Where is the policy?

Policy is the heart and soul of good government and including industry in its development is more critical today than ever.

Regular changes of Minister are not helpful in developing good policy and locking in clear schedules for change. With our third Minister in recent months, AAAA is hopeful that we might now be able to get some highlevel policy work done.

The stalled GA Advisory Group is under the direct control of the Department of Infrastructure. Despite delivery of the BITRE Report into GA (as limp as it was) that group has not met since June 2017. Maybe its acronym – GAAG – is more accurate than first thought.

Also under Departmental control is the ‘Modernising Airspace Protection’ project. A good discussion paper was released in December 2016, submissions were received but since then there has been no policy output or discussion.

Of course, that does not mean progress has totally stopped. AAAA, along with other associations participating in the very successful TAAAF processes, is continuing to develop policies and take them forward to CASA and others – with increasingly positive results.

AAAA believes even a modest amount of ministerial attention to key aviation issues – such as training and licencing, the pilot and LAME shortage, simplifying regulations and removing red tape would make a significant contribution to aviation outcomes.

Aviation could be an economic and jobs star for any government willing to look at harmonisation of regulations and encouragement of sectors such as training, design and manufacturing of aviation products. Australia has the runs on the board, but at a cost that hampers our competitiveness.

As always, AAAA looks forward to working with our new Minister and Deputy Prime Minister the Hon Michael McCormack.

AAAA CONVENTION REGOS OPEN

Delegate registrations are now open for the AAAA Convention and Trade Show and are available from the AAAA website. The Convention will be on the 30th and 31st of May at Seaworld Resort at the Gold Coast.

‘Policy is the heart and soul of good government.’

Expanding capabilities

Night firefighting among recent achievements for AHIA members

It has been a busy and exciting period across the helicopter industry. On the regulatory front negotiations with CASA have enabled significant changes to the training regs, in particular Parts 141 and 142. Once these changes are finalised it will mean a more efficient and possibly cheaper training path for students and helicopter school operators.

Night firefighting trials are well underway and are being closely evaluated by CASA. These new skills and capabilities are a major step forward in a fire prone country such as Australia. The ability to attack fires and defend homes at night will mean a significant expansion of the armoury available to the fire authorities.

Australia’s helicopter operators are some of the best in the world and it is fitting that they should again be at the forefront of developing new capabilities to save lives and properties.

The AHIA maintains regular dialogue with firefighting authorities in search of operational improvements that will bring aerial firefighting assets to bear more swiftly. This conversation continues year-round but the debriefings that occur at the end of each fire season are particularly important. Many AHIA members contribute to these vital feedback sessions and their input is valued highly.

The musical chair that is the aviation minister position has been filled again and the AHIA welcomes the new Minister to his extensive responsibilities. Aviation is not mentioned specifically in his title so it will be encumbent on all aviation sectors to remind the government frequently that commercial aviation, rotary and fixed wing, is one of the foundation industries of our economy. Even with recently improved efforts by the government aviation agencies, commercial aviation is still tied up in regulatory knots. The industry urgently requires a straightforward simplified rule set written in plain English if it is to grow and attract the talented young people now needed to design, maintain and operate all types of commercial aircraft.

The AHIA received a good hearing from the company managing the huge Western Sydney Airport (WSA) project. Helicopter industry leaders will work closely with the WSA team to ensure that the helicopter facilities at the airport are fit for purpose and allow for a broad range of roles and industry expansion. This is a large and long term project but the AHIA will be there throughout the design phases.

The bi-annual Rotortech 2018 is fast approaching. Check out the regularly updated Rotortech website and the impressive speaker program. Chuck Aaron, the famous Red Bull aerobatic helicopter pilot, is a key-note speaker and not one to be missed.

‘Since then there have been many achievements.’