Recreational Flying at the Crossroads

[fly_tornado]

I reject the idea that the members can't make a rational informed decision.

 

 

[Downunder]

Maybe L2's should have got a copy of it too?

 

 

[robinsm]

You should do your PPL and be done with it. Flying to and from work will be a problem with weather, as they say" Time to spare travel by air "

Camel, there area some of us who have the ppl exams under our belt, have the wherewithal to pay for the lessons, but have been dealt a blow by the stringent medical requirements of a ppl. One incident of a minor problem 5 years ago (not life threatening), has stopped me from getting a medical clearance so my 6 years, and 400hrs of Raa Aus flying doesn't count. No wonder the RPL sounds attractive to people like me when all that is required is a stiff drivers licence medical.

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

Maybe L2's should have got a copy of it too?

None of the requirements pertaining to or affecting maintenance are in the Operations manual so why would a L2 need a draft copy more than any other member ?

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[coljones]

Jetty, 

 

I am absolutely opposed to having a Board dominated by CFI's where I believe that they will have such a clash-of-interest/pecuniary interest that they can't fairly represent the interests of your average member and would need to disqualify themselves from many of the discussions (but Board governance was abysmal for many years and I bet that they haven't done that at all times in the past).

 

 

 

However I do think that CFI's can make a relevant contribution to a scan and final (hopefully) edit of the Ops Manual. This Ops Manual saga was a scandal under the oversight of previous boards and I believe that RA Aus should do anything that it reasonably can to get it progressed and out to the membership. A CFI Review phase is a cheap way to advance the status of the document. CFI review of the document and their suggestions would also be a good and meaningful final check. But to put it out for comment to 8,000 members would be over the top and unworkable as it should be a prescriptive manual, not a consensus document.

The Ops manual review copy released to CFIs was not accompanied by an information brief outlining the proposed changes. While there would be a number of CFIs who might take the time to wade through, line by line, I suspect that they don't see it as their job to be RAAs proof reader without having the benchmark information document.

It has been suggested that members don't read docos anyway so would 9 responses from 9000 members be such a problem? At least RAA should provide the info brief provided to the board (I would hope there is one)

 

A dictatorship of the proletariat means just that. If you don't like owner activism perhaps you might like a model of a couple of mates being full members of RAA and the other 10,000 stakeholders being non voting affiliates or just clients. "please explain!!"

 

 

[fly_tornado]

col, that sort of thing doesn't happen. people just lose interest in aviation and fly less and less. RAA going down the same failed GA path

 

 

[Ben Longden]

Hi All,

 

Ive been out of the loop for a bit, and now coming back.

 

What are the criteria for the RPL? What are the differences between that and an RAA certificate (Costs, distances allowed to fly, etc)

 

Ben

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Ladies, Gentlemen, on the communication subject. I can inform you that tomorrow (Friday) a new communication milestone will start for RAA members.

 

Around 92% of all RAA members have an Email address on file. If yours isn't on file or up to date, I would strongly suggest you call the office in the morning to update same so that you can be part of the new communication tool.......Maj.....

 

 

[rhysmcc]

It's the members who control the number of directors elected, not the board. Put forward a motion to change the constitution to 7 members voted by the membership. While your at it, how about one for all board motions be published within 7 days including how each member voted (or didn't).

 

As for the Ops Manual draft not being provided to members, it's an outrage. Even CASA provide draft changes for people to provide comment/submissions. Maybe a motion could be put up to encourage its discloser as well.

 

Edit: Just noticed motions had to be in by the 8th of August, guess it'll be another year before we see action

 

 

[M61A1]

What I can say is that if I had access to proposed changes to the Ops and Tech manuals, they would have been read several times before the week was out.

 

 

[rhysmcc]

While your at it, how about one for all board motions be published within 7 days including how each member voted (or didn't).

I'm sure this would have been picked up by someone else already but 14B (ii) already has this in our constitution. The latest minutes that I can find on the RAA website are from 14th of Sept 2013. Should we assume no resolutions have been made since this date?

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

I'm sure this would have been picked up by someone else already but 14B (ii) already has this in our constitution. The latest minutes that I can find on the RAA website are from 14th of Sept 2013. Should we assume no resolutions have been made since this date?

rhysmcc,

 

I don't know which website you are looking at, but on my RAA website homepage there in the prompt box are is the link to the April 2014 board meeting minutes. It has been there for sometime and shows what was discussed, who proposed, voted and seconded each item............Maj...

