President's Report

[FlyingVizsla]

It worked for me using Firefox (on Linux)

I have noticed the "click on link - open in browser" function has not been working on any other emails, so this might have come from an update (or someone fiddling). I have just got the camera icon back on the iPad for the better half; another case of finger trouble. I am yet to get him to retry the survey - the problem is most likely a cookie. I'll know if I got it right later.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

Folks

 

I raised the question of publishing the agenda for the upcoming AGM with the CEO AND Exec and received no concerns and acknowledgement that the request was reasonable and would be transparent. The agenda as at this moment is still being finalised and is expected to be complete this week. As soon as it's complete the Agenda will be published for all members to review and to provide feedback to their board members in advance of the meeting should they be inclined to do so.

 

So bottom line you should see it within a week plus or minus a few days.

 

Also having successfully published a set of meeting minutes showing decisions, who proposed and seconded and majority acceptance for the last board meeting we expect no less this time!

 

Regards

 

Andy

 

 

[rhysmcc]

Thanks for your effort Andy, it looks promising having you on the board to continue to push the communication issue, together with the development of a 5 year plan things may truly be looking up for RA-AUS. I'm sure most members will be watching for these developments at the AGM and weeks after.

 

On a side note, maybe you could remind the board/exec the minutes actually need to include how each board member voted (as per our constitution). Keep up the good work and communication.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

People

 

Today the CEO advised me that the Agenda will be published on the restricted members area of the RAAus Website either now or by the end of the day given that he and Mick Monck finished it Friday last week.

 

Re the recording of voting, I didn't need to raise that as another board member identified that new requirement in another unrelated conversation that went to all board members. So it is understood and I will ensure that the recorder of the minutes is aware that it needs to be captured on the weekend in question.

 

Regards

 

Andy

 

 

[tillmanr]

To FlyingV, sometimes the effectiveness of an iPad can be improved by shutting it down and rebooting. Seems to clear the detritus. Cheers

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

To FlyingV, sometimes the effectiveness of an iPad can be improved by shutting it down and rebooting. Seems to clear the detritus. Cheers

Thanks. The Grandkids sometimes play with his iPad - finally got the camera icon back - was under Restrictions behind a password, so no idea how it was set to not display. I did some work on my laptop (including a reboot) and my links seem to be working OK. Haven't got around to deleting the cookie (I can't get them up by date) so the better half has not done the survey.

 

 

[Captain]

Its a cultural norm. None of the board is willing to stand up publicly and say "This is wrong as we need to fix it, I have a plan" No one is prepared to look beyond covering their own asse

FT.

 

 

 

That is wrong, that is garbage and that is not entirely rational.

 

 

 

You really must spend some time researching this issue and I suggest speaking to those that are doing the job. Don't talk to the remnants of the OBC. Speak with the newer guys who are goers and dedicated to doing exactly what you say they aren't.

 

 

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[fly_tornado]

The RAA suffers from a lack of vision Geoff, you can see that in Micks statement. Good leaders are generally seen as leading not just telling how good a job they are doing. You can do a lot in 24 months with the right vision.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

The RAA suffers from a lack of vision Geoff, you can see that in Micks statement. Good leaders are generally seen as leading not just telling how good a job they are doing. You can do a lot in 24 months with the right vision.

FT perhaps you could help Mick out by sharing your vision for our association.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

Its my view that until we can get some stability/longevity around our tech/opps and CEO/GM then change of significance will be damned difficult to achieve.

 

It is IMHO that we are on the way.......(he says with fingers and toes crossed behind his back....and with a wary eye on the HR recruiters servicing the empire within the regulator.....) but really with new CEO only inplace for a matter of months there still some significant OTJ Skills uptake to occur.....

 

 

[dsam]

Its my view that until we can get some stability/longevity around our tech/opps and CEO/GM then change of significance will be damned difficult to achieve.It is IMHO that we are on the way.......(he says with fingers and toes crossed behind his back....and with a wary eye on the HR recruiters servicing the empire within the regulator.....) but really with new CEO only inplace for a matter of months there still some significant OTJ Skills uptake to occur.....

Andy, I agree with you that stability and longevity are vital for RA-Aus. I might also throw in "unity" to that list - both within and across the various aviation bodies. I too hope for a major improvement through new leadership for the regulator, but in the end, if they remain the proverbial immovable object sitting like a bureaucratic dead hand on GA and recreational aviation, then the only hope is for these aviation bodies to unite and lobby the federal government for change. The federal minister needs to be persuaded to guide parliament to change the act governing CASA to allow the concept of affordable & practical safety measures, not just "safety at all costs" as the act now reads. Only political lobbying can achieve this, and must come from a unity of aviation bodies, not just interested & passionate individuals. That sort of strategy would go some way towards forming a "Vision" for RA-Aus and other GA bodies unhappy with the regulatory status quo.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

FT perhaps you could help Mick out by sharing your vision for our association.

Cut the RAA to the very bone, sack 1/2 the staff and replace them with online management, kill the magazine, get CASA to manage the SMS. Make the flight schools pay their way. encourage the #19 class by reducing restrictions. merge the RAA fleet into the VH fleet.

 

simple stuff

 

 

[rhysmcc]

Cut the RAA to the very bone, sack 1/2 the staff and replace them with online management, kill the magazine, get CASA to manage the SMS. Make the flight schools pay their way. encourage the #19 class by reducing restrictions. merge the RAA fleet into the VH fleet.simple stuff

If you were going to hand back any oversight, surely licensing would be the way to go, with raa keeping oversight of LSA/UL registrations with some new limits.

