Where do we come from

[Geoff13]

As many discussions on this forum seem to pit the GA against the AUF/Ultralights etc etc I thought I would try this poll.

 

It seems to me that many old school people think they own RAA and it is theirs. (Don't shoot me yet).

 

This group appear to feel that anything new is a reject from GA and should be avoided.

 

Then there is the group that appear to come from GA and think that anyone without a Class 2 Medical and a million hours of training is below them.

 

But I think that we are mostly missing out on the most important group. They are the ones who are new to Aviation and the RAA provides them with an affordable way to get into Aviation. Some of these people are cashed up baby boomers who want to buy a plane that looks like a plane and just go flying, others are the tinkerers who now that they have time would rather build and modify etc. Some of these people are the youngsters who whether we like it or not are going to be the future of our sport.

 

Personally I think that the third group are the larger silent majority and we will ignore these people at the risk of losing everything the other two groups are fighting for. Attracting new people is the only way to guarantee our future and the future of our sport. The first two groups are a fixed number and will eventually die/fade out.

 

Thoughts please as well as the poll for numbers.

 

I personally am squarely in the middle of the third group.

 

 

[gareth lacey]

Geoff ,i agree ,some of us retirees as you say have the time to build,tinker or purchase a plane now lets get this right ,a plane ,wings ,fusalage,cockpit,elavators etc etc by golly its a plane , isnt it all about the aviation and flying ,to me it only matters that the CFI that teaches me is competant to teach me to the best of my ability , it takes years to become a good aviator and i am still learning as long as i do it legally in Ra it will do me for the time i have left in the sky

 

cheers gareth

 

 

[frank marriott]

Geoff

 

My view is that the groups you refer to certainly exist, and some are very vocal. But in my experience, MOST that I have run across just enjoy the sport and go out of their way to support each other no matter where they came from or what they choose to fly. Certainly what you say is correct but take out a couple and apart from them I only see it on the Internet.

 

A prime example is some of the stupid comments you see when the Rotax/Jabiru subject comes up.

 

I find that mutual support is alive and well but some of the comments I see on the Internet makes me wonder some times. Keyboard experts maybe?

 

 

[Pearo]

I am in a category not listed, New to Aviation but doing GA training. My intentions are purely recreational (doing a PPL) and I have no interested in going commercial. I personally see LSA and the like as the backbone of recreational aviation and I am fully behind RAAus. However, I am not young (not old either) and not stupid, and I see some serious flaws in RAAus that I find genuinely concerning, and this is coming from someone who is not exactly adverse to taking risks.

 

FWIW, I am green, only have about 150 hours of experience, about half of that as PIC. I hold and RPL but have completed all my PPL training (just have to do the test). I am not sure about what sort of flying I intend to do as yet, but I suspect that 95% of my time will be solo stuff, so LSA ticks a lot of boxes at the moment.

 

 

[rgmwa]

When I started PPL lessons in 2009, I'd never heard of RAAus. It was only when I stumbled across this site that I discovered there was another way to get into flying that was a lot cheaper than the way I had chosen. Although coming from GA and SAAA rather than RAAus, I don't fit into the second group. My age makes me a baby-boomer, but still working full-time and also fortunate enough to have been able to build my own aircraft. In the process, I've learned a lot from both the contributors here and on other sites, and also from the many interesting people I've met through aviation, ranging from fellow builders and amateur pilots, to instructors, engineers and airline captains. Now and then I've also been able to help others. The politics that seems to be part and parcel of all organisations, and both RAAus and SAAA are no exception, doesn't interest me very much. Like most recreational pilots in the broad sense, I fly for enjoyment and for the never-ending challenge of trying to become a better pilot.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[Robbo]

No corporate or commercial aviation?

 

 

[facthunter]

The experiences one has had to a great extent determine what you are. That is a definition of learning, fairly widely accepted. No one knows it all and learning is an ongoing process. RAAus type of flying has evolved and there is no reason to believe it won't continue to do so. Many of the restrictive rules that applied in the early days were ALL the authorities would allow at the time. There is nothing intrinsically correct about any of them, and even today we haven't arrived at anything like the "perfect" situation. We do however have some privileges we should appreciate, and adhere to to retain the freedoms without excessive over regulation. I accept most who are here want to be regardless of what recent background they come from without being discriminated against. ALL pilots had a first flight and a first solo. For some it was the same flight. Nev

 

 

[nomadpete]

It is useful to get a honest perspective on our collective backgrounds. It helps us identify needs and opportunities.

 

All part of identifying our present direction and our desired direction, and how to meet the needs of RAAus members.

 

 

[Geoff13]

No corporate or commercial aviation?

Uhhmm that would be other. Always put in something that covers everything else. Besides I am fairly new to Aviation and polls for that matter so didn't think of everything. I suppose I could have put military in there as well. Sorry

 

 

[Geoff13]

It is useful to get a honest perspective on our collective backgrounds. It helps us identify needs and opportunities.All part of identifying our present direction and our desired direction, and how to meet the needs of RAAus members.

That was my reasoning behind the Poll. Needs of members a very important part of any group or organisation.

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

Travelling the Birdsville track a few years ago, after 3 flat tyres on the F100 I arrived at the Pub with blisters from the tyre bead breaker and pretty scruffy.

 

First guy that spoke to me wore a white shirt and tie, asked me how my puncture went?

 

Turned out he was a pilot that flew up the track and noticed my problem.

 

I swore then that I would get a licence.

 

Phil.

