$1000 Award - John Anderson's Class C radar back down
Would you like to be presented with a cheque for $1,000? Yes, that would help with flying training or even getting a few more hours of aircraft hire in these high cost times for general aviation.
The test is simple. On 31 August 2004 Minister John Anderson issued a directive (see below) to Airservices that they must provide approach radar for Class C terminal airspace for a number of reasons. Firstly, all other countries require radar for Class C, and under the US NAS decision Class C airspace requires a terminal radar facility. More importantly, it is not possible to know where VFR aircraft are in Class C unless radar is used (see the Broderick letter).
Minister John Anderson then issued a media release about the provision of radar on 5 October 2004 - just before the election. (See end of this article).
We all know how CASA, the ATSB and the Minister’s office are pretty well captured by the big airlines and the big unions. You’ve guessed it – the big airlines are against having an approach radar facility in Class C airspace. Of course they must admit that it adds to safety – but it also will reduce their profits – and we know how the profits of the big airlines (especially when they pay a bonus as a percentage of those profits to their heads of flying operations and chief pilots) are so important to them.
Despite the Federal Cabinet decision to move to the NAS system (which as stated previously requires approach radar) and the letter from Tony Broderick, CASA CEO Bruce Byron has decided that we in Australia do not require radar for Class C airspace.
His logic is flawed – Byron claims that because we have been able to use Class C without radar in the past, and as we have not had a major airline accident, it must be safe to continue to do so. This completely disregards world experience – virtually every airline accident in the world took place because people thought “We’ve always done it that way safely before.”
Perhaps to obtain a reasonable level of safety, Airservices are planning to refuse clearances to VFR aircraft. That would be one way of getting a similar level of safety in non-radar Class C as radar Class C – i.e. the controller just says, “Clearance not available, remain outside controlled airspace.” The pilot of the VFR aircraft transits a greater extra distance, adding to costs and quite often being forced to fly over mountainous “tiger” country where a safe forced landing is not possible.
We all know that the Minister has broken his election promise and allowed the reversal of the NAS – Aussie pilots can no longer benefit from the freedoms and lower costs that US pilots benefit from every day. How long will it be before the Minister once again kowtows to the airlines and reverses or waters down his direction that Class C airspace requires approach radar like every other modern aviation country? One week? Two weeks? Three months?
Make a skilled estimation and send me an email with the date and we will keep them on file. When the decision takes place I will go through the emails and the person who is closest to the date will receive a cheque for $1,000. If there are a number of people with the same date the money will be divided.
I point out that Airservices have introduced Class C airspace without radar from the time of the wind back of 25 November 2004. Their excuse for not providing an approach radar is the part of the Minister's directive stating ". . . at the earliest time one can be supplied and installed." It will be interesting to see what the new excuse is.
Come on, get an entry into the competition. It will really prove whether the Minister puts the safety of the travelling public in front of profit making pressure from the major airlines.
Email entries can be sent to contact@dicksmithflyer.com.au
The directive dated 31 August 2004 is as follows:
“I, JOHN DUNCAN ANDERSON, Minister for Transport and Regional Services, pursuant to s.16 of the Airservices Act 1995, give the following direction to AA.
If:
(a) On the date on which this direction commences, a volume of airspace above Class D airspace above an airport was classified as Class E airspace, and
(b) After the commencement of this direction, AA re-classifies that volume of airspace to Class C airspace, AA must, in performing its function under s.8 of the Airservices Act 1995 of providing facilities and services, provide an operating ATC control tower at the airport and an approach radar control service at the earliest time one can be supplied and installed."
Following is Minister John Anderson's media release of 5 October 2004 - just prior to the election.
Labor’s plan to reduce safety at ten regional airports
The Labor Party’s aviation policy shows again why it cannot be trusted to govern Australia.
The policy makes it clear that Labor would reduce aviation safety at ten major regional airports, compared to the level of safety under a re-elected Coalition Government.
The Coalition government has directed Airservices Australia to install new radar facilities at Albury, Alice Springs, Coffs Harbour, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Launceston, Mackay, Maroochydore, Rockhampton and Tamworth.
The radar facilities will include primary and secondary surveillance radar, terminal control area workstations in the main Airservices Australia air traffic control centres, towers displays and VHF radio and communications links.
The new radar equipment will increase safety for the 3.8 million passengers a year who travel through these airports.
Labor would rescind the direction. It would not require Airservices Australia to install the radar equipment at these airports, because it says it would be too expensive. It is a shocking and cynical decision; it shows that Labor cannot be trusted with critical issues like aviation safety.
(See also: Dick Smith's letter to Minister John Anderson re Class C approach radar, Minister getting Department support for Class C approach radar back down)
