Keith Page

There is another very important point not mentioned, that is the homing feature which occurs when the battery is getting to nearly the end of charge. Start the unit out in the open "not under a tree" because when it is in its return home mode we have no control the unit is on its way home by itself. Hence if it is high in the air - the unit comes to the home point then lowers its self down to the ground if there is a tree in the way one is in for a lot of trouble. Regards, KP

Yes you are correct speed and altitude is on mine -- part of the unit. Thought of one, have you set the GPS in the quad copter so it know where it is? If you have not let me know and I will copy and paste the process -- a long shot guess to the problem. or The other one leave it sit on the ground till all the lights stop flashing then take off, if it is not let go through this flashing process the unit is quite radical to fly. With all that said I am now exhausted for ideas. Regards KP.

The current system has room for improvement. Not that long ago board members would attend fly-ins and promote RAAus now that has all gone now they sit behind screens and phones and saying what a wonderful job they are doing. In the marketing game you have to be physically seen, yes seen. No short cutting. The board members also would do a bit of a wander about the aero club just to see how they are going. No more. What is the use of a personal contact they have to something, not just a talk fest. Local responsibilities -- board members be seen at fly-ins - membership is dwindling look about other threads on this forum. I have a personal view on this new cult of the CEO and President attending fly-ins. We need good fellowship at these fly-ins. Remember RAAus is a member based organisation and we do not need, "This is what you are going to do".. Should be more like " What can be done to improve this?" The president should be collating information gathered by the board members, the president is not a dictator. The CEO should be managing and giving guidance to the office staff. This is not a police division. Regards, KP

This will not give a personal touch. What about the diplomat duties, what about the visual attendance, what about the personal visual appraisal?? A screen has not fixed a thing yet the experts think so, plus it has a delete button. I am over screens and the promises associated with the screen way, these days I go straight to the phone or front up. The personal approach has the "Hey You"factor, I am here to talk about things sort it out. Regards KP.

You do get local issues from time to time and if it does not effect the southern ones you will get nothing done and be classed as that Northern whinger. Be careful of that banter handed about saying the best rep is in the south and you can contact them on email and all will be good. What I say here be careful. I know for a fact we are on our own up here. The other point Townsville is closer than Melbourne. The board recommending new board members that is exactly what I am advocating. (Not) Just imagine what rot that will start. The goverenence crowd will yell or might - as depending on which of their cronies they are trying to shoe horn into the paid position. Regards, KP.

You are a very short price favourite on that view Frank. Depends on which side of the fence one comes from.. Will be those yelling - best person for the job, best skill set for the job, do not have to live in the area, will work tirelessly for RAAus. THEN. There are those yelling - fraud, job for the boys, nepotism, most useless person they can find. Regards KP

How are the the 3 board members appointed you mention 4 are elected by the membership, however I can not see how the 3 arrive at the schene. Regards, KP

Not a complicated equation the board member lives in Sydney.. Cairns needs something Sydney needs something.. Sydney wins.. We have to close the avenues for that to ever happen, if we let it in then discover it does not work, imagine all the pain we suffer while we are discovering it dose not work, have you ever thought how much effort and wasted resources involved to reverse that debacle. Regards, KP

Good on you rhysmcc you are getting about with your eyes open. One thing for sure it was not Steve Runciman who organised the legal consultant to the meetings. I may have not made myself clear regarding the paid directors. Will be great to have a process designed now so that can not happen because we will have ones within our midst who think that process will be OK. Think about this,with reduced board numbers they will be able vote themselves in as paid directors by the fact of the executive having greater voting power. Remember RAAus is a member based organisation. The CEO runs the office, the board sets the direction. We do not need a CEO doing things like "Do this like xyz they will not wake up". This is the last thing we need for a member based organisation. The other issue likes of yourself in Cairns how will someone in Sydney know your lot in Cairns? Regards, KP.

Yep plane driver you are on to it, sad thing it mostly happens all the time. Regards, KP.

