Minister getting Department support for Class C approach radar back down - who will win $1000
Readers may be interested in the following statement by Martin Dolan (First Assistant Secretary, Aviation and Airports Regulation) to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, Monday 14 February 2005:
MR DOLAN – “Before we do, Senator, I thought it might be useful, having listened to the conversation about the direction in relation to radar in C, to put a bit of context around that from the Department’s role in this. The Minister indicated that he issued the direction in the first place in response to safety concerns arising from analysis that Airservices had done in relation to the risk around Class C towers. Since then, Airservices has adjusted the modeling that led to the conclusion that there were some elements that were close to the area of unacceptable safety. That material has been with the Minister, and because the safety analysis has been contentious, the Minister has asked the Department through the NAS interagency group to review that material and advise him. The Minister had indicated that, if his safety concerns are met – which is to say that the analysis is reliable – then he will reconsider the position of the direction.”
Senator MARK BISHOP (Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) – “Reconsider?”
MR DOLAN – “His position in relation to the direction with that radar.”
So there you have it readers. They are getting ready for the back down to kowtow to Airservices.
Note that the whole key to Class C terminal airspace is that it needs to be adequately manned. The Airservices plan – no doubt soon to be forced onto John Anderson – is that the existing controller in the Class D tower – normally one person – can safely operate the Class C terminal airspace above while still providing an adequate service close to the runway.
You only have to look at the ATSB figures to see the existing high number of incidents that happen in the Class D airspace close to the tower – and of course all kept out of the public gaze (no press releases on these) by the ATSB so they can protect their mates in the Civil Air union.
Remember the accident at Sydney Airport where 240 people nearly died when an air traffic control error resulted in a 727 hitting the tail of a DC-8? Remember the accident at Coolangatta on 20 May 1988 where an air traffic controller directed one plane into another, killing all on board?
These were not the direct fault of air traffic controllers. As I’ve said consistently, our controllers are as good as any in the world. They are all about a system which does not allow an air traffic controller to allocate his or her resources to where the risk is.
I recently flew beside some of the wound back Class C airspace at a country airport. The controller was silent for over 40 minutes and then became overloaded with aircraft in the circuit area and VFR and IFR aircraft overflying. It was obvious that the controller was under stress and that a mistake could easily be made.
(See also: Dick Smith's letter to Minister John Anderson re Class C approach radar and $1000 award - John Anderson's Class C radar back down)
