would be a member of an implementation group; however, I was told later by Houston I should not be “hands on” and therefore I should not be involved with the working group. I was shocked by his request; it was a complete surprise to me.


(Editor’s note: Sir Angus has said he did not run the implementation committee and therefore did not have the power to veto Mr Smith’s appointment.)



The rest is history. Millions were spent in an attempt to introduce NAS and some good changes were made, only to be wound back later because of a lack of pilot education and the removal of CASA personnel who understood the NAS system.



Sadly, not one airport has been updated to the safer NAS class E controlled airspace and not one airport has the safer Unicom radio operator to give local weather and confirm the airline radio is working. “Calling in the blind do it yourself airspace” will remain until a major accident with fatalities brings in the change. I despair!



Dick Smith is a businessman, adventurer, philanthropist and former chairman of CASA.

Hmm...Sir A is getting a bit prickly isn't he??


MTF...P2