Membership

[Fred]

Just renew my RAA membership, increase of $30,  is there no end to this BS.

 

 

[robinsm]

its called progress, pay more for executive expenses and extras that we really dont need but make executives feel better.

 

 

[Geoff13]

When I renewed last year I opted for 5 years, I would have gone for 10 if that was an option.

 

So with a $30.00 increase this year, that puts me $120.00 in front by the end of 5 years and that is if it doesn't go up again.

 

A good win for me.

 

 

[Downunder]

RAA fees have increased at DOUBLE the inflation rate for the last 10 yrs.....

 

$160 in 2008. $235 in 2018. A 50% increase.... 

 

 

[coljones]

You have to careful quoting inflation as there are huge variability depending on which segment you are in. If you are on a pension based on CPI you will be behind the ball on medical costs.  If you are in business or in trouble with the law then increases in government charges or paying legal fees will make you choke.  If you focus on CPI rather than service you will serve no-one. The only thing coming down in price is ice.

 

 

[kasper]

But have none of you realised the reasons for the increases on increases ?   

 

Pure spin

 

we HAD to take away the printed mag because it was killing RAAus - instant massive fee increase because it came with no decrease or even freeze in membership - that magazine then was sold to us at cost(ish) so we know how much it costs to produce 

 

three years down the track the 4th year of massive over inflation increases mean our magazine can then be “paid “ for by  “good management “ of RAAus without increasing fees - here is you magazine due to our management ...

 

dont be fooled when in a year or two you’re sold the brilliant management can reintroduce at no cost for a magazine. 

 

Seen it before in management where what you’ve actually already been charged for is presented to you as a benefit of management skill in action. 

 

 

[jetjr]

No, members demanded they KEEP the printed magazine, which remains one of the largest cost items RAA has.

 

 

[kasper]

No, members demanded they KEEP the printed magazine, which remains one of the largest cost items RAA has.

Yet at every opportunity in public I have heard mr Monke say his plan is to return the printed magazine to all as soon as it can be financially supported. 

All im pointing out is when it comes it’s at least equally valid to say the return had nothing to do with management skills or prudence but purely from significant sustained annual over inflation membership increases.  

 

Whilst those fees are management decisions it’s not really management skills or efficiency to explain it ... but RAAus are if nothing else experts at spin ... negative or failed are not parts of their vocabulary 

 

 

[jetjr]

They made the decision to cancel printed magazine and revert to online only to save money

 

The board (i have to assume) decided it had to remain and based upon member backlash, it was. Last time I heard it was $180K per year i think, purely for those few members who cant or wont use electonic communications

 

Same for paper mailouts , they were cancelled which saved heaps in printing and mail costs, yet some demand it. So it remains and so do costs.

 

the staged membership increases are likely to cover these continued costs.

 

 

[slb]

Yet at every opportunity in public I have heard mr Monke say his plan is to return the printed magazine to all as soon as it can be financially supported. 

and yet they send free copies out to schools?

 

Sorry to see Brian lost the Sport Pilot (read the online copy) after all his hard work, but read with interest his comments about the magazine being a voice for the members not just a megaphone for the Board. We will just have to wait and see what the new publishers/editors bring.

 

Fees wise, if this keeps up it will be cheaper to learn and fly GA. Add up what it all costs and subtract what a LAME would charge for an annual and see what the difference is.

 

At the moment the figures don't seem to add up. An increase in membership numbers should keep the costs down, as the infrastructure and procedures are already in place, unless we are in for another round of big changes? What is the increase for?

 

 

[spacesailor]

Same for paper mailouts , they were cancelled which saved heaps in printing and mail costs, yet some demand it. So it remains and so do costs.

But What will happen after the small number of members are taken off the Internet due solely to NBN, switching off their existing & favorite provider.

Wil the paper trail resurrect itself from all the bills only paid online, when you can't see your Emails or facebook, No phone or fax to contact the world.

 

except of course the expensive Mobile-phone, charged by the 30 seconds. On hold for forty-five minutes !.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[farri]

Just renew my RAA membership, increase of $30,  is there no end to this BS.

Nope! Not that I can see!... I`ve just renewed mine, online, $245.

I`ve copied from the RAA Website.

 

 Posted 16 June 2017

 

Why are fees going up?The RAAus Board is determined to get RAAus back into surplus and a fee increaseis one measure that has been introduced to achieve this... Membership fees will rise on 1 July from $215 to $235.

 

Frank.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

revenue goes up $10 a year, expenses will go up $11. The RAA is committed to growth.

 

 

[coljones]

But What will happen after the small number of members are taken off the Internet due solely to NBN, switching off their existing & favorite provider.Wil the paper trail resurrect itself from all the bills only paid online, when you can't see your Emails or facebook, No phone or fax to contact the world.

 

except of course the expensive Mobile-phone, charged by the 30 seconds. On hold for forty-five minutes !.

 

spacesailor

What, why would NBN refuse to translate an existing internet user?  Unless you choose to live in the middle of the Simpson Desert at the end of 50 km single wire.

 

 

[spacesailor]

NBN is cutting all existing cable/broardband & phone,  Just to force you onto the NEW (wire-to-the-node) with a large increase in revenue, to get what you have been receiving for years !.

