[Peetwo]

In reply to Ironsider's Oz article (above):

Via the PAIN email chain:

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When regional fares cost the earth … and more

The Australian

Sandy - Robyn Ironside’s article has a photo of Emma Hartman of Mt. Isa whose husband was killed in a car accident on a long long drive to a coastal destination because they couldn’t afford to fly.

One day I would hope that Australians will wake up to the fact that that the freedom part of free enterprise is the only efficient and cost effective way of providing services, and indeed our prosperous way of life. Air services are no different. 

Where government controls like CASA’s massive over-regulation and fee gouging of General Aviation (GA) impedes our freedoms then watch as the costs zoom up. When technologies are making flying safer than ever CASA is imposing ever more complex and unworkable rules causing great and continuing compliance costs. These costs are compounded also for smaller regional carriers and combined with lack of airport freehold all add to the expenses of flying. Governments of both stripes have slowly forced the closure of hundreds of small flying schools all over Australia. Aircraft refueling facilities have been decommissioned, and with no training the bedrock of aviation has virtually collapsed. 

The thirty year experiment of the bloated, 800 strong, independent Commonwealth corporate regulator, left to its own devices is at the heart of the loss of aviation services in regional and rural areas in Australia. 

If Parliament continues sits on its hands in denial, like our do nothing present aviation Minister Michael MacCormack, then the situation will continue to worsen. Alex in the Rises.

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&.. from Mike Smith:

Meanwhile, here in the USA. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2018/july/26/senate-bill-supports-aviation-careers?utm_source=eBrief&utm_medium=email

SENATE BILL SUPPORTS AVIATION CAREERS

July 26, 2018 By Amelia Walsh

It’s no secret that the booming aviation industry is here to stay, according to aerospace giant Boeing, which called the demand for pilots “unprecedented” in its jobs forecast released July 23 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Despite countless opportunities, not enough young people are getting involved in the industry. Key members of the Senate hope their new bipartisan legislation, the Securing and Revitalizing Aviation (SARA) Act of 2018, will change that.


The Capitol is home to the U.S. Congress and its House and Senate governing bodies, two of the many government agencies that have influence over general aviation. Photo by David Tulis.

Introduced July 25 by Sens. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)—both pilots—the SARA Act works to enhance protections for general aviation pilots and encourage more young people to pursue careers in aviation. The bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).


As a member of the Senate General Aviation Caucus and a certificated flight instructor with more than 11,000 flight hours, Inhofe has been a longtime supporter of GA and was one of the leading proponents of third class medical reform, which is now referred to as BasicMed. Now, the senator believes the SARA Act will be key to growing the pilot community.

“This bill will empower the next generation of needed pilots by giving young Americans access to quality aviation curriculum such as ground school—a critical first step for most careers in aviation. It further embraces needed reforms to address the substantial delays recreational and commercial pilots face in scheduling check rides, impacting their ability to obtain and maintain necessary qualifications.”

Boeing’s jobs forecast showed that through 2037, there is a need for 635,000 pilots, 622,000 commercial technicians, and 858,000 cabin crew members for a total of 2.12 million jobs.

But the trajectory to becoming a commercial pilot often starts with the basics—and that means ground school. The SARA Act supports the education of pilots by authorizing grants to support the pilot workforce and for supporting entities creating high school aviation curriculum.

The SARA Act doesn’t just benefit student pilots. The bill also enhances protections for GA pilots by authorizing the National Transportation Safety Board to review the FAA’s denial of an airman medical certificate and let an airman reapply without unnecessary wait times.

For pilots flying with charitable organizations like Angel Flight and Pilots N Paws, the SARA Act would qualify volunteers for limited liability protection as long as they follow appropriate procedures, have the FAA-required flight experience, and maintain some amount of liability insurance.

As it stands today, many pilots face wait times up to four to six months to schedule a checkride or other skills testing. The SARA Act takes steps to reform designated pilot examiner (DPE) regulations. The bill would allow for more daily checkrides and remove arbitrary geographic boundaries. Ultimately, it would maintain the appropriate number of DPEs to accommodate the needs of the aviation community.

“Senator Inhofe is a steadfast proponent of general aviation, and we thank him for introducing the SARA Act,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “This legislation will help rebuild the pilot workforce by introducing more young people to aviation curriculum in high school classrooms, provide pilots who volunteer their time and resources with reasonable good Samaritan protections, help address issues the pilot community is facing with a depleted designated pilot examiner workforce, address good environmental stewardship for seaplane pilots to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species in our nation’s lakes and rivers, and other positive provisions that will move general aviation forward. AOPA and hundreds of thousands of pilots across America support the SARA Act and urge the Senate to include this bill in the pending FAA Reauthorization.”

Duckworth believes the SARA Act is a commonsense way to address many critical challenges facing the aviation industry. “I’m proud to join Senator Inhofe in introducing this bipartisan legislation that directly targets these problems by expanding educational opportunities for students pursuing careers in aviation, protecting volunteer pilots, and implementing safeguards that benefit the entire aviation community.”

Pilots attending this year’s EAA AirVenture can hear more about the SARA Act and issues facing the industry at Inhofe’s Congressional Forum on Saturday, July 28, at 10 a.m. in Forum Building 6.

Mike

MTF...P2