Has Recreational Aviation collapsed?

[onetrack]

I was under the impression that because the Merredin Council sold the Merredin Airport in its entirety to the Chinese, they handed over total responsibility for the airport to them.

The departure of the Chinese from Merredin after the liquidation of their operations is an excellent opportunity for Merredin Council to start promoting their region for aviation activities.

The concern would be that the Merredin Council will seek to "offload" the potential financial burden of maintaining and running such a large and expensive asset, onto either a private company, or the State or Federal Govt, to ease the finance burden on the council.

Whichever way it goes, the concern remains that no matter who ends up owning it, there is bound to be an increase in user charges to cover the costs of operating and maintaining it.

 

I haven't found much detail on the Merredin Airport agreement, but I did discover the following expenditure information in some Govt correspondence from 2005.

 

"The Merredin base (260 km east of Perth) was established with the purchase of the Merredin airstrip from the Merredin Shire Council. CSWAFC invested $13 million into the airport, an accommodation village in Merredin and other related infrastructure and operational expenditure.

The Western Australian Government contributed $1.5 million in 1996 towards the reconstruction of the runway, comprising:

• $1 million through the Regional Headworks Scheme for the development of headworks connection; and Western Australia 1 April 2005

• $500,000 through the Regional Airports Development Scheme (RADS).

Subsequently, the State Government has assisted with three further RADS grants (2001, 2003 and 2004) totalling $163,000."

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by onetrack

[spacesailor]

Like a lot of Older 95-10 aircraft Not all relavant information was Not put out by AUF, 

So some Bureaucrat found a ' wing loading ' paragraph that precluded Hummel Bird from being a legitimate 95-10, EVEN when registration Was paid for & was On the list of RAA aircraft.

IF l had broken the law, and flown said aircraft ( unlicenced ) it would have been grandfathered as a flying 

Aircraft.

Never sent anything to tell me it was happening, found out by taking 10-1103 for it,s final airworthy check prior to it,s maiden flight 

!?

NO REFUND ON MONEY SPENT FOR FALSE RDGISTRATION

Realy up my nose. That they could just wipe out a registration with no apology.  Or corispondence. 

spacesailor

 

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by spacesailor
Odd letter,s

[jackc]

46 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

Like a lot of Older 95-10 aircraft Not all relavant information was Not put out by AUF, 

So some Bureaucrat found a ' wing loading ' paragraph that precluded Hummel Bird from being a legitimate 95-10, EVEN when registration Was paid for & was On the list of RAA aircraft.

IF l had broken the law, and flown said aircraft ( unlicenced ) it would have been grandfathered as a flying 

Aircraft.

Never sent anything to tell me it was happening, found out by taking 10-1103 for it,s final airworthy check prior to it,s maiden flight 

!?

NO REFUND ON MONEY SPENT FOR FALSE RDGISTRATION

Realy up my nose. That they could just wipe out a registration with no apology.  Or corispondence. 

spacesailor

 

 

IF that happened to me, I would just fly and have someone take a pic not identifying the pilot or surrounding landscape and send it in anonymously to RAA!!,

Would probably pi$$ themselves and secretly chuckle to themselves, good on him.....IF it was years ago.

Now they would cause a full scale investigation and want to see Spacey in gaol 😞

The World of having fun, left us years ago 😞

Maybe the ‘empire needs to strike back’ ?

[spacesailor]

kasper

Many, many thanks for your information & help.

BUT

The fact remains RAA, had not made any hint of helping me & other 95-10 builders, in any way !.

NOT ONE IOTA OF CORISPONDANCE FROM THEM.

You are the only person that has said to register as 95-19 !.

Why couldent those on the register be Transfered over ( to 95-19 ) Instead of Deleted.

Could be the extra revenue by deleting one, to go too the next ?.

Or the extra aircraft registered on two standards.

spacesailor

 

[kasper]

2 hours ago, spacesailor said:

kasper

Many, many thanks for your information & help.

BUT

The fact remains RAA, had not made any hint of helping me & other 95-10 builders, in any way !.

NOT ONE IOTA OF CORISPONDANCE FROM THEM.

