GAA - Page 3

Farewell to stalwart aviator Walter Wagtendonk

May 18, 2018

Walter J Wagtendonk passed away peacefully at the Waipuna Hospice in the Tauranga area in the early hours of 18 May, aged 88. He was a former RNZAF Flight Leiutenant, a highly respected flying instructor and the author of many books on aviation. He came to New Zealand as a 21-year-old in late 1951 and the following year was accepted for pilot training in …

No apologies for acting in the public interest, says the CAA

April 5, 2018

The CAA has now had the opportunity to consider the material presented by the Des Lines and Brian Mackie including their “Overview” document and the results of their “Client Satisfaction” survey. The CAA welcomes feedback on its performance. As a responsible state sector entity, the CAA must – and does – operate in an environment of accountability to the public, whose interests it ultimately …

Shocking, insane and incompetent: Customers condemn the ‘toxic’ CAA

The full results of the GAA’s independent survey of CAA client satisfaction have been published. The report reveals significant disapproval and disquiet. On virtually all questions seeking a rating of 0 (no satisfaction) to 10 (very high), the Authority scored below 5 and in some cases, such as cost control, less than 2. The CAA is described by some GA customers as “shocking”, “insane”, …

We’re calling for a public inquiry into the CAA

The GAA is seeking a public inquiry into the Civil Aviation Authority. On 5 April, the GAA released a report detailing known and alleged CAA failures and shortcomings and another showing the results of the independent CAA client satisfaction survey. The dossier of failures and shortcomings has taken about six years to compile. It contains evidence of failures by the Authority and its governing …

Welcome to the new-look website

April 1, 2018

We have redesigned the website’s ‘look and feel’, for quicker access to the headline news and easier use of other features. At the same time, we’ve changed the typeface to make everything more readable. After being in the air for six years, we thought the website needed a refresh. And we’ve quietly changed from being ‘the General Aviation Advocacy group of New Zealand’ to …

A startling near-miss, but the CAA’s still nowhere in sight

March 29, 2018

This cockpit video recording shows a close shave between two light aircraft, operating somewhere in uncontrolled airspace in New Zealand*. It was taken on a GoPro-type camera in a club aircraft. The two aircraft involved were on a collision course at virtually the same altitude. The near-miss mightily alarmed the crew with the camera, who reported it on a CA005 incident form. But what’s …

2018 January-February Bulletin

March 1, 2018

Urgent warning: Meet this amnesty deadline, or face a hefty fine If you are a commercial or private GA aircraft operator, you need to know right now about the New Zealand CAA’s bizarre behaviour regarding overdue operating reports. The Authority recently began issuing infringement notices and fines to commercial operators who did not send in their quarterly aircraft operating statistics on time. The fine …

A worrying picture of systemic inconsistency at the CAA

January 13, 2018

Inconsistent actions and conflicting demands by Civil Aviation Authority officials are causing confusion and stress, wasting time and costing the CAA and its customers thousands of dollars, says a report. In a 5000-word document sent to CAA Director Graeme Harris, exposition-writing consultants Walter Wagtendonk and Ian Wood highlight – and reject – the behaviour of some CAA personnel who assess Air Operator Certification applications …

Pilot shortage: Australia to relax visa laws to attract foreign pilots

January 1, 2018

AAP, 28 December 2017 Foreign pilots will once again be allowed into Australia on working visas to help address a shortage that threatens to ground aircraft and cancel flights. The occupations eligible for foreign worker visas were slashed during a government shake-up in April but from next month, pilots will once again be granted access after concerns about the national shortage. The Regional Aviation …

2017 December Bulletin

December 31, 2017

The ‘Empty-skies-are-safe-skies’ policy is killing Aussie aviation (and New Zealand has the same symptoms) By DICK SMITH in The Australian, 28 December 2017 I don’t think you should ever regard aviation safety as what is affordable. — Australian Federal transport minister John Anderson, October 5, 2000 I welcome the appointment of Barnaby Joyce as Australia’s new Transport Minister. He certainly has a challenge in …

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