 

 

[rhysmcc]

rhysmcc,I don't know which website you are looking at, but on my RAA website homepage there in the prompt box are is the link to the April 2014 board meeting minutes. It has been there for sometime and shows what was discussed, who proposed, voted and seconded each item............Maj...

I have no such link.

 

The second listed item, the one I think you refer to isn't a link for me. Either way, has there been no resolutions since then?

 

Edit: Deleted the list as it provided the links to the rest when logged out (very secure)

 

 

[rhysmcc]

Thanks Maj, after a little more digging, I have found a news item that has the resolutions from the April Board meeting. It doesn't quite comply with the constitution though.

 

Are you able to confirm that no other resolutions have been made since the Board meeting in April? I was under the impression the directors used a forum system to discuss and vote on issues between the face to face meetings. Shouldn't these also be published as per the constitution?

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Resolutions are generally presented at the AGM as several were at Natfly 2014..most were passed unaminously. Major board decisions are put onto the board meeting agenda for discussion and decision/ voting at the twice yearly board meeting. These are then published in the minutes for viewing by members.

 

Decisions are made by the board as requested by the excutive between board meetings. It is the excutives duty to inform members of decisions or changes made............Maj....

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

It may not seem like much but I personally believe the current mob use the constitution as it was intended by the ACT legislators to a greater extent than was previously the case.

 

Jim T is trying and succeeding in most cases to meet his treasurers obligations. I spoke to him and believe that the audited 13/14 results are not far away, and that the forecast deficit was "significantly" improved upon. But I wont steal his thunder as I expect it to be in our email inbox well before the AGM......in fact maybe within days of it being received from the auditors!!!! for the sum total cost of........ well....just the internet bandwidth we already pay for in the headoffice and the time it takes to email it out. We wont have to pay any special postage or insertion into the magazine costs and we wont have to wait for AusPost to deliver using the absolutely has to be there sometime in the next 6weeks rates which are so cheap (NOT!) as to look remarkably like extortion ......

 

Andy

 

 

[turboplanner]

Hi All,Ive been out of the loop for a bit, and now coming back.

What are the criteria for the RPL? What are the differences between that and an RAA certificate (Costs, distances allowed to fly, etc)

 

Ben

Ben I think people have become a bit exhausted discussing this. If you search Facthunter's posts, I think he has by far the best grasp on it. A lot of posts to search I know, but you'll get the message quicker.

 

Very broadly, the RPT was intended for GA Pilots who might have a health problem but could meet a driver's licence standard medical and still fly their C172 etc, but limited to two passengers.

 

It only applies on VH registered aircraft.

 

As I mentioned, Facthunter has this in detail, but the medical is not the same procedure as RA, and you lose some of the discretion you get with a DAME, so some people will be better working with the system to get the Class 2, or will have to go to RA.

 

Personally, other than the pain in the neck having to find the DAME of the day, if you don't have a medical issue, I think you are far better sticking with, or stepping up to a PPL.

 

Some people have looked at it as a way to save subscription costs and escape the administration quirks of RAA, but there are offsetting costs in GA even if the aircraft is the same.

 

 

[DonRamsay]

I doubt I've read more uninformed nonsense in quite a while. . . .

That doesn't make any sense at all and was intemperate, is regretted and I'd like to withdraw it.

 

 

[DonRamsay]

. . . It doesn't quite comply with the constitution though. Are you able to confirm that no other resolutions have been made since the Board meeting in April? I was under the impression the directors used a forum system to discuss and vote on issues between the face to face meetings. Shouldn't these also be published as per the constitution?

Short answer is "yes they should" and I've sent an email to the Secretary to remind him of that requirement of Rule 14B(ii).

 

The Rules changed relatively recently in that resolutions passed on the Board Forum had to be confirmed at a face-to-face Board Meeting. As such, there was not much point publishing them until after a face-to-face meeting confirmed the resolution. But now Board Resolutions are effective from the moment they receive a majority vote in favour and must be published on the website within 7 days.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Ladies, Gentlemen, on the communication subject. I can inform you that tomorrow (Friday) a new communication milestone will start for RAA members.

......Maj.....

 

 

Wow! Just received it. Well done RAA.

 

 

 

Now to read it

 

Sue

 

 

[dodo]

Well...

 

as membership based organisation, RA won't provide drafts of the Ops manual to members, and won't provide a reason why.

 

Any comment or submission is ignored (I sent a letter to all three of my board members, none responded or acknowledged receipt).

 

As a regulator or administrator, I returned my aircraft registration information within a few days of receiving the renewal letter. My aircraft is now out of registration.

 

At no stage was I informed that two years after the registration debacle commenced, that we STILL cannot register an aircraft reliably and in a timely manner.

