RAA Membership Renewal.

[Geoff13]

I have just gone online to do my membership renewal.

 

A fairly simple process except it would not permit me to do 2 years only 12 months.

 

The home page to my total surprise says that I have no Occurrence records which is not correct.

 

Not only do I have an occurrence record (which has been chronicled here) but I still believe that it has not been followed through to a successful conclusion.

 

So I have renewed but under protest. Without renewing there is no way for me to fly or register my aircraft but I believe that there is little value for my money. The association is not providing what I require.

 

There have been other incidents with the same make of aircraft that was involved in mine and to date I have seen not one thing from RAA that makes me think that they take the safety of the aircraft or their members seriously. (I am not sure whether this is a lack of caring, or a lack of ability).

 

Their responses to incidents leave me almost speechless.

 

 

[Geoff13]

Further to my above post, to do my renewal I had to pull out my log book.

 

In 2 years I have achieved so much.

 

325 hours of flying. 65 of which was with an instructor.

 

10 different aircraft although I will admit that 4 of those could at best be described as familiarisation.

 

1 Critical incident that could have ended far worse than it did had any one of the many things that went in my favour gone against me on the day.

 

And 1 landing that I would much rather had not happened.

 

It has been a journey but I have loved every minute of it.

 

 

[rdarby]

I got a text message yesterday telling me my membership was due. No letter or email in advance.

 

It wants me to log on, but I have no way I can find of registering. What am I meant to do? Is there an easier way to do this?

 

 

[NT5224]

Whats happening at RAA?

 

About a month ago I used the 'new streamlined system' to renew my membership about a week before it expired and received an automatically generated email indicating it would take five days to process and renew. Then I heard nothing.

 

Yesterday I tried to log onto the RAA website and found I wasn't able too. I 'm apparently no longer a Member: My renewal was not enacted. I've just written to the office and they claim no knowledge of my renewal request.

 

To be honest, if I had not received the confirmation email I would have probably followed up sooner.

 

Anybody else having problems under the new system? Can we get some comments back to the office to help sort out the problems?

 

Cheers

 

Alan

 

 

[The Therm]

late response but RAA now state 7 - 15 business days for a response. WT?

 

 

[kasper]

Quick question.

 

RAAus do not issue plastic cards to flying members if their flight review is out of time at the time of membership renewal.

 

I’ve now renewed the flight review and RAAus have updated the database and sent an email to me.

 

To save time calling the RAAus office can anyone tell me if will they send me the plastic card or is that all I get till next year?

 

 

[SDQDI]

They normally send a new card out after a BFr or after a membership renewal.

 

My last renewal had my bfr out of date but I thought I still got a plastic card? Unless my memory is dodgy.

 

As a side note I would like to see them send out an email notice of bfrs that are nearly out of date, similar to a rego renewal or membership renewal.

 

 

[frank marriott]

I don't try to understand what RAA is carrying on about with relation to BFRs etc connected with a RPC (other then is probably about MONEY)

 

A CASA licence does not expire - to exercise the privileges of that licence & ratings you have to comply with the BFR, medical and recency requirements. Simple really. e.g. If your instrument rating is out of date you can still operate VFR until you complete the instrument renewal (or currency on the particular aid/approach etc).

 

It would appear a "money" thing or a lack of understanding of normal process.

 

 

[kasper]

I don't try to understand what RAA is carrying on about with relation to BFRs etc connected with a RPC (other then is probably about MONEY)A CASA licence does not expire - to exercise the privileges of that licence & ratings you have to comply with the BFR, medical and recency requirements. Simple really. e.g. If your instrument rating is out of date you can still operate VFR until you complete the instrument renewal (or currency on the particular aid/approach etc).

 

It would appear a "money" thing or a lack of understanding of normal process.

Well to be clear the RAAus take the pilot rate membership even if your flight review is out of date - that’s fair enough as I can review the flight review any day of the week. It was only the pilot cert card I was interested in without bothering the office with a call because the email they send does not say one way or the other if a card will follow in the post.

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

Yesterday I found that since February, I have not been a member of RAAus. I was incredulous at first to hear this, gosh I went to Narromine and lots of other places since February.

 

What happened was that they stopped sending the renewal by mail and did it on the computer instead. My wife pays the bills around here and didn't know this on account of not reading the E-news from RAAus. She is unapologetic, saying that for every other bill she pays ( dozens in a year) the people getting our money make sure we know we have to pay. This happened with the aircraft rego when we got a phone call to say it had just expired .

 

I feel a bit more contrite , after all the plastic card in the underseat storage hole in my Jabiru must be out of date. And what if I had wanted to claim on the insurance?

 

All paid up now and in future we will get a real mail notice.

 

 

[Roscoe]

Well to be clear the RAAus take the pilot rate membership even if your flight review is out of date - that’s fair enough as I can review the flight review any day of the week. It was only the pilot cert card I was interested in without bothering the office with a call because the email they send does not say one way or the other if a card will follow in the post.

They send out the Card a week after Renewal. They told me that the email certificate is proof of your membership pending arrival of the plastic.

 

 

[kasper]

They send out the Card a week after Renewal. They told me that the email certificate is proof of your membership pending arrival of the plastic.

Thanks. On the basis they sent my election stuff three weeks after it was announced I should be expecting it in the post for Christmas then.

And as the ops manual with which I must comply does not require that I hold a card from RAAus I’ve never given a thought to flying after my flight review was entered into my logbook. Only card I care about is the reg for the aircraft.

