RAAus head office.

[BurnieM]

Yes, group G was about 2 years too late to make a difference.

RAAus spent a lot of time doing group G paperwork/manuals and med class 5 took the main driver away from pilots.

 

Would really like to hear what RAAus are doing to drive the Controlled Airspace endorsement.

Waiting for CASA sounds hollow.

They are in the same city, drive 20 minutes to their office and talk to them, every day. Drive it.

 

Edited September 19 by BurnieM

[facthunter]

THAT was Part of the IDEA of Locating there initially.  Nev

[Spriteah]

RAAus elections - Have you voted?

Just reminder to vote. It literally takes 10 seconds.

Search your emails for "Vero Voting". Follow link and tick on two names.

 

I would like you to vote for me (Jim Tatlock) and also endorse James MacDonald.

 

Recently RAAus has had very serious criticism directed towards it from a Victorian Coroner. I believe at this stage around $500K of members money has been spent on legal fees in the last few years, this figure is likely to climb significantly.

 

If elected I will try to ensure RAAus is functioning well, risks are mitigated and try to build a better relationship with the regulators whilst holding onto our freedoms. RAAus has also been running at a deficit. When I was last on the board I help turn similar issues around, I am eager to try to contribute again to ensure RAAus remains financially stable and ethically run.

 

If you are an RAAus member please vote to have your say on the future of the organisation!

[T510]

6 hours ago, BurnieM said:

Yes, group G was about 2 years too late to make a difference.

RAAus spent a lot of time doing group G paperwork/manuals and med class 5 took the main driver away from pilots.

 

Would really like to hear what RAAus are doing to drive the Controlled Airspace endorsement.

Waiting for CASA sounds hollow.

They are in the same city, drive 20 minutes to their office and talk to them, every day. Drive it.

 

Waiting for CASA is a real thing, I have an approval request currently submitted and their current target processing time in the RPAS department is 300 business days

[BurnieM]

A group representing 10,000 pilots should be able to have a discussion with one of CASAs 800 staff at any time, particularly when they are doing work that really should be done by CASA.

 

The controlled airspace is only an issue because of Western Sydneys proposed opening in December 2026.

I estimate that the current instructors in Newcastle, Sydney metro and the Illawarra would take 2 years to train up pilots wanting this endorsement.

Yes, we already have a problem.

 

[facthunter]

You Certainly do in "that Part of the world". Nev

[skippydiesel]

56 minutes ago, BurnieM said:

A group representing 10,000 pilots should be able to have a discussion with one of CASAs 800 staff at any time, particularly when they are doing work that really should be done by CASA.

 

The controlled airspace is only an issue because of Western Sydneys proposed opening in December 2026.

I estimate that the current instructors in Newcastle, Sydney metro and the Illawarra would take 2 years to train up pilots wanting this endorsement.

Yes, we already have a problem.

 

Please expand on "The controlled airspace is only an issue because of Western Sydneys proposed opening in December 2026."

 

"I estimate that the current instructors in Newcastle, Sydney metro and the Illawarra would take 2 years to train up pilots wanting this endorsement"

 

Does this mean each pilot will tale two year to obtain a Controlled Airspace endorsement ?

OR

The number of instructors is such, that they will take two years to train all who want the endorsement?

😈

[BurnieM]

All Sydney metro airspace becomes group D (it is being described as D+) or C.

You will need to be on a VFR flight plan going north or south or anywhere in the Sydney basin or make a big detour out west.

 

I am guessing the controlled airspace endorsement will be 5? hours and

"The number of instructors is such, that they will take two years to train all who want the endorsement"

 

We are down to 14 months left if the airspace changes do not occur till December 2026. Most likely they will occur earlier.

