My Rant this week- So how's a brand new plane for 14 grand sound.

[Hargraves]

Could,nt help but notice that by a huge margin the main topic centered on the marvelous progess being made by this inovation was to do with complying with existing imposed beauracratic regulation and much less to do with the actual aircraft and as a believer in encouraging, assisting and helping those enterprises it makes me sick to see it so throttled. The sooner theirs a genuine regulatory choice for (recreational) not wanna be GA flying the better.

 

 

[farri]

I nominate Farri - To lead the RAA and - "Make RAA Flying Great Again" (and fun).Morning President Frank - how's your blood pressure!

Blood pressure is fine but I don`t know if to laugh or cry at the prospect of it!

 

He is a bit grumpy, probably from the lack of quality coffee and being an bit of a stubborn old bastard (smile frank)

Exactly why I haven`t posted my rant on the subject!

 

I concur.... As payment for his service as our fearless leader I would like to start a fund to buy this Italian man a decent coffee machine and some real Coffee.. Bleand 43 is NOT coffee ;)

WOW!!!! Will a decent coffee machine with real coffee, give me more enjoyment?

 

Frank,

 

Ps, Thanks Guys!

 

 

[SDQDI]

Hmm this seems to be turning out to be another episode of 'jobs for the boys'!

 

 

[farri]

Hmm this seems to be turning out to be another episode of 'jobs for the boys'!

 

 

[SSCBD]

Guys - We buy all the best pollies in QLD - other states get rejected lawyers and narcissists.

 

 

[farri]

Want Electric?

 

 

 

[fly_tornado]

the EM6 started off looking like a really simple project and then some how it just ballooned into what it is now

 

 

[spacesailor]

The "EM6" looks good, but were is the pilots protection?. It looks like the bureaucrats need to keep the thumb hard down, rather the ere on the side of safety.

 

Too be over-weight by a few Ke's and in a safer aircraft is not what they can manage.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[farri]

How much pilot protection do you want?......Crash an Ultralight aircraft and the chance of survival is very slim, regardless of pilot protection.

 

Frank.

 

 

[winsor68]

I'm not sure they will. winsor. The "young" people I see are rather invisible around a lot of things that "oldies" still go to. They all spend a lot of time on the I phone tweeting each other getting tattoos and metal rings inserted anywhere, and dressing in a way their own group do. Peer pressure is strong. I doubt the sustained effort required to get involved with aircraft will ever be "cool" with any critical mass of the latest additions to our populace. Some of the more sensible ones don't even drive a car. They also don't have much disposable income, so I think a strategy of trying to appeal to the younger set will have limited success if we just advertise in the "normal" way. The personal approach may provide a trickle, where they can fit in with and be mentored by some tribal elders from the aeroplane tribe. Nev

That says more about you than it does about them...

 

 

[facthunter]

I would not accept that my comment does that at all. I,m not posting a view, just an observation. Peer pressure has always been a strong factor in what's acceptable/cool/with it for any generation. Kids are much the same as they always were but the social environment changes. Christmas is a very commercialised thing. Fashion in clothing is also. Dare I say the excessive use of I phones has an element of profit in it.? Can also be very socially disruptive. I don't live in a vaccuum, and just condemn kids. This generation thing has been done to death and has limited validity. I engage with kids on trains and trams and in the street. I don't lecture or criticise them. I talk with them, about all sorts of things. Nev

 

 

[Hargraves]

While we look closely at the dilemma of attracting more and younger people to our sport and the challenges it poses, The overall participation figure via population percentage of owner pilots of .0017% needs to be realized as the single biggest hurdel in our path. In other words to all intents and purposes where up against human nature, that is to say we are involved in a sport that is unique due to the simple fact we actually seek and enjoy being responsible for ourselves and our actions on our own recognense. This is not the case with the general population. I believe that on top of cost issues is largely the reason we are in a minute minority and a way to get around it is what needs to be looked at. Cheers Hargraves

 

 

[facthunter]

It's different in Alaska. Nearly everyone flys. You need Pilots to fly you around in the big airborne cattle trucks of the sky or are we going to get them from China like everything else on the shelves. Nev

 

 

[Hargraves]

Yes its (needs must) nev, when road options are very limited and coastal routes are often four or more times longer around, but being a dedicated Darwinist with very little fur remaining on me i think i,ll stay in warmer climes and love it sir

 

 

[Methusala]

I have thought about kids (millenials or whatever faddish name the media comes up with lately) and I see that they can enjoy many thrilling pursuits, not quite vicariously but through the medium of silicone chips. Remember that they don't have a distant memory of heroes such as Biggles, Douglas Bader or even the Red Baron. So they are motivated by other themes. If they wish to experience flight they are most disposed to try it through a simulator program If they stall and crash then just reset and go again. It takes no greater effort on their part than playing any other computer game. The commitment required to actually enlist into a program that few of their peers even recognise and devote large chunks of time and money towards a somewhat anti-social pursuit, well, I don't see that happening.