 

 

[Admin]

I got caught out as well and had to pay the extra penalty cost for not paying it on time...absolutely NO notification of renewal reminder was received at all. Every club or institution I know of always sends out a renewal notice but seems not RAAus

 

 

[Happyflyer]

Thanks. On the basis they sent my election stuff three weeks after it was announced I should be expecting it in the post for Christmas then.And as the ops manual with which I must comply does not require that I hold a card from RAAus I’ve never given a thought to flying after my flight review was entered into my logbook. Only card I care about is the reg for the aircraft.

Not quite right. You are not required to carry it on you but must be able to produce it within 72 hours in some instances.

From the Ops Manual:

 

CARRIAGE AND PRODUCTION OF PILOT CERTIFICATE

 

21. On request from a RAAus official (including Operations and Technical Staff, CFI, PE or ROC), an officer of CASA or a Police Officer, pilots are required to produce their Pilot Certifcate within 72 hours.

 

 

[SDQDI]

But would not a printed copy of the email of your up to date certificate be the same thing?

 

 

[kasper]

Not quite right. You are not required to carry it on you but must be able to produce it within 72 hours in some instances.From the Ops Manual:

 

CARRIAGE AND PRODUCTION OF PILOT CERTIFICATE

 

21. On request from a RAAus official (including Operations and Technical Staff, CFI, PE or ROC), an officer of CASA or a Police Officer, pilots are required to produce their Pilot Certifcate within 72 hours.

And anyone trying that one on me would be met with “never received it - everything online in me profile is up to date and if you want to push it ask RAAus to produce PROOF it was sent.”

As I am a member for whom RAAus are not permitted to send anything in relation to the association by electronic means they always send everything to me by express post so they have the little peel off sticker from it being sent and AustPost can match that to a delivery receipt from their system so proof will exist IF they ever sent it.

 

 

[waraton]

I have just renewed my pilot certificate but BFR is not due until June so the plastic will come when I do that. An anomaly for me which may not apply to others but was an issue for me. Reading the acronym summary on the A4 certificate they sent when I paid my renewal, I noticed that there is an actual 2 stroke (2S) endorsement on the certificate. I had assumed 2 stroke was covered by the LP endorsement I hold (which is now no longer current in the OPs manual) but I was not covered. I was required to send in proof of the 2 stroke endorsement given at the time. Goes to show you should never make assumptions and should always read the fine-print! I photographed the current certificate, which was emailed, with my phone so I have a copy I can access until the new card turns up in June next year.

 

 

[Happyflyer]

But would not a printed copy of the email of your up to date certificate be the same thing?

I would think you would be right there. But I was just pointing out that when Kasper said "the ops manual with which I must comply does not require that I hold a card from RAAus" he was not quite right. Apparently he chooses not receive emails from them so I suppose to comply with the ops manual which he says he must comply with he would have to hold a card.

 

 

[Roscoe]

I have just renewed my pilot certificate but BFR is not due until June so the plastic will come when I do that. An anomaly for me which may not apply to others but was an issue for me. Reading the acronym summary on the A4 certificate they sent when I paid my renewal, I noticed that there is an actual 2 stroke (2S) endorsement on the certificate. I had assumed 2 stroke was covered by the LP endorsement I hold (which is now no longer current in the OPs manual) but I was not covered. I was required to send in proof of the 2 stroke endorsement given at the time. Goes to show you should never make assumptions and should always read the fine-print! I photographed the current certificate, which was emailed, with my phone so I have a copy I can access until the new card turns up in June next year.

I think you will find that your plastic turns up next week, and will show your LAST BFR date 2016.

Thus your Card will be current and when you do your BFR next June, the RAA records will be updated.

 

 

[kasper]

I would think you would be right there. But I was just pointing out that when Kasper said "the ops manual with which I must comply does not require that I hold a card from RAAus" he was not quite right. Apparently he chooses not receive emails from them so I suppose to comply with the ops manual which he says he must comply with he would have to hold a card.

Basic req of ops - card available on request with 72 hr does not mean I have to hold one just have it available. Very different from reg cert on aircraft which must be displayed.

And I’ve held a pilots certificate that was not been current for 2 years and RAAus were very clear they they will not issue the plastic card if the biennial is out of date but send emails when they update their system for the BFR- they was 10 days after the BFR and it’s another week now and no card.

 

Now unless they really mean you can’t fly due to their processing system even though I have complied I’m off to fly when the weather allows and not much in terms of RAAus paperwork chasing will stop me.

 

Oh and I will be flying the 95.10 registered aircraft that has absolutely no registration displayed other than its rego card because that’s the display regs that were in play when RAAus registered it.

 

God forbid I get a ramp check by CASA because it’s all legit but looks bloody odd.

 

 

[planesmaker]

My bfr was not valid at renewal, no card, validated months ago now, still no card only printed email.

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

My son says that it is only us old guys who will put up with bulls##t like we do. He says that smart young people will find an activity which does not involve being bullied, and that is why flying is in decline.

 

 

[VoodooForce]

The place where I must rego my land craft no longer sends snail mail letters and stickers colour coded by year with large numerals displaying the rego expiry/due month. When asked they claim sending a letter prior to the due date is a courtesy and not a requirement. No one operates said vehicles with these stickers anymore. I paid online but got nothing by post in receipt. IIRC the only correspondence I received was from the insurance company as a reminder. It is progress.

 

 

[The Therm]

Don't see any 'progress' in what you have referred to there, just change'.

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

Same here in South Australia voodoo. The cop cars have number plate readers and these machines converse with the head office computer to tell if your rego is overdue.

 

I can imagine automating the whole process and having kerbside number plate readers with integrated machine guns so you automatically get punished for having no rego. Save on cop wages huh.