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John G

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  1. New Executive Announced July 9, 2013 | Mark Clayton The following Executive appointments have been confirmed: President: Rodney Birrell Treasurer: Jim Tatlock Secretary: Paul Middleton Election Statements were submitted by the nominees prior to voting, in accord with Resolution 08/52 (September 2008). These can be viewed within the Member’s portal. Mark Clayton Public Officer
  2. New Executive Announced July 9, 2013 | Mark Clayton The following Executive appointments have been confirmed: President: Rodney Birrell Treasurer: Jim Tatlock Secretary: Paul Middleton Election Statements were submitted by the nominees prior to voting, in accord with Resolution 08/52 (September 2008). These can be viewed within the Member’s portal. Mark Clayton Public Officer
  3. If one looks at the members web site regarding aircraft registrations it says more about what is being hidden from us, rather than the true state of affairs. I have a few members renting space in my hangar and in two cases they have had aircraft unregistered for weeks on end, and in one case two months! They have asked me a few questions that I can't answer for them. 1. I have paid my money two months ago and I still don't have my Rego, when it comes will it be dated the day it was due or when it was finally processed? 2. I have paid my insurance but unable to use my aircraft due to the incompetence of RA-Aus, can I sue them for my additional costs? I do not have the expertise to answer their questions so would appreciate those that have to provide some answers to their questions. Looking at the data provided on the RA-Aus members web site it is entirely meaningless and a total waste of staff time as it does not mention how many aircraft are currently unregistered. Registration Update 21/6/2013 June 25, 2013 | opsassist Number of new aircraft registrations processed since November 15th(when CASA reinstated our renewal approval) 93 Number of aircraft registration renewals processed since November 15th(when CASA reinstated our renewal approval) 1535 Number of aircraft registration renewals processed during preceding week(ended 21/06/2013) 34
  4. Actually x-wind capabilities of the Foxbat are one of the best I have seen. The earlier models had a 17 knot demonstrated capability. Personally, I tested 27 knots and bent the nose leg trying to land beating an unexpected hailstorm. Paid for the nose leg out of my own pocket as the insurance will not cover damage caused by exceeding the published aircraft limitations. The newer models have reduced their rudder area and I suspect won't have the absolute limits I have seen achieved. However I think 12-15 Kts capability is mor than adequate for most folks.
  5. Not so Fast! Having instructed students on a number of aircraft and having flown the Gazelle, my own opinion is that the Foxbat A22 should be awarded the honour. A very subjective assessment of course! I have instructed ab-initio in Drifters for a couple of thosand hours and Foxbats for some 1600 hours. IMHO I believe that the Foxbat, if anything is "too easy" to fly and that pilots trained on the Foxbat have had an easy run compared to other marques. So why do I use the Foxbat? An extremely safe aeroplane, particularly with a BRS fitted...and I got sick and tired of being windblown in the back seat of the Drifter. I still love to fly the Drifter from the front seat!
  6. I Have actually written to the Ra-Aus Board suggesting exactly that! I believe that ATSB is shirking their responsibility and hiding behind budgetary constraints when all air accidents/crashes should be thoroughly investigated as they are in England by the AAIB and in the US by the NTSB, where even lowly ultralight aircraft crashes are investigated. I had the temerity to suggest that the Board should get out of the weeds of accident investigation and concentrate on strategic issues, such as whether the ATSB should investigate all our accidents and got howled down for my efforts.
  7. I totally agree that we need to develop an RA-Aus Safety Management System (SMS) that is written professionally and takes into account our type of operations that addresses the safety issues our members are likely to face and not a CASA mandated system that is slanted towards commercial or charter operations. I have passed on to the RA-Aus Board the names of companies that are expert in the field; as opposed to someone that has experience in the mining industry and thinks that mining safety systems are readily converted to aviation. One of the companies I have recommended has extensive experience developing SMS packages for aviation acceptable to CASA and tailored to specific sectors of aviation. One company in particular, is headed by a current RA-Aus PE that lectures at university on development of SMS's and has a staff of experts with varying skill levels that can be utilised to develop a specifically tailored SMS for RA-Aus relatively quickly and sure to be acceptable to CASA.
  8. Turbs you must have missed a post or two. It was A/R that made the statement when you rightly jumped into Myles's defence and I simply said it was our business if Myles is claiming otherwise.
