Predicted loss 442,000

[ozbear]

Very well said Andy, ... I may be a bit biased being part of the current team and all, but the team under Michaels very capable leadership right now have been making some great decisions lately...especially in respect to its dealings with CASA........Maj...

Hi Maj

Could you tell me how much of the predicted expenses of 3.02 m$ for 2014 can be attributed to CASA and why can't we invoice them for that amount and expect to be paid.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

CASA as I understand it generally operates in cost recovery mode when dealing with GA. If they were to pay RAAus more money then they would look to recover from individual participants.

 

I agree we definitely should try but realistically if you were to look from the sideline as an independent person would you think in any way that the government should pay out of taxpayer money to keep a small bunch of recreational fliers more safe or would you expect them to pay their own way?

 

If it comes to a choice of paying $50 ea to RAAus or $80 to CASA as cost recovery then I'm going to look to ourselves.

 

Michael Monk and team did discuss CASA paying more but I believe the discussions was short sharp and involved prodigious use of the word "No"

 

Andy

 

 

[Teckair]

Michael Monk and team did discuss CASA paying more but I believe the discussions was short sharp and involved prodigious use of the word "No"Andy

What a surprise.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

I have had a look at Budget & actuals to Feb 2014 (the latest Profit & Loss available on the Members Portal). The budget is spot on for income, but over estimated expenditure (we made some savings). Factoring in depreciation we have a loss of $195,780. Extrapolating that to the full year we lose less than $300,000. Bear in mind that there are seasonal changes in expenditure, possibly a term deposit to mature and a CASA payment to come.

 

 

 

I note there have been some expenditure this year that will save us money in the future. Computer systems have been upgraded and I hear that the aircraft records are being digitised. That will cause a spike in wages and computer, but should then make renewals far easier and cheaper. Getting this on-line in a Self-Service portal will save more, being able to do bank transfers BPay or other than Credit Card payments should save on Merchant fees.

 

 

 

I will have a further look at last year Vs this year; preferably when March 2014 P&L is available on the Members Portal as March 2013 is the earliest released. I can then give you an idea of how we are compared to last year (eg has membership dropped?)

 

 

 

We are coming off years of profit with quite a nest egg. RAA is a NOT for Profit - using some of the fat of previous years to improve our future is what we should be doing. Some things have been put off for too long. Excellent budget, by the way, Jim T.

 

 

 

Sue

 

 

[SDQDI]

using some of the fat of previous years to improve our future is what we should be doing. Some things have been put off for too long. Excellent budget, by the way, Jim T. 

 

Sue

And that is exactly what we as members have been asking for (to use some of the reserves to improve things) I think the current team seems to be doing a good job and think we should be supporting them as much as we can.

 

I think if we have an issue with anything RAA then the first place to take it would be the relevant board member (go straight to the horses mouth) not an Internet forum. Just my ten cents worth:duck for cover:

 

 

[ozbear]

And that is exactly what we as members have been asking for (to use some of the reserves to improve things) I think the current team seems to be doing a good job and think we should be supporting them as much as we can.I think if we have an issue with anything RAA then the first place to take it would be the relevant board member (go straight to the horses mouth) not an Internet forum. Just my ten cents worth:duck for cover:

I disagree haven't you heard of webinares used by the ATO and CASA the Internet is a great way to discuss relevant issues a forum is almost as good and in my opinion the board should be encouraged to use them everyone can have access at a time that suits them and questions are answered for all to see you have time to think about responses and do research if you don't know the answer it works well as long as everyone respects each other .

 

 

[DonRamsay]

Oz, all sounds good but takes time and effort. Board Members are part time and unpaid. Most also have a "day job". We also are currently between General Managers. There is already a lot of information available through the Members Portal so don't hold your breath waiting for a webinar.

 

CASA and the ATO have enormous resources compared with RAA and what is feasible for them may not be so easy for RAA.

 

Jim Tatlock gave an excellent presentation on the state of RAA finances at the General Meeting at last Natfly. I haven't had a look but the essence of it should be in the minutes on the RAA website. If you have particular queries, ones that may or may not have general interest then you should direct them to Jim Tatlock or the President who is also a NSW/ACT members rep on the Board.

 

One dollar a week extra is not going to break any of us but it is a step in the wrong direction when affordable safe flying is the reason for RAA's existence.

 

There is a lot of work to be done to lower costs but lowering costs is very much achievable. But, we have to be prepared to move with the times and, e.g., have an electronic magazine, web based membership processing, etc.

 

We also have to back the current Board in their fight with a rampant CASA hell bent on imposing costs on RAA so that CASA will look good. The formal SMS and SMS manager are not required of GA and there is no evidence to say that they are essential for RAA.

 

Hopefully, the Aviation Safety Review will cause CASA to pull its horns in and have them appreciate that "more" and "better" are not the same thing.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

I know it sounds harsh, but I'm sick of all the winging in this country. People whinge just for the sake of it without even thinking about what they are saying.

A waiter walks up to a table of Australians and asks; "Is anything OK?".

 

 

[metalman]

A waiter walks up to a table of Australians and asks; "Is anything OK?".