We are on the constitution issue and how it can be interpreted. I am concerned that a situation will be concocted and we will have payed directors by highlighting it here more people will be active in the decision making. RAAus is a members organisation and with directors that is all gone --- we will become share holders. Andy you ask for examples where the current board used consultants does not concern you any more you were there for five minutes. Trying to get information on some thing like that is a bit difficult as there are a lot of secrets. "expert people/consultants":- call them what ever they are called on a bit too often because most of the time they cause more confusion in the decision making and get payed a heap to cause confusion. The other point we are never 100% correct 100% of the time just a human factor. Then there are the arm chair experts yelling when things are not 100% correct news for them, most of the time they do nothing but criticise and here is the situation where the blame is shoved onto the consultants. Regards KP.

Nothing grows in poisoned dirt clean it up and use good fertiliser there are oodles of people just looking for a hospitable location to go and socialise in. Ya got to get rid of the poison and start a welcoming situation. That is not hard actually quite simple. Regards, KP.

Hello Dr. Zoos, It is a tough one however we have to live with it. CASA has been given the duty by the government of administering aviation activity in Australia. With that said CASA pulls the strings. That is the reason we must have people with good vision at all cost at the head of CASA we must not have those with great egos and it is their egos which run the aviation in Australia and that is quite obvious with the mess we are in. Why not have people going about and showing others how to fix things instead of what we have this great police presence with a big whacking stick. An interesting point people resent vicious officialdom and only thing happens is toxic retaliatory action. At some flyins I have seen a big step in the correct direction there is a CASA presence talking to people and doing seminars on the correct procedures this I believe is a large step in the correct direction. I think this is a hard exercise for these people as they have to get rid of the toxic views which were incubated by those who have gone before them. Regards. KP

Oi! F_T, What will be the excuse when we get the smaller board structure? Regards KP.

(i) Which ever board it is does not matter one iota they all flick it out to a consultant. (ii) Yep.. Watch this space good things are gunna happen. Gunna is the answer and we are all still waiting. Out in the consultant world it is called, "The toxic yes syndrome". Regards, KP.

Very valid points there F_T. (a) you have to get some to agree on what is correct/wrong because most want to argue over anything just for the sake of their egos. All can not be wrong. I am a bit over how bad the old board was and how good the new board is.. We here this same rot from Canberra "the us" and "them". We are good they were useless, I will hate to pass judgement on any of them. (b) how can anyone recruit pilots when some of the RAAus staff turn up -- they are resented like police turning up to spoil the fun. The pilots must have a feeling of being wanted not being dictated to. That is why I am pushing board members turning up at flyins and promoting our sport. Regards KP.

The RAAus members will have to take an active interest in this new constitution because it is no use moaning as all must be involved with the outcome. This is a members organisation. The new draft constitution is on the RAAus web site for all to read what I suggest all members have a read and have an input even to the point of getting your friends involved. Read the preamble. What really disturbs me is it is doing away with state representation and having a system in place where all can be governed in one little area, now that is open to heaps of underhanded tricks. The other interesting point there is a push to do away with people of vision and replace them with tertiary qualified people not necessarily from aviation persuasion, just imagine that. This brings up the reason why I am anti board member being a ROC it has a big conflict of interest and has large avenues for poor conduct. I am very happy with a smaller board as that will make decision making more streamlined and dodging the talk fests which go around in circles. A board member is to be a diplomat for RAAus that is some one who will go to a flyin and promote our sport just imagine a board member who resides in Melbourne and there is a small flyin at Atherton, I can hear all the bleeding hearts "you can do that over the internet" no board member can not show their face. The other interesting point, was the mention of directors. (?????) I am a bit suspicious here. Is that there so when the smaller board is up and going the executive can vote themselves in as directors and get paid? That needs a lot of questions being asked and do not accept waffle for an answer. Have a research. Regards, KP

It is not a slight of hand Andy? 1+2=3 you know there is a fiddle of numbers there somewhere.. Not adding up for me either.. Part of our membership paid for a magazine -- now it is in this fancy electronic stuff or we pay "extra" for a paper copy. Hmmmmmmmmmm..? Regards, KP.