  9. I'll leave that up to the folks making the statement; however it shouldn't be too hard to prove, either he was employed or he wasn't.
  10. Turbs, I have a copy of the Email and have not posted it for the very reasons you cite!
  11. On the contrary Turbs it is our business when Myles claimed in his Email to the Board that he had resigned his normal "day" job to take up the appointment; when in fact he had been unemployed for a number of weeks before convincing Ed to give him the job.
  12. This is an Email I sent to the Board tonight: President and Board Members, Ed, et al, I met you all at the February Board meeting where I was Dave Caban's proxy. Hopefully you would have gained the impression that my main interest is ensuring that RA-Aus remains the vibrant and successful organisation that it has been over the last 30 years! I reminded the Board that this is our 30th Anniversary year and that we should be celebrating that and reminding our members of our the achievements of our pioneers and successive Boards of management that guided us through many challenges. Unfortunately, due to a quagmire of Board self-imposed problems, we have seemed to have forgotten to remember the great work achieved by our predecessors. The current Board will go down in history as having ditched our constitution and proper governance in successive knee-jerk reaction to a regulator that is acting illegally and outside their own rules. Not that most Board members would have had time to listen to recent proceedings in the Senate, where CASA's CEO John McCormick had to explain to the Senate why CASA had employed the Chief Pilot of Pel Air who was then allowed to have regulatory oversight of Pel Air within 2 years of leaving that organisation; against CASA's own rules and regulations! It would however have been instructive for Board members to hear CASA's CEO try to explain the lapse and the importance of why the principles of good governance exist. For RA-Aus Board members it is a salutatory reminder that good governance is "important" and should never be ignored or compromised; even when a perceived "emergency situation" exists. Instead of knee jerk reactions to each and every direction from CASA, the Board should have been carefully examining why the sudden spotlight and sudden discovery of skeletons that were placed by the very same people, now pointing at the skeletons! Had I still been on the executive or a member of the Board I would have been parked on CASA's doorstep crying FOUL! when both the ex CEO of RA-Aus and Ex OPS Manager were hired by CASA to head the newly established Sports Aviation Section to oversee the operations of RA-Aus; in contravention of their own rules. The resultant paralysis of the correct functioning of RA-Aus was apparent almost immediately from the ill-advised appointment of our Ex CEO and OPs Manager to positions in CASA overseeing RA-Aus. A decision against all of CASA's own governance regulations. Gentleman, you should all have been parked on CASA's doorstep and the Minister's protesting this basic breakdown of good governance. Appointing an Ex-Board member that was part of the executive and had a major controlling decision in appointing himself to a high salaried position in the employ of RA-Aus is an absolute breakdown of good governance; particularly when the rest of the Board is not consulted or informed until the decision has been made. Albeit, a totally illegal decision! Gentleman good governance insists that you reverse that decision; particularly if you want to hold CASA accountable to follow their own governance procedures and address the underlying issues on why RA-Aus has been reduced to a state of dysfunction due to CASA's own misguided action in hiring disgruntled ex RA-Aus employees that have a score to settle; or if they don't, it can certainly be perceived to be so to a casual observer or a Senate inquiry. Ed, in my discussions with you, you told me that you felt that you were backed into a corner by CASA and that Myles was the only one that could deliver the goods as demanded by CASA. I fully understand the position you thought you were in. As I told you then and I will tell you again; it was the absolute worst decision you could make. Wrong reason, wrong person! As I have tried to outline above, we have been tackling the problem from the wrong angle and feeling pressure when in fact we should have been fighting back. How do we fix it? First thing is to reverse the Myles appointment! The membership will never forgive you all if it is allowed to stand. "I continued the Email with contact names and suggestion of folk who could develop a tailored SMS for RA-Aus."
  13. Turbs, I do know the guy and you are being over generous in stating that there is no self-interest involved and that he is doing it for the members.
  14. Let's not forget that Myles was on the Exec at the time of SR's motion and the subsequent months and therefore complicit and equally guilty of inaction. What makes us think that Myles will change his spots?
  15. Ok; are you supporting ED because he is your SA representative? I am not full of piss and wind; ask your questions and I will be happy to answer why Ed is WRONG!!!!!!!!
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