Mmmmm,,, sounds about right,,I don't think we've always been thought of like that,,,but lately ! What will really hurt is if we take the whinging title off the poms

Matty

 

 

[rankamateur]

What will really hurt is if we take the whinging title off the poms

We beat them at everything else....so.

 

 

[coljones]

But if you don't whinge (and complain) you will generally get the level of service commensurate. An american, brought out to sort out the customer service at my company, claimed that Australians didn't complain enough hence our (oz) delivery of top class customer service was hobbled because our customer relations department were in the dark.

 

Whinging does work on a family basis - my kids respond just to shut me up and they don't ask for handouts as much because they can't stand the whinge.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Interesting that people would be suggesting there's whinging going on still.

 

 

[David Isaac]

Interesting that people would be suggesting there's whinging going on still.

Just one Tubz.

If we don't complain we deserve what we get. I thought the Australian reputation was one of apathy reinforced by the evidence of the level of voting and participation in RAA.

 

 

[DonRamsay]

And then whinging about the Board they were to lazy to vote for or against.

 

 

[acro]

with GA i would only pay once to transfer aircraft rego and i think once when i got my license...i dont recall any yearly fees? never bothered with an asic or avid though, i dont see why ra aus has big costs? also the rpl wont do to much, most people i think fly ra aus for two main reasons, 1 its cheaper and 2 the medical, a lot of people wont pass a class 2 and who wants to pay $2.80/lt for 100LL burning 40 litres an hour when you can cruise at the same speed burning 18 litres @ $1.70?

 

 

[David Isaac]

The only annual costs in GA are:

 

For the aircraft an annual inspection and maintenance for a required annual maintenance release

 

For the pilot half the cost of the biannual medical and CASA medical registration fee.

 

And if you don't own an aircraft there is no annual maintenance cost.

 

With RAA you pay an annual licence/membership fee and if you own an aircraft an annual registration fee and for that you get limited insurance cover.

 

My GA aircraft runs on PULP, so I don't have high fuel costs.

 

RAA is still a low cost alternative to GA! But it won't take much for that to change if we are not vigilant.

 

 

[DonRamsay]

I like the availability of the "unhelpful" thumbs down but it really needs the person offering that opinion to back it up with some logic so the person making an alleged unhelpful comment can be set straight in their thinking. With the Agree or Like buttons no explanation is needed.

 

 

[turboplanner]

It looks like it has cost us Dazza unfortunately - just bloody bullying over an innocent observation - disgraceful behaviour

 

 

[Peter008]

I think that you are wrong TP. Dazza has name called and critisied people and their ability and action on a number of occasions. Most people have ignored it but some people have now decided enough is enough and challenged the statement. My belief is that the good and helpful posts that Dazza makes quite a number of, are sometimes undone by his criticism toward others.

 

The Jab comment was the last straw not the first. If this is the tangent you are taking then why didn't you defend the unhelpful that was given to me over a political joke. I didn't make a big deal about it and will use jokes a little more timid in the future. I didn't run away as a lot of posts are very interesting.

 

If Dazza wants to give he must learn to take. Character building, so to speak and we all need it on occasions and the unhelpful is thumb is one of the tools that the forum community uses as an expected behaviour if we are to participate.

 

I personally hope he continues to post on the site but that is his decision.

 

 

[turboplanner]

I commented because the disease had spread to this thread as well and is dragging the site down.

 

Dazza perhaps could be more diplomatic, but his make up is to just let it out.

 

I'm not sure what this Jab comment was about; the one he got the "unhelpfuls" for was a comment he made about a Lycoming engine, which was correct and supported the installation referred to in the thread.

 

I will defend the Unhelpful comment you were given also; Facebook with their constant research have got it right with just a "like" comment, so "Likes" send a message of an oabve average comment, one worth reading, and people who don't agree or don't like a comments actually say so and give the reason why which makes the thread a much better read.

 

 

[ozbear]

 

I like the availability of the "unhelpful" thumbs down but it really needs the person offering that opinion to back it up with some logic so the person making an alleged unhelpful comment can be set straight in their thinking. With the Agree or Like buttons no explanation is needed.

Well there you go I didn't even notice the thumbs down icon look out I'm armed and dangerous now

 

 

[frank marriott]

Comical - Don Ramsay has put an unhelpful tag on one of my posts. Not that I care, but for someone against its use I find it comical that he then uses it - maybe just shouldn't be used on his friends but OK for others???????

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

On an iPad especially a mini which is perfect size for ozrunways, the whole series of likes/loves/worldsmostuselessflog thing fit into 2 inches or to put it a more pertinent way ther are 10 choices in the width of 4 fingers so it flows that from time to time what you press and what is interpreted by the IOS as the press may not well be the same thing...... I've learnt to either don't use them on the iPad or zoom in heaps before pressing to make sure what I intended is what I actually got.

 

Andy

 

 

[gandalph]

 

 

[Captain]

I blame the bulk of the projected loss on the wage rises that were given to staff by the dysfunctional Board and the previous GM, well before the EGM, and what we are seeing now is the flow-on effect in addition to, or partly caused by, the cost of being located in Canberra.

 

 

 

Would you care to comment on that Sue, from your review of the accounts?

 

 

 

Regards Geoff