Spitfire at 80, idiots in East Anglia etc

[Rheged]

Some odds and ends from the BBC today.

Spitfire at 80

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35730269

East Anglian idiocy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-35716722



New air show rules

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35726583

USAAF   WW2 photos

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-35699521

[PR19_Kit]

East Anglian idiocy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-35716722

What it needs is one of the military aircraft targeted to fire a missile back down the beam. THAT would concentrate the minds of other morons on not doing it. The morons concerned in the initial targeting wouldn't be a problem of course.....

New air show rules

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35726583

Larger shows with 31 or more displays face a possible increase from £2,695 to more than £20,000, including a new flying display post-event charge of up to £15,000.

HOW much?  

Why am I thinking this is a thinly veiled attempt to improve the CAA's own finances? At that rate the show organisers will crank the prices up to the public, who in turn will say 'Stuff you!' and the shows will go out of business, thus cutting off the short term revenue stream for the CAA. But then they can get rid of an entire department and save themselves a fortune.

'Improved Safety' my foot.  

And what's a 'post event' charge about anyway?

They took a lot of notice of the 5 day 'public consultation' too, didn't they? Yeah, right............

[Leading Observer]

Larger shows with 31 or more displays face a possible increase from £2,695 to more than £20,000, including a new flying display post-event charge of up to £15,000.

HOW much?  

Why am I thinking this is a thinly veiled attempt to improve the CAA's own finances? At that rate the show organisers will crank the prices up to the public, who in turn will say 'Stuff you!' and the shows will go out of business, thus cutting off the short term revenue stream for the CAA. But then they can get rid of an entire department and save themselves a fortune.

'Improved Safety' my foot.  

And what's a 'post event' charge about anyway?

They took a lot of notice of the 5 day 'public consultation' too, didn't they? Yeah, right............
[/quote]

There's "Safety" and then there is daylight robbery Anyone would think the CAA want to kill off Airshows completely.

[PR19_Kit]

There's "Safety" and then there is daylight robbery Anyone would think the CAA want to kill off Airshows completely.

EXACTLY!

[Leading Observer]

I was so incensed I wrote to my MP! Not that it will do any good, but at least I have vented my anger

Dear Mr Burt,

CAA Changes to Airshow fees

The following news item appeared on the BBC News website today:

The CAA says charges will be increased for air show organisers to fund
the new safety measures, due to come into force from 1 April.

Larger shows with 31 or more displays face a possible increase from
£2,695 to more than £20,000, including a new flying display post-event
charge of up to £15,000.

Whilst I appreciate that there may be the need for increased regulation
following the Shoreham crash, I cannot understand how the CAA can
justify increasing their fees to such an extent. A cynical person might
well suspect that it is either an effort by the CAA to bolster their
finances and/or a deliberate attempt to kill off Airshows once and for
all.

Yours sincerely,

[Captain Canada]

Good call. That is defo an attempt at, basically, extortion. Pay this or you don't play. Hopefully the MPs look into it. Especially considering how much revenue a large event generates.

[Leading Observer]

Got a reply today, dated 8th March 2016, from Alistair Burt, my MP as follows:

Thank you for contacting me recently about air display charges.

I understand that proposals to change the charges for air displays are being considered to help the Civil Aviation Authority recover the costs of the planned increase in resources in 2016. this follows the actions required from the Air Display Review and potential recommendations from the Air Accident Investigation Branch's report into the Shoreham air show crash in 2015.

After the accident at Shoreham air show last summer the Civil Aviation Authority began a thorough review examining every aspect of civil air display safety and recently announced a series of measures that will enhance the safety of UK air shows. These measures ensure that no air show will go ahead without being subject to an enhanced risk assessment, and having to comply with tighter requirements for training, oversight and notification.

A consultation on the proposed charges for air displays and low flying permissions runs until the end of the month, and I weould urge you to respond to the consultation here http://www.caa.co.uk/Our-work/Consultations/Open/Statutory-air-display-and-low-flying-permission-charges/

I hope this is helpful and thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Kind regards

Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP

So [1] it looks like the CAA have jumped the gun on the AAIB report and seized an opportunity to increase revenue, hoping to sneak it in under the radar and [2] cut down the number of air shows taking place in future [ensure that no air show will go ahead without being subject to an enhanced risk assessment, and having to comply with tighter requirements for training, oversight and notification].

I would have responded to the consultation as suggested by Mr Burt, but unfortunately the end of the month Mr Burt refers to was February 29th and the consultation has now closed

[rickshaw]

So, they have been caught hiding the proposal in a locked filing cabinet in the darkened basement guarded by a pet Leopard, have they?  Perhaps some direct action is called for?  Someone needs to take them to court and challenge their charges.

[PR19_Kit]

I would have responded to the consultation as suggested by Mr Burt, but unfortunately the end of the month Mr Burt refers to was February 29th and the consultation has now closed

Precisely my earlier point. The CAA's 'Public Consultation' was nothing of the  sort, it was just an attempt to whitewash their self-generated re-funding under the guise of a 'The Public agreed with it' statement.

The consultation period was less than a week long, and that included a weekend! Total rubbish.

[Nick]

It has just been announced that the Shoreham show organisers had no idea what form the Hunter display would take. The 2014 Hunter display went in directions it should not have but the pilot was not reprimanded.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35773975

"...higher fees being brought in by the regulator.

The CAA says the extra cash will pay for more staff to improve safety. Show organisers disagree, saying it's more of a money-making exercise. Both sides maintain that safety is their number one priority."

How does paying more money to the regulatory body enable the organisers to pay for more staff and better safety?

[PR19_Kit]

How does paying more money to the regulatory body enable the organisers to pay for more staff and better safety?

It doesn't, but it causes more shows to be cancelled as they can't afford the outrageous CAA fees so the CAA can get by with having their existing staff police their much more stringent 'regulations'......

[Gondor]

Got a reply today, dated 8th March 2016, from Alistair Burt, my MP as follows:

Thank you for contacting me recently about air display charges.

{edit}

I would have responded to the consultation as suggested by Mr Burt, but unfortunately the end of the month Mr Burt refers to was February 29th and the consultation has now closed

Perhaps you should reply to him to thank him for the information which was sent after the end of the public consultation period and end with wishing him the best of health while wishing that his ability to pass on information in a timely manner does not affect his health or the reporting of it's lack !

Gondor