GYROPLANE CONTRACT MUSTERING - NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS

[gyroo]

Greetings,In response to the representations ASRA has been making to various federal parliamentarians and agricultural lobby groups, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has called on the ASRA Board to mount a safety case to justify why regulatory reform should occur to allow ASRA to administer the activities of persons operating gyroplanes for hire in mustering operations over property not owned by them or members of their immediate family, commonly known as "contract mustering".Currently, "contract mustering" is an activity that falls outside the current regulatory scheme applying to gyroplanes, and consequently is "underground" or "clandestine" in nature. ASRA is lobbying hard to allow for this "underground industry" to gain legitimacy.One of the major difficulties faced by ASRA in its negotiations with CASA is that the real total of mustering hours flown per year is not accurately known (although information gathered from a variety of anecdotal sources over several years suggests that a figure of around 120,000 hours per annum is involved).Many contract musterers have only had involvement with ASRA during the brief period where they sought out training, after which their membership lapsed.The ASRA Board is now calling upon those current ASRA members who presently undertake contract mustering to identify themselves discreetly to either Paul Campbell, Allan Wardill, Brian Reid or Mark Regan and to especially spread the word to their compatriots outside ASRA that we are undertaking a big information gathering exercise to1) better establish the breadth and scope of the contract mustering industry generally;(2) to reliably ascertain from direct sources the number of contract mustering hours flown per year;(3) to identify what problems the fact that the industry is currently "clandestine" causes operators; and(4) to identify what are the areas of common operational and safety concern between operators.We urge everyone involved with contract mustering to help us. We already have a fair idea of who amongst our members is involved. Once we start getting responses we will devise a process for "de-identifying" the information being provided to us. Hopefully this will promote a greater degree of candour and co-operation from contract musterers. At no time will the ASRA Board convey information to CASA that would or could identify the contributor, with the sole exception of where the contributor has given written express approval to the ASRA Board that identifying information can be passed on to CASA for a specific purpose or purposes.Thanking you all in advance,Mark ReganMelbourneAt the request of and on behalf of the ASRA Board.

[aussie_paul]

Excellent Mark, good luck with it.Aussie Paul.

[gyroo]

Thanks Paul,It"s been a long time coming, but the aviation regulatory world is heading for a big shakeup due mainly to the astonishing advances in technology such as drones and RPVs, and the fact that farmers and station owners all over the country are clamouring to take up the new technologies, but much of the current "commercial purposes" focus of the restrictive current legislation is frustrating many, many of them. Critical mass, I suspect, is just around the corner.The current Air Operators Certificate focus by CASA has had the dual effects of stifling innovation and further entrenching already entrenched business interests such as the established helicopter mustering industry. We all know gyros can usually muster as well or even better than helicopters for about 1/4 the cost. Rural Australia knows that, but apparently this obvious fact is obscured by the Canberra fog.I predict the old snail"s pace process of regulatory reform (going way back to your presidential days and even further back) will largely fall by the wayside soon because the pace of change is so swift.MR

[MadMuz]

Thanks to you and all the execs for their hard work and effort.... Lets hope the outcome is a good one and swift Fingers crossed

[birdy]

Only one point, should the ultralight FWers and non GA helies be in the loop?You want critical mass? I know more usen FWs and non commercial choppys than gyros these days.CASA needs to realise that in the real world, if its go,n to do the same job, or better, at less cost, itll get first option everytime, no matter wot CASA threats.Im sure if you could catch your cows ina hot air balloon, you use one.The type of craft shouldnt come into it.Only thing i can see them realisticaly instisting is single occupants only.

[gyroo]

Birdy, under our present Constitution and under the regulations applicable to us, we deal with gyroplanes only.But, it is under quite advanced conceptual discussion that ASRA will have to morph itself into an organisation more reflective of today"s circumstances and the circumstances identifiable in the medium term future coming at us from several directions because of rapidly evolving technology. In particular, ASRA (or whatever it will ultimately be called) will need to be reconstituted to cater for both "airwork" (such as contract mustering, as well as certain types of aerial survey) on top of the traditional "recreation". Some constitutional redrafts I"ve been toying with also incorporate a sub-division for single seat helicopters as well as a sub-division for really unconventional aircraft such as VTOL ducted fan types.If we don"t adapt, then we"ll be left behind. CASA is experiencing the same phenomenon.Of course, such dramatic changes would require a plebiscite from members to bring to reality.Cheers,Mark R

[MadMuz]

Hey, keep your hands of my plebiscite, I haven"t finished with it yet ;DYeah, I was thinking ASRA can only really deal with gyros, ASRA could maybe "team up" with other FW entities to boost numbers (clout) but really, gyros is all that is important to us as it stands. It will be interesting to see if ASRA gets to include the small personal and kit helicopters in the future, or if people start making personal "quadri-copters" or something, they seem to be big in the RC world, I suppose sooner or later someone will come up with one big enough to fly in?I am just wondering when someone is going to come up with retractible undercarriage on gyros also?

[AirWolf]

I think ASRA should look at administering light sport helicopters as part of a broader rotary wing category, there are growing numbers of single place helicopters that are suitable for mustering / surveillance etc. with Mosquito Helicopters becoming very proactive in Australia. Obviously I have a vested interest in this, but support for these aircraft is almost non existent . My thoughts, Ray.

[birdy]

If we don"t adapt, then we"ll be left behind. CASA is experiencing the same phenomenon.You mean CASA have actualy realised they are prehistoric?? This isa turnup. And as Muz pointed out, i didnt mean asra speak for FWers, but get them on side.

[bones]

I hope something comes of it, but i not going to hold my breath

[MadMuz]

ASRA is the body governing "Sport Rotorcraft" so I cant see why they shouldn"t be covering single place helicopters already.... aren"t they sport rotorcraft?

[Brian]

ASRA is the body governing "Sport Rotorcraft" so I cant see why they shouldn"t be covering single place helicopters already.... aren"t they sport rotorcraft? Not sure about what catagory they come under but we do have some plans in place but need someone who knows these light helicopter & their operations to come in as operations manager. That would help no end towards getting these machines into ASRA. As you can appreciate its going to take a fair bit of leg work to get them incorporated but having said that, the whole aviation [ specially in the light stuff] world is changing dramatically so I can see ASRA being very difernt in the years to come from what it is today!!

[birdy]

Spose that bloke needs to have one of them........, wotchcallit, .......lisence thingys?

[aggro]

I have not been following the thread from the start, but why change from the status quo?There has been work done over the years by gyro"s, I support asra and the need for all machines to be registered.But for the bloke doing a bit of work in a gyro, how is having the industry regulated going to assisthim. I"m sure there will insurance, the cost of machine & public liability. Maintaince, and the list willsurely go on to become complient. Not wanting a pat on the back from some polly or some sort of recognition. If the practice continues "as is", and it is not getting pushed into the faces of people who can make life uncomfortable for those that work gyros, why change?Coming off a few rough years in a row, there is not the coin in the industry to cop an increase to cover becoming complient. The companies can cop it, but they arealready using choppers. It"s the small, private cocky"s that this will hurt.I"m happy to crawl back under my rock, but as I see the need for change is only going to make things hard than they need to be. Aggro

[birdy]

Startn to think the same Aggro.Wen you consider that casa is all bout protecting wot they milk now, sure as hell they aint go,n to let an efficiant safe alternative cut the gravy off.Im go,n backk under my rock too i recon.Ill come out wen the depression hits n all the money termites have died off.