Time to re-engage

Aviation is still highly engaging even for those whose only connection is being a passenger.

Take the excellent entertainment systems in economy class now being offered by some international and domestic carriers.

These are fundamentally changing the long-haul experience and should prove to be a sound investment as passenger numbers increase. There is nowrecognition across the industry that you cannot treat passengers like battery hens and expect them to keep buying your product.

Even normal-sized people were finding flying excruciatingly uncomfortable. The attitude to passengers is now changing for the better and should be encouraged.

At the other end of the scale GA is struggling in the commercial and private sectors. As this important area is where the industry learns most of its foundation skills, it should never be taken for granted or neglected.

On the positive side, CASA has set up a GA taskforce and its conclusions are eagerly anticipated. And feedback from industry has encouraged CASA to take a more reasonable approach to smaller aviation companies in areas such as drug and alcohol testing. This is a welcome trend.

Over the past 20 years or so commercial and private aviation have diverged considerably with the latter becoming almost prohibitively expensive for most young people.

Where an aspirant pilot would once try private flying as a first step, it is now more common for the commercial path to be the first choice — if the student is lucky enough to have the funds available. The change is certainly a loss for private GA in this country.

Aviation engineers have been better supported during their training and this is reflected in the lifetime commitment many have made to the industry. The challenge now is to replenish our rapidly ageing engineering group.

It is an exciting career but not one particularly well understood by school leavers. It is worth considering how we can make strategic use of retired engineers, perhaps through fora at which they could share their professional experience with young people.

All long-term technical careers need commitment, determination and enthusiasm. These qualities — and how they manifest in a career — need to be discussed along with the subject matter.

Australia still has the ability to take a leadership role in aviation, particularly across our region. Asian and Pacific countries are increasingly reliant on reliable aviation systems to grow their economies.

Australia’s aviation industry is very mature and has much to offer on training and providing experience to the next generation of aviation professionals, whether they be engineers, pilots, air traffic controllers or in the emerging areas of airport management and security.

Queensland and Victoria have been particularly active on these fronts but there is still plenty opportunity for the other States.

The RAAA will again hold its national meeting and convention at Coolum, Queensland from 10-12 October. If you have the slightest interest in regional aviation products, operations or policies you will not want to miss this event.

Manufacturers will be displaying their latest wares and as regional aviation now encompasses everything from international routes to ab initio training, there will be something for everyone. You also will not want to miss out on the outstanding social program.

All the relevant details are on the RAAA website. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.