 

It would be interesting to know how much RAA spends on licensing and how much on aircraft rego vs the income.

 

Some of your ideas do appear to be on the agenda at the upcoming board meeting (The Mag, Modernisation).

 

 

[Captain]

Cut the RAA to the very bone, sack 1/2 the staff and replace them with online management, kill the magazine, get CASA to manage the SMS. Make the flight schools pay their way. encourage the #19 class by reducing restrictions. merge the RAA fleet into the VH fleet.simple stuff

Wow ................ Nothing to it then.

 

 

 

FT for Prez and we can all put our feet up.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Come to think of it, FT for Prime Minister, then Tony and the whole Country can put their feet after (after they've dropped in to Centrelink for a coffee of course).

 

 

[facthunter]

rhysmcc, .you pay extra for the privilege of the pilot member and having an aircraft.

 

General comment...

 

I don't think it would be difficult to derive the figures you want, but you could argue subsidisation of active members or you may end up as a magazine only. You can have a POLICY on these things. There WAS a policy manual (Which was not fully utilised).

 

The magazine in a newsagent and left in places like Doctors waiting, and flying club rooms is, I believe one of the main ways people get to know about this organisation.

 

The magazine is/can be revenue neutral or make a profit or loss. Some members would be not agreeable to it's being discontinued in paper form. It can be a good reference for important data/ information, though they take up a lot of shelves. It is under utilised in passing on good information. Nev

 

 

[DonRamsay]

Since the last AGM we have a new President and Secretary, many new Board Members, a new CEO, Tech Manager and Ops Manager. There have been several meetings with the Minister and CASA. That is more than doing nothing and very time consuming. There has been a lot of work done to head of legal issues before they descend into a shit fight in court. The registration issues have been almost completely resolved and the Board has been reluctant to say so in case they hadn't got it fully, sustainably fixed. In the last 12 months we've seen an absence of the "Jobs for the Boys" and "she'll be right" attitude of previous Boards.

 

The Board had a governance training session before the AGM and were going back to work to formalise the longer term strategy for RA-Aus to get back to be financially stable and providing value adding to members with discounted hull insurance, fuel purchasing and even spares and accessories discounts.

 

However, the Board have still to master how you keep 10,000 members informed to the extent that they want to be informed. The CEO and the President have started email mailouts which cost bugger-all to send out. If you know of anyone not getting them then get on to RA-Aus and get your email on file current. RA-Aus has email addresses for something like 92% of members so email is becoming very effective way to communicate for RA-Aus.

 

The atmosphere at the 2014 AGM was fairly relaxed and I'd ascribe the low attendance compared to previous years with the reduced level of anxiety members are feeling about the way RA-Aus is being run and where it is heading.

 

 

[coljones]

snip ... snip ... snp -The atmosphere at the 2014 AGM was fairly relaxed and I'd ascribe the low attendance compared to previous years with the reduced level of anxiety members are feeling about the way RA-Aus is being run and where it is heading.

Still anxious, Don. The handling of the Ops manual still gives me pause about their ability to talk with the rank and file. One might say that it is still run by and for the shop stewards.

[Guest Andys@coffs]

Col.

 

Can I ask that you hold that thought until you review the to be released minutes for the Sunday board meeting....I'll bet they won't take 7yrs....... They will be relevant to the underlying issue you discuss.

 

Andy

 

 

[turboplanner]

Still anxious, Don. The handling of the Ops manual still gives me pause about their ability to talk with the rank and file. One might say that it is still run by and for the shop stewards.

You're right to be concerned Col, especially in the light of repeated requests from members to see draft details.

 

The board members didn't have a mandate to pass this, and since it will directly affect the members day to day, the members had a right to a reasonable period to read it and comment on it, and for that matter on such a major document, vote on it.

 

It if is inferred that the CFIs represent the Members, that's ridiculous, and grounds for serious concern.

 

 

[DWF]

The procedure (if there is one) for amending RAAus manuals is very ad hoc at present.

 

These documents should be reviewed on a regular (programmed) basis - say every 2 years.

 

If changes are deemed necessary (by the subject matter experts and with user input/suggestions) then it should go through a process similar to the CASA NPRM process whereby the update is set up as a project with specified dates for:

 

• the production of a draft;
   
   
  
• followed by a period for consultation with interested parties (members);
   
   
  
• preparation of the final document after considering member input and suggestions; and then
   
   
  
• publication of the final document.
   
   
  

 

 

However these are operational documents which specify how we do business within the considerable constraints of the varoius aviation regulations.

 

I do not think they can or should be subject to member vote once the final version is produced. The opportunity for member input is (or should be) provided via the consultation process above.

 

Pilots and other affected parties do not get a vote on changes to the CASA regulations and manuals. (More is the pity some might say.)

 

 

The point is that our manuals should be

 

• reviewed on a regular baisis
   
   
  
• by a specified process
   
   
  
• which provides opportunity for member input
   
   
  
• with definite dates when each step must be achieved.
   
   
  

 

 

 

 

DWF

 

 

[DonRamsay]

David, I agree 100% and have argued this way for a long time. Although the process is ideal, sadly the outcomes from CASA rarely approach ideal. THe same could happen with RA-Aus if the processis given just lip service.

 

But without proper member consultation, ownership and respect for the result is diminished.