 

I look around at my peers when enjoying aviatic pursuits and see all grey (or white or no) hair and shrug. What other response is valid?

 

 

[bexrbetter]

I have thought about kids

It's as much the parents fault.

 

Today's need and greed (new car, 86 bedroom house with ensuite etc) requires parents to not be home a lot and tired on the weekends, so kids playing with their computer games takes a lot of pressure off.

 

When I was a kid, Mum was home when I got home from school and we were directed to go outside with clues offered on what to do - or if raining, Mum would hop in and start us off on something.

 

 

[Hargraves]

I don,t know that I could agree that its, us parents fault mostly, except for possiblly the (dropped ball) of not actually revolting over macro economic reform ie the dismanteling of our manufacturing base and the destruction of the only true opposition the country ever had, the trade union movment, which I view as the precursor and direct consequence to the social situation were in now including the disenfranchisement of real pursuits by our younger australians in favour of (games). But even thats not a new tactic, old mate Julius Cesar (give the people games) it worked a treat for him too eh. I haven,t got a clue of how to fix it except to say i would treat the possesion of violent vidieo games the same way we treat child pornography and heroin possesion. But thats just me and my antiquated ways. Cheers Hargraves

 

 

[Methusala]

I did not think exactly of laying "blame" for any young people's behaviour. They are prisoners of their epoc just as we were of ours. I was just trying to find a logical reason for their lack of fascination for flying. Computers and their altered (or simulated) reality offerings are far more seducrtive than the tv craze which captured us in the 50's and 60's. You could substitute music, tribes (as in rockers, mods or hippies) and other cultural themes but I can imagine how younger people can be addicted to their "games'. Just different reality for us.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Farri

 

My down-fall !, Protection equals weight, Too much protection & you're not an ultralight, VH experimental!

 

Three good crashed HB, with out a fatality.

 

spacesailor, only two on pc!., Third nosed down into carpark.

 

 

 

[Dwilly]

I remember a slogan from the eighties.

 

KIDS RULE

 

And today they do

 

 

[Hargraves]

Were they all engined the same farri

 

 

[Marty_d]

I don't think kids are sitting on their couch surfing the net on their Ipads.

 

I've got a nephew in his 20's, who is fitter than I ever was. His hobbies include downhill mountain bike racing, rock climbing and skateboarding. Kids probably aren't into flying because they're getting incredible thrills in other ways. Parkour, cliff diving, snorkeling, surfing - there's an endless range of ways to get your thrills, and most of them are cheaper than flying.

 

 

[hihosland]

Marty did say "

 

there's an endless range of ways to get your thrills, and most of them are cheaper than flying.

 

"

 

And in many cases many more thrill inducing minutes per hour than flying

 

 

[facthunter]

I wonder if you would be doing the right thing by encouraging young people to fly, the way it's evolving. Do they get a good bang for their buck? Does it have a practical application? (is it a practical way to get around, safely when you consider weather factors and how isolated aerodromes are) Is there much hope of a career coming out of it? It can be very expensive, much more so than in the past (for ultralights where many built their own plane where most just buy now. Communities try to get rid of aerodromes, not encourage aviation pursuits. There's more and more paperwork and "rules". etc "WE" who remain are more or less hooked, but many I know have given up waiting for the good times to return /roll. Things like the medical situation drag on for years. I would suggest we have gone backwards in the last 10 years in this country, without doubt. I don't regard this assessment as negative , just realistic. Nev

 

 

[Hargraves]

Quite right Nev. The limited usefulness of our two seaters makes touring problamatic in many ways, like being at an out of town empty grass strip with either your pax or 80 to 100 kg of camping gear but not both has wiskers on it for sure and I would,nt describe as thrilling any flying that I do, more like "very enjoyable and the best way to see our country" would be my choice of description for it. But i do come back to my previous post, of seeking to fly and being responsible for yourself and your actions as being the main attraction, for me anyway, after all when where up their and all is well who needs anyone else. Cheers Hargraves