 

pretty much all fail, despite pretty promises of an open and accountable board.

 

The one bright light is that the Treasurer knows his stuff and is doing a good job.

 

dodo

 

 

[Aerochute Kev]

That's disappointing all round Dodo. Doesn't really say much for all those misguided people that have been jabbering on about "if you want to know something, contact your Reps".

 

On a brighter note, I have received the e-mail newsletter and it is refreshing to see RAA actually asking what the members want in the newsletter. I only hope they listen to the members and the newsletter becomes something we can all look forward to, with regular updates on what is happening within RAA and not just a shortened version of the hard copy magazine with "all is great" propaganda.

 

Kev

 

 

[DonRamsay]

That is very disappointing dodo especially as I'm one who has advocated talking to your Board Member.

 

I know they are close to a breakthrough on the rego processes that should see delays eliminated but not even getting an acknowledgement is really quite poor.

 

I'll send you a PM and see if we can progress things.

 

Don

 

 

[DWF]

Col,If the board shared everything with members day to day, blow by blow, the members would become very bored, very quickly as much is very mundane and lacking in general interest.

The membership elects the board to make capable decisions of their behalf. There has never been a more open board with member input then the one we have currently. My postings on this forum is one attempt to keep members informed as is Jim Tatlocks. Additionally I produce a ' Communicae' very now and then which I Email to members and other interested persons in my NQ area furthering the direct communication between board and members.

 

I believe I am the only one doing this for members and I too would like to see more board members do this .

 

Michael Monck the board President has been very forthcoming in his magazine reports, and doesn't waste his words there so what he says can be taken as gospel so to speak.

 

The General meeting and board meeting minutes are on the RAA website for all to see, and the RAA website for that matter has more information on it now for members than it ever has in the past, and it is being continuely improved. Look at the incident/accident reports for instance put there for ops, there now as a result of an initiative by the current board members. The board will meet at Lethbridge Vicin October furthering its programm to take these meetings to the people as they did at Jacobs Well a couple of meetings ago.

 

Communication between members and the board will only become more transparent in the short term as important changes and developments are reported, particulary those dealing with our relationship with the regulator. Exciting times ahead for sure.

 

Cheers .............Maj.....

Maj.

 

Why so parochical? If the info is of interest to RAAus members in NQ why is it not of interest to the rest of us?

 

 

 

One of the problems I find with the current system for the election of Board members is that it is regionally based and focuses the attention of some elected member on their own patch.

 

A member of the RAAus Board should be working for the best interests of ALL RAAus members!

 

A board member advocating on behalf of his/her region may have a potential conflict of interest.

 

 

 

I feel disenfranchised by the current electoral system as, being in WA, I only get a vote for a Board member once every 2 years - and then there is often only one candidate so I don't get a choice even then.

 

(I know, drum up more candidates, or put your own hand up - maybe I should.)

 

 

 

I would like to see a system where the candidates for all board places (from ALL regions) were on the ballot paper and we (RAAus members) all get to vote for (or against) each candidate in order of our preference.

 

 

 

DWF

 

 

 

[rhysmcc]

Maj.

Why so parochical? If the info is of interest to RAAus members in NQ why is it not of interest to the rest of us?

 

 

 

One of the problems I find with the current system for the election of Board members is that it is regionally based and focuses the attention of some elected member on their own patch.

 

A member of the RAAus Board should be working for the best interests of ALL RAAus members!

 

A board member advocating on behalf of his/her region may have a potential conflict of interest.

Maj's emails are not on behalf of the board, therefore I don't think they warrant email to every member (although I think one was posted on this forum once). They are generally his opinion and I think the emails are worth while that an elected representative share his views on matters with the people who he is elected to represent and provides us (NQ members) a chance to share our own views.

 

The question should be why isn't YOUR rep doing a similar email out?

 

I feel disenfranchised by the current electoral system as, being in WA, I only get a vote for a Board member once every 2 years - and then there is often only one candidate so I don't get a choice even then.

(I know, drum up more candidates, or put your own hand up - maybe I should.)

 

 

 

I would like to see a system where the candidates for all board places (from ALL regions) were on the ballot paper and we (RAAus members) all get to vote for (or against) each candidate in order of our preference.

 

 

 

DWF

I do however totally agree with you that regional board members need to be removed and replaced with a national voting system, with 3 reps being elected each year, (with the 7th maybe nominated by the board and "appointed" on a yearly basis at the general meeting). Another option would be for the 7th to be the President, elected in a general election for a 3 year period.