[Sandy Reith]

Whatever the truth is I find it nothing short of disgusting to talk of rogue pilot. Did no one learn from the infamous Chamberlain case? Remember the blood spatters found under the dashboard of their car? The experts, so called, supported by the full force of the law got it horribly wrong because years later it was found to be a sound deadener spayed on during manufacturing. What have we here? I read glass beads, plastic beads and paste. I do know that all sorts of stuff accumulates in engines sometimes natural wear and tear and sometimes through carelessness or mistake. Could it be that here's a made to order scapegoat? A target for an unscrupulous competitor? Unlikely but possible. Queensland operators please don't take offense, I argue in general and ask you to consider if the boot was on the other foot at some time in the future. I'm afraid human nature is what it is and that is precisely why we have legal sanctions against those whose make judgmental pronouncement outside the court system. Trial by media is full on already and in an uncivilised manner that will not serve justice. Gorging on speculation and the miseries of anyone irrespective of the facts is unworthy. Innocent before proven guilty is not just a fancy legal saying, it's a bulwark against injustice, a fundamental discipline.

In regards to GA charter in 1969 I commenced my charter ops with a bare Commercial licence, no chief pilot exam, a no fee charter licence was quickly obtained, supported by a twelve page ops manual supplied for a few dollars by someone with a spotter in DCA (forerunner to CASA). In many cases private owners would go the extra training for business reasons, tax and cost defraying for example in addition to the satisfaction of a higher flying skill.

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of charter qualified, and insured, operators everywhere because the system was sensible and affordable.
Then two things conspired to change that rationality, private flight cost sharing and a new bureaucratic load, exorbitant fees coupled with time consuming procedures totally out of proportion to the market.

I do know that from around 25 years ago private cost sharing became the new charter flying and the number of Licenced charter operators dropped to a handful. I tried 10 or 15 years ago to obtain the figures from CASA, they were not available.

Billy Vincent AO was a legendary charter operator in Tasmania, a wonderful pilot and Australian gentleman, with say 20,000 hours, on a private licence. Yes a private licence. Eventually CASA, or was it CAA? took him to the magistrates court for a multitude of illegal charters. The charges were reduced dramatically when it was shown that DCA /CAA/DOT/CASA/BASI (watch this space) had chartered him for their personnel to investigate aircraft crash sites on Bass Strait islands. He received a bare minimum fine. Thereafter he employed a couple of commercial pilots who crashed his planes and he then practically quit the charter scene.