Neha Jain: http://newzealandaviationnews.blogspot.com/ 29

1. Sit and rotate, South Africa

Apparently it’s your fault, my fault and the fault of everyone else who ever considered the word “choke” part of polite conversation.

Says our coach that, because of that tormented label, they had failed to put a rather average New Zealand team to the sword.

I wonder, coach, where’s that “up yours” attitude that has made civilisation what it is today? When they told Amelia Earhart that flying across the Atlantic was not a woman’s place did she apologise for having a dream, retiring quietly to the kitchen for a future of apple pie and mom’s best biscuits? Did she swap her aviation ambitions for domestic bliss? Did she trade her leathers for an apron and a friggen floral skirt?

Hell no boss man, she raised 1 x middle finger to her pubic naysayers and went on to become a legend of her time.

When the Springboks faced an All Black team that was twice as good and three times as polished in the 1995 World Cup final did they attempt to just “stay in touch”, save face, hold on for dear life, emerge from the battle with their honour intact, or did they raise one times gigantic finger of stubborn resilience – getting in the face of the opposition and grinding out a famous win that united this land? Eh?

Hell even Julius Malema, a perennial underachiever and guaranteed imbecile has managed to carve a profitable existence out for himself.

Just because someone calls you an empty vessel of political rhetoric with little or no value to add to a modern democracy, a forgotten child of a revolution long dead, a power-hungry mongrel and perfect example of everything that is wrong with African politics, it does not mean you cannot rise to the top of the steaming pile of corruption and lawlessness that is the ANC.

Whatever we may think of the kid, he’s got some balls.

So I ask you this Corrie, “Why do you guys allow yourselves to be intimidated by a word?”

The fact of the matter is a simple one sir. Most South Africans will not begrudge their team for losing a game against opposition that played better on the day, as long as their team played a reasonable game themselves...and as long as the loss is not against the international equivalent of the Upington under 19C team.

When you fold in a messed heap chasing a score most provincial teams would have managed at a canter it says little about your ability and skill chief - but everything about your attitude, your lack of self belief and good old fashioned “**** you” spirit of resilience that has enabled humanity to conquer the highest mountains, discover new lands and reach for the stars.

When you say “it’s your fault” for using a frivolous word to describe the team’s psyche it sends out the message that this group of talented sportsmen are soft of mind and meek of heart. When you point to the shackles of the past as the ball and chain that stops our boys from achieving the success we all dream of, it says that we are a people who live in the past, who fear the future, who dare not take one giant leap...

I don’t buy that.

Here’s to that wondrous day when this team asks us to sit and rotate. I know I’d be more than happy to oblige.

2. Waiting for a Skyhawk
March 30 2011

The Ashburton Aviation Museum is waiting with bated breath in anticipation of Defence Minister Wayne Mapp's decision on the Government's mothballed Skyhawks.

Museum president Ron McFarlane believes the Government will make a decision on the Skyhawks within the next two weeks, and he is hoping one is headed this way.
He said the museum has been keen to acquire a Skyhawk ever since they were retired 10 years ago.
Mr McFarlane said the museum's hangers were filling up fast and the Skyhawk was a large plane, but was a more than welcome addition and important piece of New Zealand jet aviation.
He was unsure of the cost involved to secure and transport one of the Skyhawks from Blenheim, if they were to be made available to New Zealand aviation museums.
The 17 Skyhawks have been stored pending the Government's option to sell the aircraft to a suitable bidder.
American company Tactical Air Services has been in negotiations with the New Zealand Government for several years to purchase the aircraft, but had not come up with the money to secure them by the December deadline last year.

3. Handling ageing staff a thorny issue
How then do employers deal with an increasingly ageing work force? And when do employees hear the voice of friends and say to themselves "the work is done"?

The starting point is that it is unlawful to discriminate on the basis of age under the Human Rights Act 1993.

In July 2009 the Supreme Court of New Zealand found in McAlister v Air New Zealand Ltd that the airline had discriminated against Mr McAlister on the grounds of age.

He had reached the age of 60, which according to International Civil Aviation Codes, was too old to be a pilot-in-command.

The Supreme Court agreed with the Employment Court which found unlawful discrimination on basis of age. Air New Zealand was ordered to reinstate Mr McAlister and work around any international age restrictions.

In a difficult economic climate, there is less turnover of staff. There is now a growing tension for employers between pressure of junior staff seeking promotion and the decisions of older workers to remain in their jobs.

It is not that experience and dedication are not appreciated, but in order to grow, businesses need a healthy churn of staff.

Companies need to move and expand. They need to attract young people who will innovate and evolve the business.

They can not do this if they can't offer these employees promotion and opportunities to develop.

Then there is the issue of those employees who are no longer able to cope with jobs that they previously excelled in.

Inevitably, most of us slow down, and become less adaptable to new situations and technology.

The absence of a compulsory retirement age leaves employers with a quandary. In the past, there was a natural expectation that employees would retire at 65, and therefore some slowing of performance may have been tolerated where employees were near retirement age.

4. Week of safety talks

OVER 30 participants from civil aviation organisations across the Pacific are meeting at the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji headquarters in Nadi to discuss ways of improving regional air transportation systems and services.

Speaking at the opening of the week-long International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Development of National Performance Framework for Air Navigation System workshop, permanent secretary for Public Enterprises, Tourism and Communication Elizabeth Powell said safety in the provision of air transport was paramount because of the high importance placed on tourism passenger safety.

"For countries, such as ours, for which tourism is a key industry, it is equally important to implement measures that ensure environmental sustainability if we are to grow our economy and improve the quality of life for our people," she said.

Ms Powell said collaboration and consultation between CAAF and Airports Fiji Limited had recently seen the development of a National Performance Framework based on the ICAO's stringent requirements.

"This document will be revised at the completion of this workshop and will be expanded to include issues unique to Fiji's domestic operating environment," she explained.

Participants from Fiji, New Zealand, Nauru, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are attending the workshop facilitated by the Pacific Aviation Safety Office and ICAO.

NEHA JAIN

International Airlines Training Expo