Relocating the office...where to?

[kasper]

What about Ayres Rock that will be equidistant for everyone. That move will be considering the Perth members.Plenty of flat area minimal air traffic..

KP..

Ah but IF its at Ayres Rock too many who actally make it out there would be tempted to get a close look at the big marble ... have you seen the control proceedures around that? Nah, if the middle of nowehere is the aim we could ask for the bits of the Woomera range that the various millitary groups are not using and are not glowing too much from the 50-60's leftovers.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Keith, Wellcamp aren't interested in RAA planes, 747s around the clock.

 

YTWB is a different matter, close to town, walk to restaurants, hotels and motels. An easy drive for Brisbane, Gold Coast, Warwick and Dalby based members.

 

But moving the office isn't going to happen, the staff would revolt.

 

 

[ozbear]

Could I suggest Orange a large country town upgraded airport with RPT service .GA and RAAUS training tar and grass strips

 

Office could be based at airport in a large hangar earning rental income .

 

 

[rhysmcc]

But how many RPT flights would most members need to take to get to Orange? For me it's 2, the same as Canberra.

 

If we were going to move, (and I don't think it's really an issue being considered), it should be somewhere within 30-45 min drive from Brisbane or Sydney. Most members should be able to access transport to those hubs or be within a few hours flight in a recreational aircraft.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

the problem is getting staff to want to move to *checks map* orange

 

 

[gandalph]

OK Rhysmcc..You came up with all negatives for Wellcamp so if Wellcamp is no good so where do you suggest the office should be located?

What would happen if someone asked the Wagners and they said "Yes".

 

Regrards

 

KP.

Canberra Keith. Canberra.

 

I thought this horse was well and truly dead. Why keep on maltreating it so?

 

 

[Ultralights]

I vote for Katoomba.

 

The airfield lease for the next 50 or so years is up for tender....

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

I vote for Katoomba.The airfield lease for the next 50 or so years is up for tender....

Doesn't meet the 30-45mins from airport...... For Sydney I guess that'd be somewhere in the western suburbs.....unless we are talking a Saturday, where you might be 1/3rd of the way to the western suburbs..... Recently took us >90 minutes from the cbd to get onto the freeway up to Newcastle on a sat arvo......Sat traffic is nightmarish

 

Andy

 

 

[dazza 38]

As mentioned previously by others, Caboolture IMO would have to be in the running.

 

 

[SDQDI]

If we set the technology up beforehand would there be a reason why a majority of the staff couldn't work from home? As for a location or shop front how about Dubbo?

 

From a selfish point of view it's close enough to me without being too close:wink:, it has a good RPT service, an interestingish town:yes:. Although temora has supported us well.

 

Narromine is nice, temora is nice, all the other suggestions are obviously nice to some people too it's a choice that when/if made will be applauded by some and abhorred by others but it doesn't hurt to throw around ideas and discuss pros and cons.

 

Maybe someone could set up a survey with all the town/city names mentioned in this thread and we could see what at least the forum members would like?

 

 

[fly_tornado]

but wagners are building a 100 room motel on the wellcamp site...

 

 

[coljones]

Doesn't meet the 30-45mins from airport...... For Sydney I guess that'd be somewhere in the western suburbs.....unless we are talking a Saturday, where you might be 1/3rd of the way to the western suburbs..... Recently took us >90 minutes from the cbd to get onto the freeway up to Newcastle on a sat arvo......Sat traffic is nightmarishAndy

For a Sydney location at a strip OTCA one is limited to Wedderburn or The Oaks, both about an hour from either Central Railway or Mascot although Cambeltown is a major outer suburban rail stop.

Temora HAS NO RPT!

 

Cootamundra is on the main Syd-Melb Rail Line and the strip is close to town (very walkable)

 

Rutherford (Maitland) is out of town a bit but is on the main rail line Syd-Bris and has Williamtown (Newcastle) airport close by.

 

Andy, glad you enjoyed your extended holiday in Sydney:cheezy grin:. Saturday and Sunday are actually peak hour in Sydney, all day. This is mainly due to inexperienced drivers (locals) tackling the roads in the all day weekend peak hour and sitting 10-15km/h below the limit rather than 5-10km/h over the limit and in the right hand lane so no-one can overtake them.

 

 

[dazza 38]

I don't think any of the airfields west of the great divide will be in the running , simply because I dont think the staff want to live out in the bush. Caboolture on the other hand is OCTA , on the coast and next door to Brisbane.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I don't think any of the airfields west of the great divide will be in the running , simply because I dont think the staff want to live out in the bush...

So who is the Association FOR?

 

 

[dazza 38]

So who is the Association FOR?

All the members and the majority of members live in the east coast.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

All the members and the majority of members live in the east coast.

True Dazza, but the repeated concerns that the STAFF won't move west of the divide are getting up my nose.

Even if most members are on the east coast, it's still easier for many of them to get to an inland location such as Narromine than traversing Yowie country and CTAs to get to a place like Maitland.

 

 

[dazza 38]

True Dazza, but the repeated concerns that the STAFF won't move west of the divide are getting up my nose.Even if most members are on the east coast, it's still easier for many of them to get to an inland location such as Narromine than traversing Yowie country and CTAs to get to a place like Maitland.

