[Peetwo]

The Empire Strikes Back! - AGAIN 

Via AOPA Oz on FB: https://www.facebook.com/pg/AOPAaustrali...e_internal

IMPORTANT INDUSTRY ALERT
CASA DEMANDING DATA FROM PILOTS

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia has today become aware that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority have provided letters of demand to pilots participating in Community Service Flights, requiring recipients to submit data and information that may infringe a pilots privilege from self-incrimination. CASA have demanded a response from pilots within 10 days.

AOPA Australia is seeking advice of Senior Counsel on this matter and encourages recipients of the above letters to continue monitoring our news feeds for updates, to ensure responses protect individual rights.


An example of the letter from CASA is attached.

It is important for pilots and our industry to be aware, that CASA is currently being challenged in the Federal Court by Angel Flight, in relation to the validity of the unnecessary Community Service Flights regulations that were forcibly introduced in 2019 by the regulator.

The timing of these letters of demand for data and information, coincides with an interlocutory hearing in the Federal Court wherein Angel Flight were successful in its application to expand the grounds of the challenge against the regulator.

CASA’s Executive General Manager, Mr Chris Monahan (who is the CASA deponent named in the Federal Court challenge) appears to be on a fishing expedition, seeking to continue a campaign of harassment towards the volunteer Community Service Flight community.

AOPA Australia’s interest is to protect the aviation community by ensuring pilots are only required to provide what they are legally obligated to, and that individual rights are protected.

AOPA Australia advises pilots to also seek independent legal advice. Further information will be published following receipt of advice from Senior Counsel.

Your sincerely,

BENAJMIN MORGAN
Chief Executive Officer – AOPA Australia
NOT A MEMBER? WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
Join today: www.aopa.com.au/membership
AOPA Australia | Your Freedom to Fly

---

And some comments: 

Sandy Reith They’ve finally cracked, showing conclusively the depth of contempt that CASA has for General Aviation so that no one, especially our MPs, will have any doubt about the total lack of CASA bona fides.

See further comments attached to Ben’s FB video on this subject. Everyone should jack up on this harassment and ring, write, contact or somehow collar your Fed MPs including Senators. Now if ever is the time because the dog has bared his teeth, the malice is showing plainly for all to see. Authorities are required to treat everyone equally, CASAs demands fall short of that, AOPA’s legal opinion will be most interesting.

Support AOPA.

---

Henry Bear I would like to thank you Ben both personally and on behalf of fellow operators who I work with on your tenacity and willingness to support everyone.

Your interview with Glen and Ken the other night was so powerful and clearly presented that no-one could be in any doubt that CASA is misguided, lacks integrity or willingness to take blame or criticism, and is a bloated organisation that needs to be completely halted and started again.

Ben you are an amazing person and we are very lucky to have someone like yourself standing up and defending the rights of every operator big and small , I feel that at last this will be a turning point for general aviation, take care and keep the momentum going you have our full support ?

Plus:

&/or via FB:

MTF...P2