ltdiver 3 #1 April 23, 2005 Just saw this on the news wire. Banned....Got back into the air with a successful appeal....Banned again? What gives? Locals opinion wanted. http://www.geelonginfo.com.au/readarticle.asp?articleid=15450 ltdiver Quote Ban on sky jumps Saturday, April 23 Rebecca Tucker SKYDIVE City has been shut down for one month after the company was found to have breached safety regulations. The Australian Parachute Federation has added another ban on the already-restricted company and its operator Luke McWilliam. Australia's aviation watchdog, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, earlier this month banned all parachutists jumping within a 4.8km radius of Barwon Heads Airport. That ban was imposed after repeated reports of safety breaches. But the federation's 28-day suspension only affects Skydive City and was made after allegations the company was last weekend jumping through cloud. The practice is banned under aviation safety regulations. Federation chief executive officer Graeme Windsor yesterday confirmed the ban. Mr Windsor said the federation's ruling effectively prevented Mr McWilliam and the company from taking to the skies. The federation is skydiving's representative body but also has delegated power from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to enforce safety rules. Authority spokesman Peter Gibson said Mr McWilliam remained under investigation to ensure he did not continue to breach safety regulations. The authority will consider a further ban on Skydive City if it finds the company does not abide by rules. The authority first tried to ban the company last year following more than 90 complaints against him since 1999. Mr McWilliam won a Federal Court appeal against the ban and has been in the skies until this week's suspension. He was last July given a good behaviour bond and ordered to pay Geelong Hospital $10,000 after he pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates' Court to 20 counts of jumping through cloud illegal under civil aviation regulations. Mr McWilliam did not return the Geelong Advertiser's calls yesterday. Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #2 February 24, 2008 3 years later, more trauma for Luke McWilliam. Sigh... http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/02/22/11588_news.html POLICE escorted skydive operator Luke McWilliam from Barwon Heads Airport yesterday after he refused to obey an eviction notice. Police were called to the airport when McWilliam refused to leave a leased hangar. It is understood he failed to make rent payments. The eviction came as South Barwon MP Michael Crutchfield urged the aviation watchdog to investigate Skydive City, owned by Mr McWilliam. Barwon Heads Airport management and users have been locked in a long-running feud with Mr McWilliam. Mr Crutchfield wrote a letter urging the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to act after Mr McWilliam's business recently used an illegal runway on his property next to the airport. Yesterday, several Bellarine police officers escorted the skydive boss to his neighbouring property after witnesses reported him becoming upset when the airport owner told him to leave. The eviction squeezes Mr McWilliam out of the airport. He was banned from using the airport landing strips last May _ forcing him to use an illegal airstrip on his property or on another private runway. An eviction notice from the landlord's lawyer, Martin Reid, of Geelong's Coulter Roache Lawyers, said Mr McWilliam was in breach of the lease and needed to vacate the hangar by yesterday. Mr McWilliam told the Geelong Advertiser yesterday he would only answer written questions by email and not before last night's deadline. Bellarine police were unable to provide further details, but cited the intervention as a ``civil matter''. Mr Crutchfield wrote to CASA yesterday after the aviation watchdog previously refused to act on the illegal airstrip which Mr McWilliam told City Hall was simply a ``road''. The MP's letter said Mr McWilliam's operations were questionable and that the aviation watchdog should review Skydive City's licensing and safety procedures. ``I believe these operations and activities not only potentially threaten other Barwon Heads Airport operators/pilots but also local communities which aircraft fly over,'' Mr Crutchfield wrote. ``In my view, CASA in the past have been slow to respond to complaints at this airfield and I would welcome your assistance in having this matter thoroughly investigated.'' The City of Greater Geelong was currently mounting a legal challenge on the illegal airstrip that was built without council approval. Mr McWilliam previously explained the airstrip was just ``a f------ paddock'' and recent excavations on his property part of a road network. Days later, 13 flights associated with Skydive City used the airstrip, located within 200m of the existing Barwon Heads Airport runway. Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