You are the only person that has said to register as 95-19 !.

Why couldent those on the register be Transfered over ( to 95-19 ) Instead of Deleted.

Could be the extra revenue by deleting one, to go too the next ?.

Or the extra aircraft registered on two standards.

spacesailor

 

Sorry but this change was 23 years ago.

 

You basically have no real chance of getting RAAus now to give an allowance off reg fees now for charges by AUF 23 years ago. 
 

So the way forward is that any airframe that you can fit with 95.55 as a home built can be reg with RAAus as a 19- reg airframe - regardless of if it was started to be built 6mths ago or 30yrs ago. 
 

Where anyone is looking at this on a part built or unregistered airframe you really are best calling RAAus and talking to the tech team - they are generally very helpful and can offer options where strict process and docs do not exist. 
 

 

[spacesailor]

kasper

Read and will keep in mind. If only for the next owner, should l give it all up.

 

spacesailor

[turboplanner]

4 hours ago, jackc said:

IF that happened to me, I would just fly and have someone take a pic not identifying the pilot or surrounding landscape and send it in anonymously to RAA!!,

Would probably pi$$ themselves and secretly chuckle to themselves, good on him.....IF it was years ago.

Now they would cause a full scale investigation and want to see Spacey in gaol 😞

The World of having fun, left us years ago 😞

Maybe the ‘empire needs to strike back’ ?

He's been told enoughy times what to do to fix the problem.

[Roscoe]

On 07/05/2021 at 5:03 PM, turboplanner said:

He's been told enoughy times what to do to fix the problem.

I know nothing about the situation Spacesailor is in, but as Turbs and Kasper have said, just contact RAA!!

Spacey time and time again I read knowledgible people telling you what you need to do, but you seem reluctant to take advice and just complain.... with respect, stop complaining, and listen to the advice of those who try to help you.

[spacesailor]

To do what others have said, takes a bit of courage to face those that took away my confidence.

AND  , still not fit enough to just 'jump in & do it'.

If there was a place ( farmer airstrip  ) away from ' the maddening crowds ' 

l could just play at the pretake-off scenero. No stress, or worry, just take my time, as slow as l am, 

Just a dream !.

AND Don,t forget, l will be playing to their tune, not a 10 but 95.

OR l go  VH Experimental. 

spacesailor

 

[jackc]

8 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

To do what others have said, takes a bit of courage to face those that took away my confidence.

AND  , still not fit enough to just 'jump in & do it'.

If there was a place ( farmer airstrip  ) away from ' the maddening crowds ' 

l could just play at the pretake-off scenero. No stress, or worry, just take my time, as slow as l am, 

Just a dream !.

AND Don,t forget, l will be playing to their tune, not a 10 but 95.

OR l go  VH Experimental. 

spacesailor

 

Remember this......a dream is a goal.   Do something about it, your loss if you don’t and remember you have one life and IF you are a Dinosaur then EOL is not far off.

Would it be legal to sit in a farm paddock and doing a run up in an unregistered aircraft and no certificate?  You would have no intention of flying and the run up is done on private property?

Infact even ground runs could be legal?   Don’t need licence or rego to do same in car.

What could CASA do, under what regulation?

 

[Roscoe]

14 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

To do what others have said, takes a bit of courage to face those that took away my confidence.

AND  , still not fit enough to just 'jump in & do it'.

If there was a place ( farmer airstrip  ) away from ' the maddening crowds ' 

l could just play at the pretake-off scenero. No stress, or worry, just take my time, as slow as l am, 

Just a dream !.

AND Don,t forget, l will be playing to their tune, not a 10 but 95.

OR l go  VH Experimental. 

spacesailor

 

Ok I fully understand where you are coming from.

[facthunter]

Surely there's a NICE Instructor with imagination who can fit you in for a 3/4 hour pleasant experience with NO pressure.? Nev

[jackc]

You know.......given all the aviation b/s in Australia?  I have a plan, being a member of the EAA in the U.S. I might seek out a flying  school for a training course for FAR Part 103 aircraft, take a holiday and do the required training and see IF I can rent an aircraft and try the Part 103 experience 🙂

CASA and RAA can errrrr......!