Andy you are correct, the primary evidence indicates that L1 skills are not at fault. However a though knowledge of what is covered in theory and the practical in the L1 could be contributing factors in prevention. Mix L1 and HF training together and there will a synagestic effect for the training outcome. Like the Swiss cheese model if one covers the holes early the lower end holes will become irrelevant. Regards, KP

Yep Dr.Zoos.... That is about the money.. We hear many times, "That will go well on my resume".. KP.

Good post kasper and thank you for the good content... Yes go near training and there is the biggest can of worms ever opens up... I can not get over the L1, got its tick of approval without a practical section only an academic section and that was mostly legislation stuff... Just to look after our own aircraft would be very good, Recreational Aviation is the answer that is the whole idea we own and maintain our own aircraft in a cost effective manner for our own enjoyment... Do not loose sight of that... It is not a mini GA fleet of which a lot of people are heading to. The big "one" this new training syllabus would be good to have look at and see what it is aligned to... What concerns me here, where dose does the content come from? With out due diligence it could end up being full of urban myths. If there is no control on content and who can write a curriculum, well anything thing can become gospel. What stops someone with a big ego coming up with some brain wave and forming a curriculum? This we must be careful of. Regards KP.

You are correct there Frank --- however what about the others who do not get to the good knowledge, they have to live with the urban myths. My line of thinking was more of teaching the basic skills how to use tools and understand a torque wrench - conditioning mind and ears to be sympathetic to machinery. L1 Stuff I do have a grin here when that knowledge is delivered does a trainer deliver and assess it? Who is trainer on the web site? What the computer? Which RTO has compiled it because RAAus is not a RTO. If it has "not" come from an RTO and has been to a training auditor, news for them not above board.. Same for their "new" training syllabus who is writing it? Regards, KP.

I attended the yearly RAAus AGM. The subject of the L1 arose... Yes again.... In my view L1 must have a Theory section and a Practical section if not how can one learn correctly. Must have a practical section to dispel these urban myths which are about. Ever since it was rolled out on the web I have been gobbed smacked as how CASA accepted it, as they were the ones pushing it years ago. Something like -- maintenance must have the practical content. Where is it? In the now case, What is it going to be the content? Now the trial period is over and now I am told another type of L1 is going to be rolled out with the practical content added. Trial of what? How come it is called a trial period when all the content is not there to assessed? What I see what it was, just another paper assessment just to satisfy a paper trail and this came without any real safety training. I think I am quite accurate with that statement. A pile of questions on laws and acts I think that is not safety. Regards, KP.

Now Andy just do some thinking, We must have someone who knows what a plane is and be sympathetic to the aviation industry, and not having read about a plane either. Not this:- "I know all about that because I read about XYZ." The very successful people of the world are very visionary and most are not over tertiary educated. Tertiary education teaches one how to learn ---- however the teaching of one how to think is well out of the equation of education or one can say "Engineered Learning". Google:- Dr. Edward de Bono see what he teaches. I personally would prefer visionary over academia.. see RAAus is still in the pioneering stage. Past performance of RAAus was not too bad note the financial situation, with out checking I think it is something like going backwards by $2m without that surplus what would RAAus look like? The other point some things which are happening now were attempted 4-5 years ago.. What clues are you clued up on Andy? Just surprise us please. """ I'll take educated over uneducated based on past performance within RAAus............""" and I will not share your view with this quote. Regards, KP.

Just wait a while rhsmcc the fun has not started regarding having these super professional paid directors. I believe you are correct we must have pilots at our board because the pain of ownership is real to them.. The "experts" will cuts costs put dues up all wit disregard to the pilots.. Who do not need the educated clewless brigade. Regards, KP.