RAA Board Elections

[Frankus1aust]

Next month we have the RAA Board Elections. The candidate profiles are in the current Sports Pilot magazine and there are contact numbers and email addresses. I am emailing questions to the candidates and deciding for whom I am going to vote. Overall I think the current management have done a good job of furthering the RAA and member interests, but there could be more cooperation and engagement with the rest of the aviation community's interests. Also the small but annoying distractions like the "freedom to fly" registration were not welcome and a sign of either management judgment error or hubris. We all make mistakes and group think mistakes can happen with any board that may or may not be being dominated by a small clique.

 

Any questions the community should be asking? In my dilettante position of complete amateur, I would be interested to see anybody's informed comments. There are a couple of other management questions such as senior executive's business interests and association corporate structural changes, now is the time.

 

Thanks, Frankus         

 

 

[facthunter]

 IF someone has an interest in selling some kind of aircraft , they should not be in a position to influence such things as weight increase or owner servicing.  It's about the concept of arm's length. You complain about CFI's having too much influence. None of them are riding too high on the HOG. and if they didn't have a clue about flying, they would have demonstrated that long ago. Nev

 

 

[spacesailor]

Yes please !.

 

Get rid of the "wing load rule" that has stopped a dozen of builder's completing their 95-10 aircraft.

 

Many thanks on behalf of 12 builders.

 

Not willing to go 95-19 or VHE (experimental).

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Frankus1aust]

Agreed. To try it on is a conspicuous judgment error. Assuming it is true. But at management level you can't leave the door open to any perception of conflict of interest.

 

The standard of the RAA training is pretty good and their Principles and Methods of Instruction manual is much better than most of the training I had in GA in the 80's. No question they are raising the standards. (All be it a few things missing in the manual, but CFI discretion makes up for it and the standards seem consistent).

 

 

[Yenn]

My personal opinion is that the current board are trying to turn RAAus into a big enterprise. They seem to be following the government in the idea that growth is what they should aim for. I would prefer a board that looks after our interests above all else. I know they cannot dictate to CASA, but they don't appear to me to be on our side. They spend a lot of time telling us how good they are and how everything is just wonderful, but nothing much has really changed, except that charges go up, service goes down and RAAus seems to be becoming a retail outlet for knick nacks.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

It amazes me that our organisation doesn't make more use of the enormous depth of talent and expertise from its membership. Admittedly there are limits to what volunteer members can do, but if a job hasn't been done, we need to know why. One example is their events calendar, which has always been woefully empty.

 

Although I have had nothing but good courteous service when I have phoned RAAus, surely staff can update it if they have a few spare minutes. If not, get a member to volunteer.

 

 

[Frankus1aust]

It amazes me that our organisation doesn't make more use of the enormous depth of talent and expertise from its membership. Admittedly there are limits to what volunteer members can do, but if a job hasn't been done, we need to know why. One example is their events calendar, which has always been woefully empty.

 

Although I have had nothing but good courteous service when I have phoned RAAus, surely staff can update it if they have a few spare minutes. If not, get a member to volunteer.

 

A registered volunteer skills member bank would be an idea. It would take a little management time but you would hope it would return more than the expenditure of management input.  It could also help mitigate the tendency for management "group think" in decision making and planning.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

From time to time RAA ask for volunteers to put into a skills register.  I don't know what sort of response they get.  I have done some volunteer work for them, however, I am doing it at my own pace.  They may not have the luxury of waiting for ages, or waiting for someone to visit Canberra. 

 

I am sure there are Board members who consult people they know have better knowledge of things.  This might be happening behind the scenes without us knowing.  It's a hard question to answer - if RAA get outside help (from members or professionals etc) and they don't pay, or pay less than market value (eg free labour "parts" only) are these provided by "volunteers"?  If so, then Yes, they are using Volunteers. 

 

But remember - you get what you pay for.  Often Volunteers are not required to stand by their product, there's no compulsion to complete.

 

 

[facthunter]

 I suspect when they call for input like with  CASA and a NPRM they are mainly window dressing and have already made their mind up. what changes they have in mind. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

... remember - you get what you pay for.  Often Volunteers are not required to stand by their product, there's no compulsion to complete.

 

Good points, Sue. I'm sure that's often true, but I've seen examples of volunteers running rings around the paid professionals.

 

 

[Yenn]

I have also seen professionals volounteer to do work for which they have no ability at all. Just the ability to say look at me, how good am I volounteering to do this free work.

 

 

[facthunter]

Yes, they suffer from relevance deprivation syndrome, like Tony abbot must be currently.  (as a good example of a bad situation) .Nev

 

 

[Frankus1aust]

My personal opinion is that the current board are trying to turn RAAus into a big enterprise. They seem to be following the government in the idea that growth is what they should aim for. I would prefer a board that looks after our interests above all else. I know they cannot dictate to CASA, but they don't appear to me to be on our side. They spend a lot of time telling us how good they are and how everything is just wonderful, but nothing much has really changed, except that charges go up, service goes down and RAAus seems to be becoming a retail outlet for knick nacks.

 

 

 

Definitely has the fragrance of fiefdom building there, but the general membership won't have an issue with that if they continue to deliver uncomplicated flying.  Probably better than the war zone of GA at the moment.                

 

 

[Frankus1aust]

Good points, Sue. I'm sure that's often true, but I've seen examples of volunteers running rings around the paid professionals.

 

Qualified Board "helpers" are like evil spirits, you summon them up when you want to smite your enemy, but then efforts to make them go away can bring on a new pestilence. I suppose this comes back to the first rule of power.....  If you've got some, use it to get more.

 

 

[Thruster88]

 

Definitely has the fragrance of fiefdom building there, but the general membership won't have an issue with that if they continue to deliver uncomplicated flying.  Probably better than the war zone of GA at the moment.                

 

The strategic plan. Not sure what it is all about, consultants may have been involved.?  

 

 https://members.raa.asn.au/storage/2019-2023-strategic-plan.pdf

 

 

[snakenjac]

facthunter - can you please elaborate on your comment regarding Tony Abbott!