 

 

[facthunter]

When you are up in the air looking down you feel like you are god. If you engine fails you come back to earth and a white shirt and tie might not be right for in the desert.. Nev

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

When you are up in the air looking down you feel like you are god. If you engine fails you come back to earth and a white shirt and tie might not be right for in the desert.. Nev

At least you wouldn't have blisters

 

Phil.

 

 

[facthunter]

Until a Km or 3 in thongs on hot sand. Nev

 

 

[Robbo]

Uhhmm that would be other. Always put in something that covers everything else. Besides I am fairly new to Aviation and polls for that matter so didn't think of everything. I suppose I could have put military in there as well. Sorry

All good mate was just asking.

 

 

[facthunter]

I'm from MODELS originally. Does that count? Nev

 

 

[Robbo]

I'm from MODELS originally. Does that count? Nev

+ 1 :)

 

 

[DrZoos]

I too am from RC & models originally, then a kid flying shark patrol illegally with a PPL and doing touch and goes on the beach...no wonder we never spotted one shark... that was council money well spent..I was 12, so don't blame me.

 

Then 20 odd years absentee , but always with a love of aircraft from a distance...then into RAA at age 40 once i could finally afford it.

 

 

[facthunter]

A Frog 150 nearly ruined all the fingers of both hands till I got the hang of starting it at age 12. Bloody thing. Took me about a year of selling newspapers to afford it Nev

 

 

[nomadpete]

An interesting list of confessions here....

 

Most of us seem to have begun our obsession in early childhood......

 

Maybe the key is to get flying into the minds of small children.

 

Bit of a long lead time before we would see the results though! :)

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Nomadpete - interesting observation. I discovered flying as a child when I flew with my father and he let me take a hands on role from a young age. My 3 younger brothers were not interested; maybe 'cos I hogged the RH seat? Mother came from a non flying family and was not interested either. My husband's father started flying in 1932, my husband was the eldest and the only one interested in flying (although his father had abandoned it due to cost). When he was older he went into models and then into the early ultralights. Neither of his sons fly, but both are into models.

 

 

 

Would be interesting to see how many "eldest child following in parent's footsteps" there are among us.

 

 

 

Sue

 

 

[nomadpete]

Thanks Sue.

 

Rather than cases of "following mum/dad's footsteps" I would be expecting a stronger correlation with the interests a grandparent.

 

It's just an unsubstantiated suspicion though.

 

None of my family had any flying connection. There were a couple of adventurous men 2generations before me. Maybe that had some influence. I like to think that I 'discovered' aviation all by myself. Models during childhood, a little flying in teen years, 30 yr family gap, then gliding and ultralights.

 

 

[facthunter]

That certainly wasn't me. I took my father for ONE ride in a DH 82. I can't remember them commenting on my flying at all. None of my family or kids fly/flew. Nev

 

 

[Chris Tarran]

I have always had an interest in flying and can remember as a youngster cycling to the Whyalla airport to watch the army aircraft when they were doing exercises at Cultana. I actually got to sit in a Caribou and Huey which was pretty exciting for a 9 year old. Learning to fly was never a consideration. In those days it was simply unaffordable.

 

When we moved here we did a couple of flights with some friends in a Piper out of Port Lincoln. I got my hands in the controls and really enjoyed it. The opportunity came up to attend a fly in nearby and do a TIF in an RAAus aircraft. I got hooked and as doing an RAAus ticket was affordable I signed up for lessons. 5 years down the track I still don't get many opportunities to fly but when they do come up I still enjoy the experience.

 

I can't ever envisage owning an aircraft as it does not make financial sense given the hours I would fly. But while I can hire one for a couple of hours here and there I'll keep flying. I have also considered transition to an RPL or PPL but again the investment in time and money doesn't add up.

 

I guess I am a classic recreational pilot in that I just do it for the fun. If I had discovered flying, and been able to afford it, earlier who knows what might have happened.

 

Cheers

 

Chris

 

 

[DonRamsay]

Fascinating and touching to read the stories above about our shared passion.

 

My parents were big fans of the legends of flying - Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm and many, many more. But, none of my family ever flew other than as an RPT pax. I built plenty of Airfix models but never got into RC. These days I wonder why but it was probably down to money and lack of initiative.

 

As a kid, I used to walk through the Royal Newcastle Aero Club (where Nev was although I didn't know that at the time) on the way to the adjoining sports fields. The smell of the hangars, the Chipmunks and Tiger Moths were larger than life.

 

I read Reach for the Sky (saw the film) loved Biggles and Blackhawk and any movie about aeroplanes. For some, never to be understood reason, it never occurred to me that I should learn to fly. Just seemed to be something that legends did.

 

When the penny finally did drop, I firstly went to two GA schools and came across arrogant GA CFI's who looked down their noses at me like I was a pimply faced kid. As I had turned 60 by then I wasn't going to cop that crap. Then, by chance, I discovered the Esqual and that it could be flown with an RAA pilot cert and it'd take just 20 hours!

 

Anyhow, despite a bit of a setback on Lesson 1 (got a bit queasy - never have since) I persisted right through the stage where I wondered if I'd ever be able to land an aeroplane. Now all I wonder is if I'll ever have another really good landing.

 

I've pushed to the top end of RAAus aircraft and am keen to get some more restrictions lifted particularly MTOW and CTA. I don't think of the CAOs etc. as giving us "privileges" but the reverse they just raise some of the restrictions that have no basis in being there.

 

I took an interest in the organisation only because it was then so badly run there was a real chance, a probability even, that it was not going to last much longer. It has taken nearly 5 years but I am confident we are now on the right path to a robust future. I believe CTA (only for those who want it, have the required equipment and are prepared to do the training) is within our reach and safer MTOWs are similarly achievable. Not going to happen overnight but it must happen.