[Peetwo]

Boyd & the 'last hope'.

“The time has come”, the Walrus said

As we skid more away from the much needed reform of the regulator, the trends noted early in the Skidmore tenure are becoming clearly defined method.  There can, on evidence, be little doubt that a full regression is in progress.  Each movement takes industry further away from Forsyth and closer to the pit.  

Ken Cannane  - "Without doubt, there has been almost unanimous support in the aviation industry for the recommendations of the ASRR(Forsyth) report," Cannane said. "The government and industry obviously support these recommendations, so when will the Department of Infrastructure and the CASA Board initiate changes to the Civil Aviation Act to implement these recommendations permanently?

Despite the rhetoric, hand holding, tear wiping, cosy chats and trite little surveys; the cynics running the CASA engine room have managed, through Skidmore, to slide around the reform of CASA and divert attention away from a solid, doughty defence of the status quo, with determination.  Skidmore leading the charge and providing top cover for the Iron ring.

You don’t need to look far or search hard for your proof:-

Medical was bad enough before, now it’s becoming even more restrictive and fiscally punitive.  An empire of clerks working from templates with the power to overturn an ‘expert’ medical opinion.  But the jewel in the crown is CVD – Skidmore fully supporting the embuggerance of CVD pilots, whittling down the numbers of CVD holding licence and preventing the gaining of licence for those who fail ‘the test’.  It’s disgraceful, but get used to it, no matter that leading aviation nations are moving away from this degree of foolishness – Avmed know best and Skidmore agrees.

Skidmore’s latest sandbag is a well groomed attack dog, using the pathetic little ‘survey’ as a whipping post and mowing down any opposition.  Opposition being anyone who dares challenge or even question the regulatory ‘reform’.  The determined defence of 61 and 145 is led by Skidmore – his 28 man ‘tiger team’ is desperately looking for way to make these lewd-icarus ‘rules’ appear to be palatable and workable, while retaining the legal monstrosities within.

 
Then, there is the Skidmore push to convince the industry that CASA is a model citizen, fully reformed and rehabilitated.  Not shred of evidence to support this fairy story, in fact his chosen minions and Casamites are all snug and cosy under his protection, to continue their fine work – uninhibited and encouraged.  It is one of the most blatant con jobs in history, and we have seen a few.

Ken Cannane  - "CASA and aviation continually have review after review with no permanent result – regulatory review has been under way since the formation of the CAA in 1988. The rest of the aviation world are modernising their requirements utilising performance based regulations and standards and utilising a risk based approach.

Skidmore has fallen into the well used mould of inquiry, review and broken promises on the back of solemn promises to behave properly.  Industry should be in open revolt, boycott the gabfests, demanding service and value for money.  

The Minister should be supporting the Board and demanding the Skidmore resignation, this would be fully supported by an industry which is weary of broken promises, endless reviews and inquiry – which all – every single solitary last one end up walking down the road to perdition to fetch up on the shores of hell and damnation.

Skidmore’s old boss is reliably reported to have said early in the piece – he can’t do the job.  That prophecy has proven to be remarkably accurate.

Handing over Mr. Boyd.

Further to the latest Skidmore bollocks missive, soon to be former CASA glove puppet at the Oz & ASA's fairy-tale teller recruit followed up with a standard, embellished, regurgitation of his own.. :

..The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is streamlining its operations into three groups in a bid to improve its regulatory services and promote better interaction with the aviation community.


Staff were told yesterday of the restructure, which comes after the authority has been under fire recently for not moving more quickly to fix regulatory changes that have upset sections of the industry. CASA has also been criticised for being slow to adopt government-endorsed recommendations from the Aviation Safety Regulation Review.

The changes are due to take place by the middle of next year and will collapse six existing operational groups into three under the broader headings of stakeholder engagement, aviation and sustainability.

The changes are designed to address recommendation 21 of the ASRR, which proposes that CASA change its organisational structure to a “client-oriented output model’’. The review panel said it was struck by the number of industry concerns about communication and specialist guidance, many of which appeared to relate to the authority’s structure.

It determined that many of these issues could be resolved with a more transparent organisational structure and management focus on specific industry sector operations.

The three main sections proposed by yesterday’s restructure will see six groups consolidated into three with legal services remaining separate.

It is understood the standards, operations and airspace/aerodrome sections will be consolidated into the aviation group. Aviation group functions will include entry control, surveillance, regulatory services and standard setting as well as regulatory development and implementation.

The stakeholder engagement group will include safety, education and promotions as well as functions now in the office of the director, such as media relations. The authority said this would join communications functions into one area to ensure the information it issued was “consistent and delivered effectively’’.

Corporate services and some functions of the industry permissions section will go into the sustainability group.

Materials released to staff said job cuts were not anticipated beyond senior management.
CASA boss Mark Skidmore said an important goal of the restructure was to reduce the time people and organisations spent dealing with the regulator.

He said he understood the way CASA interacted with the industry needed to improve “at all levels’’ and the restructure was a vital step in renewing the authority.

“CASA has been consulting widely and often over the past year and now is the time to start delivering real change,’’ he said.

“Part of this real change will be the introduction of more online services to streamline the application, processing and delivery of as many services as possible.

“The restructure will be done in stages between now and the middle of 2016 so regulatory and safety support for the aviation community is not disrupted.
“These changes will streamline CASA’s senior management and give all staff a clearer focus on CASA’s goals and their own tasks.”

Meanwhile, CASA will push ahead with controversial fatigue- management rules, despite trenchant opposition from some parts of the industry, but it confirmed a previously flagged delay to May 2017, to give operators more time to transition to the new rules. The change to Civil Aviation Order 48.1 has been supported by airline pilots but attacked by associations representing some operators.

Regional Express estimated earlier this month the changes would cost it more than $4 million annually and could make some routes unviable, while umbrella group The Australian Aviation Association Forum urged CASA to withdraw CAO 48.1.

CASA admitted this week that consultation with the aviation community found “both CASA and air operators needed more time to make a smooth and safe transition’’ to the new rules.

Operators who had completed the transition by October 31 would need to submit amended operations manuals or a fatigue risk management application by that date, it said.

  
No comment