Personally I like the bush, I work on the western Darling Downs. But most people who live on the coast near the ocean simply dont want to move out west and I feel that the RAA staff will feel the same way. Not that their current location in Canberra is near the ocean. Just generally speaking.

 

 

[Keith Page]

Personally I like the bush, I work on the western Darling Downs. But most people who live on the coast near the ocean simply dont want to move out west and I feel that the RAA staff will feel the same way. Not that their current location in Canberra is near the ocean. Just generally speaking.

Employ locals, they will work and will stay as it is work in the local area.

 

Regards

 

KP.

 

 

[Keith Page]

Canberra Keith. Canberra.I thought this horse was well and truly dead. Why keep on maltreating it so?

Hello gandalph.

Yes the office relocation has been mentioned a few times, however since the beginning of the post a lot of water has flowed under the bridge and views and ambitions have changed.

 

People would have had a think and their thinking would have changed so why aren't they allowed to change their mind.

 

We have not changed your view others may have.

 

Regards

 

KP.

 

 

[coljones]

Employ locals, they will work and will stay as it is work in the local area.Regards

KP.

we already have locals, they live and work in Canberra!!!!

 

 

[GAFA]

Anything is possible at Wellcamp, you just have to ask;

 

http://australianaviation.com.au/2014/12/wellcamp-launches-aviation-school/

 

 

[fly_tornado]

the devil is in the detail. USQ just took over UQ's campus at Springfield

 

 

[Ultralights]

YWOL, Wollongong, on the Sydney suburban train network, 5 min walk from the train station, outside CTA..

 

 

[flyvulcan]

Perhaps it would be prudent to:

 

A. Determine the need or desire to relocate the office; and

 

B. If a need or desire to relocate the office is determined to be desirable, then establish a list of essential and desirable criteria for the location, in order to be able to conduct a comparison of suggested locations for suitability.

 

My personal opinion is that I would like to see a "home" for RAAus. This is not a "need", it is a "desire". I would like to see something along the lines of the EAA, that is, they have a HQ which is based at the airfield where their annual convention and airshow is run. The benefit of this arrangement is that our members, and eventually the general public will start to relate "location x" as being the home of RAAus and the place for the best airshow in Australia.

 

Being a member of the SAAA as well as RAAus, I would personally like to see both organisations based at the same airfield, running a combined annual airshow extravaganza (AusFly) with smaller regional fly-ins spread out throughout the year. The airfield could become the sport/recreational aviation Mecca of Australia.

 

My suggestion is to have the office located at an airfield which is fairly central to the major centres of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, so in an area bounded by say the River Murray to the south, Mildura to the West, the East Coast to the east and perhaps Coffs Harbour to the north. Within a 2-3 hour drive of Melbourne or Sydney to provide bearable public access would be desirable.

 

With RAAus and the SAAA (and possibly some of the other recreational aviation bodies as well) being based at the airfield and with the annual AusFly airshow being assured of being run at that airfield, local council would have the motivation to improve facilities at the airfield to cater for this large annual event. Good camping facilities, quality infrastructure at the airport, local community support etc. could be gained.

 

The annual AusFly airshow could be run at "airfield x" over a long weekend such as Easter which would allow the maximum number of members to attend. Then each region could host a smaller annual regional fly-in once a year. The regional fly-in could shift location each year to spread the regional access a bit. So for example, the Southern Regional Fly-In (SoRFI to cover SA) could be held at Aldinga one year, Port Pirie the next, Goolwa the next etc.. Then there would be the NERFI (North Eastern Regional Fly-In) to cover QLD, SERFI to cover NSW and Vic, NoRFI for the NT, and WeRFI for WA. These could be held on different weekends throughout the year to allow participants from outside their region to attend without any clashes.

 

I know that a proposal has already been recently submitted to RAAus (and SAAA) from a significant regional NSW council who are keen to establish their airfield as the primary sport and recreational aviation airfield in Australia. They are offering good incentives to get RAAus and the SAAA to establish their HQ facilities and the AusFly airshow at their location. There are significant benefits to both organisations to consider such proposals.

 

Can you imagine visiting HQ and seeing an active flying school, hangars with interesting aircraft under construction, the circuit area buzzing with ultralights, homebuilts, gliders, warbirds etc.? Wide open spaces so no noise complaints yet only 5 minutes from the airfield to a decent regional centre with a river running through it for watersports and fishing, a golf course outside the front gate to the airport, a residential Airpark attached to the airfield with direct access to the airfield for the residents, a great WW2 history... And with a council that is proactive in supporting our organisations and our pasttime who is prepared to upgrade their already good facilities to meet the requirements for AusFly and a local community that will also support AusFly. It could be a reality if we were motivated to do it.

 

Let's get motivated! Let's make a home for recreational aviation in Australia.

 

Phew, rambling over... That's my two nobs worth... Time for a beer...

 

 

[gandalph]

Hello gandalph.Yes the office relocation has been mentioned a few times, however since the beginning of the post a lot of water has flowed under the bridge and views and ambitions have changed.

People would have had a think and their thinking would have changed so why aren't they allowed to change their mind.

 

We have not changed your view others may have.

 

Regards

 

KP.

Quite right Keith, much has happened since the thread was started but with all that happened and all the water that has flowed, has anything changed in the cost/benefit analysis? Perhaps more importantly, as we are speculating about spending a fair chuck of the Association's reserve, has anyone done a cost/benefit analysis?