Cross Part 103 off my bucket list!  

Might even buy a plane and bring it home......to sit on the front lawn and......:-)

Just got to get rid of COVID first........

Time to make an enquiry 🙂

[walrus]

If the aircraft is registered it is an "aircraft" if it also has a certificate of airworthiness it is flyable. You touch it or run it without a licence and "Ping"".

[jackc]

Just now, walrus said:

If the aircraft is registered it is an "aircraft" if it also has a certificate of airworthiness it is flyable. You touch it or run it without a licence and "Ping"".

In that case, no rego...no licence......no C of A?  No problem 🙂

[spacesailor]

" and remember you have one life and IF you are a Dinosaur then EOL is not far off ".

NO: I Am on my second Life.

I had a Terminal disease when very young and woke up in the Morgue . so the story was told.

Plus about 7 years in hospital. proving the " Dead Walk this Earth ". No preschooling for me, that's why l didn't gel with Teacher's.

Doing good I think.

spacesailor

[walrus]

Jackc:

Quote

n that case, no rego...no licence......no C of A?  No problem 

Correct........until someone photographs you with more than a millimeter of sunlight underneath your wheels, at which point you are in contravention of the Act.

 

I suppose you could try flying at night.... A part 103 bat?

[jackc]

1 minute ago, walrus said:

Jackc:

Correct........until someone photographs you with more than a millimeter of sunlight underneath your wheels, at which point you are in contravention of the Act.

 

I suppose you could try flying at night.... A part 103 bat?

I will pass on flying ANYTHING at night 🙂 

[spacesailor]

Surely,  those ' bunny hops ' when learning Cannot be classed as a flighing.

IF That is a yes, to' bunnihops ' are classed as a flight !.

Then the 10-1103 Has been flown, & as a ' flighing 'aircraft should not have been deleted from the RAA register.

You can,t have it Both ways !.

spacesailor

 

[jackc]

6 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

Surely,  those ' bunny hops ' when learning Cannot be classed as a flighing.

IF That is a yes, to' bunnihops ' are classed as a flight !.

Then the 10-1103 Has been flown, & as a ' flighing 'aircraft should not have been deleted from the RAA register.

You can,t have it Both ways !.

spacesailor

 

You can fly anything, anytime you like.....No Rego, No Certificate.

They are NOT prerequisites to fly.   However, IF you don’t have the ability to fly then best to stay on the ground.

Illegal has two meanings......unlawful and description of a sick bird 🙂

Unlawful can find you in deep do do.  A sick bird is just that...a sick bird!

Now IF you want to relive the good old days and not be unlawful, then pull the elevators off, technically you are not an aircraft......just do ground runs, in your own driveway/property.  Stay off public roads!

Or get one of these:-)

 

[turboplanner]

Like this?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2840247/The-obvious-message-dont-drive-plane-street-Pilot-drove-small-aircraft-pub-fined.html

 

[jackc]

Sorry, I pissed myself laughing 🙂. It’s a wonder they did not get him for no rego and no CTP.

IF I was a CFI, I would have to sign off on his ‘ground handling’ 🙂 

Sorry, but he failed to deal with the missing wings on his pre flight!

[Thruster88]

Just now, jackc said:

Sorry, I pissed myself laughing 🙂. It’s a wonder they did not get him for no rego and no CTP.

IF I was a CFI, I would have to sign off on his ‘ground handling’ 🙂 

Sorry, but he failed to deal with the missing wings on his pre flight!

Hi Jack, you should read Ben Buckley's book, I think you will like it.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Buckleys-Chance-Bob-Stevens-ebook/dp/B01CEYVLRU

[jackc]

I just downloaded the book.......could be scary, might have some ideas for me to try 🙂

[Bruce Tuncks]

To those of you who have farm properties to fly from...

You can make sure that those who enter the property have BOTH biosecurity and ohs qualifications to legally be there.  I doubt if CASA is up to this right now. They will be in the fullness of time as they will send their favourite sons to Tafe to get these tickets.