A survey has shown that nearly 50% of the general public believes that CASA should exercise more oversight of private aviation, despite only 12% of the respondents having ever been on a private plane.
The result came in a Galaxy Research poll of the general public commissioned by CASA.
The survey population of 1019 revealed 49% believed CASA should supervise private flights more closely, 21% were in favour of no change and 29% didn't know.
In a previous question, only 20% of respondents said they were completely confident in private aviation, with 35% reasonably confident and 22% not confident at all.
Reasons contributing to a lack of confidence included aeroplane crashes reported on the news (28%), less regulation (17%) and the feeling that smaller aircraft are simply unsafe (17%).
The survey results were similar for charter operators, where 54% said CASA needed to regulate more closely and 20% are satisfied with the status quo. Only 22% said they had ever been on a charter flight. The sector also seems to be suffering from the impression that smaller aeroplanes are less safe.
The full report is available on the CASA website.