 

 

[skippydiesel]

I dint know what I have done with the Sydney Basin airspace changes, that I received however from aged /poor memory:

• Victor 1 remains as was/is
• There is a new VFR "corridor" from the vicinity of Campbelltown - Bankstown - Paramatta, connecting with the existing north/south corridors to to/from Patonga/ Brooklyn Bridge.
• There may be an "informal"  western N/S access over Warragamba Dam to/from Katoomba.

All of the above require the pilot to take increased risk ie the options for a survivable emergency landing are very much reduced.

 

Seems to me that this is not so diffrent from what we have today, in that VFR aircraft wishing to exit the Sydney basin to the West or North, are required to fly at ridiculously low levels over the city sprawl, sea or the expanse of the National Parks to the west.

 

The safe option is and remains, to exit via Mittagong area however this may lengthen your flight time by a significant amount.

 

My concern, flying out of The Oaks, is not exiting/entering the Sydney Basin but the possible increased aircraft congestion that may arise due to changes to the Bankstown/Camden training area being pushed south and shrinking. 

 

Seems to me, as a minimum safety standard for, ALL, aircraft operating within the Sydney Basin;

• The carriage of functional Transponders & two channel Transceivers, must be made mandator.
• The Oaks inbound reporting point to Camden, be relocated (south?) well away from the airfield, to reduce the existing , multiple, daily, unannounced overflying.
• All aircraft, operating below the Sydney (& future WS) CTR steps, be on the same frequency - at the moment there appears to be 5  possible combinations (Area / Camden / Bankstown / The Oaks / Wedderburn)

😈

[Thruster88]

7 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

I dint know what I have done with the Sydney Basin airspace changes, that I received however from aged /poor memory:

• Victor 1 remains as was/is
• There is a new VFR "corridor" from the vicinity of Campbelltown - Bankstown - Paramatta, connecting with the existing north/south corridors to to/from Patonga/ Brooklyn Bridge.
• There may be an "informal"  western N/S access over Warragamba Dam to/from Katoomba.

All of the above require the pilot to take increased risk ie the options for a survivable emergency landing are very much reduced.

 

Seems to me that this is not so diffrent from what we have today, in that VFR aircraft wishing to exit the Sydney basin to the West or North, are required to fly at ridiculously low levels over the city sprawl, sea or the expanse of the National Parks to the west.

 

The safe option is and remains, to exit via Mittagong area however this may lengthen your flight time by a significant amount.

 

My concern, flying out of The Oaks, is not exiting/entering the Sydney Basin but the possible increased aircraft congestion that may arise due to changes to the Bankstown/Camden training area being pushed south and shrinking. 

 

Seems to me, as a minimum safety standard for, ALL, aircraft operating within the Sydney Basin;

• The carriage of functional Transponders & two channel Transceivers, must be made mandator.
• The Oaks inbound reporting point to Camden, be relocated (south?) well away from the airfield, to reduce the existing , multiple, daily, unannounced overflying.
• All aircraft, operating below the Sydney (& future WS) CTR steps, be on the same frequency - at the moment there appears to be 5  possible combinations (Area / Camden / Bankstown / The Oaks / Wedderburn)

😈

Agree with the adsb bit. To have all vfr octa aircraft in the Sydney basin on one frequency in the hope that those 10 or 20 or 30 aircraft will be able to arrange any kind of separation is ludicrous.   

[skippydiesel]

"To have all vfr octa aircraft in the Sydney basin on one frequency in the hope that those 10 or 20 or 30 aircraft will be able to arrange any kind of separation is ludicrous. "

 

The problem at the moment is that aircraft in close proximity often cant communicate;

• Single frequency radio that is not the same as the closing aircraft.
• Duel frequency radio,  may be listening on Area frequency, communicating on another that is diffrent to the closing aircraft.

Aircraft over The Oaks airfield can be Oaks in Circuit/Arriving Departing on CTAF 126.7 / Sydney Centre 124.55, Descending into/Climbing out from Camden on 120.1 / Sydney Centre 124.55. Seperation can  be scarily close and no ability for the aircraft to communicate.