 

They say now, you can have the same download speed as cable, BUT you have to use the second tier, for the 20 mgs that cable runs at, & that's Not the minimum speed.

 

In the outback you could go for Satellite Phone & internet, but not in the city. 

 

spacesailor

 

 

[fly_tornado]

the NBN does replace a lot of older comms technology, I now pay $40 a month for 100G versus $40 for 1000G but the speed is much faster

 

 

[coljones]

NBN is cutting all existing cable/broardband & phone,  Just to force you onto the NEW (wire-to-the-node) with a large increase in revenue, to get what you have been receiving for years !.They say now, you can have the same download speed as cable, BUT you have to use the second tier, for the 20 mgs that cable runs at, & that's Not the minimum speed.

 

In the outback you could go for Satellite Phone & internet, but not in the city. 

 

spacesailor

NBN is not cutting the Foxtel cable.  The OPTUS Cable is at end of life and unfit for purpose. The majority of service will be by fibre at least part of the way and then ADSL.  If you don't  insist on multiple streams of hi Def movies the service should be adequate for the vast majority of users.  If you are coming up to a transition to NBN you will have a huge array of providers.  In the current setup there are lies, lies and lies from the vendor's about speed and capacity all attempting to get you into their bed.  Be prepared to swap vendors and maybe, initially, take short term contracts. Not all vendors will provide high capacity interconnected and will slow down as they add more gullible subscribers and they start downloading multiple streams of hihdef porn.

 

 

[coljones]

the NBN does replace a lot of older comms technology, I now pay $40 a month for 100G versus $40 for 1000G but the speed is much faster

1000G?

 

 

[Downunder]

They made the decision to cancel printed magazine and revert to online only to save moneyThe board (i have to assume) decided it had to remain and based upon member backlash, it was. Last time I heard it was $180K per year i think, purely for those few members who cant or wont use electonic communications

 

Same for paper mailouts , they were cancelled which saved heaps in printing and mail costs, yet some demand it. So it remains and so do costs.

 

the staged membership increases are likely to cover these continued costs.

If all these things have been done to "save money", why do membership and rego fees continue to rise faster than they have ever done before?

That is the million dollar question. 

 

Add to that claimed membership rises that would have put a few hundred grand in the bank.

 

I'm sure I paid $235 in Feburary. Farri now says $245. Increases are now going up in smaller amounts multiple times per year it seems...

 

Death by a thousand cuts....

 

 

[fly_tornado]

1000G?

they couldn't advertise it as unlimited so they came up with 1000G 

 

I'm sure I paid $235 in Feburary. Farri now says $245. Increases are now going up in smaller amounts multiple times per year it seems...Death by a thousand cuts....

familiarise yourself with  Parkinson's law 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson's_law

 

and the law of triviality

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_triviality

 

The RAA is just replicating CASA, which probably pleases CASA more than the members.

 

 

[coljones]

they couldn't advertise it as unlimited so they came up with 1000G familiarise yourself with  Parkinson's law 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson's_law

 

and the law of triviality

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_triviality

 

The RAA is just replicating CASA, which probably pleases CASA more than the members.

Ah! So you were getting 100 Gigabytes of data, now you are getting 1000 Gigabytes of data.  What is the quoted and actual speed and latency as measured by Speed test?

 

 

[fly_tornado]

 other way, gone from 1000 to 100 but on the NBN my ADSL2 rated at 24Mbit was only getting 5Mbit and now on the 12Mbit which is good for 11Mbit 

 

 

[turboplanner]

NBN is cutting all existing cable/broardband & phone,  Just to force you onto the NEW (wire-to-the-node) with a large increase in revenue, to get what you have been receiving for years !.They say now, you can have the same download speed as cable, BUT you have to use the second tier, for the 20 mgs that cable runs at, & that's Not the minimum speed.

 

In the outback you could go for Satellite Phone & internet, but not in the city. 

 

spacesailor

Or you can go portable/ house modem and get faster speeds now and when 5g comes in it’s all over for NBN.

 

 

[Fred]

Nope! Not that I can see!... I`ve just renewed mine, online, $245.I`ve copied from the RAA Website.

 

 Posted 16 June 2017

 

Why are fees going up?The RAAus Board is determined to get RAAus back into surplus and a fee increaseis one measure that has been introduced to achieve this... Membership fees will rise on 1 July from $215 to $235.

 

Frank.

I paid $215 last year and $245 this year. -  that is a $30 increase to me  pretty simple 

 

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Sorry to see Brian lost the Sport Pilot (read the online copy) after all his hard work,

Brian no longer does the AOPA magazine either https://aopa.com.au/paul-southwick-appointed-as-editor-australian-pilot-magazine/

 

Part of the reason Brian Bigg was awarded the magazine contract was because he was doing AOPA Australian Pilot.  Those who have been around long enough would remember the howlers and gaffs by the previous non-aviation editors and the cries of "does anyone in RAA read this before it goes out??"  RAA had to warn members that they did not condone the behaviour or advice printed in it.  The copy was sent to Board members before it was printed, but it seemed most didn't bother reading, or the editor didn't heed their advice.