ExJourno

No. You are spouting rubbish. Total and utter rubbish. And asking for figures you know damned well people will not be able to provide you. Stop being a... whatever it is that best describes you... just stop it.

I'm going to try to make sense of this disjointed musing. So, old people need the Toowoomba to Sydney leg? Specifically, old, retired people, who have nothing but spare time to catch whatever inconvenient flight time Skytrans has put out? Cool. Now, you think the rest of us might also like a pre breakfast flight with a same day return around dinner? Skytrans didn't offer that. Qantaslink will. Not sure of the wait-time relevance... Toowoomba to Sydney/Melbourne/Hobart etc... from Wellcamp, not via Brisbane, is What Qantas will offer. And not having to drive two hours, allow an extra hour for traffic woes AND get there a further hour ahead? Wellcamp is sounding better and better. So the only international freight flights will be 747-400s? Ooookay. You aren't across the concept of mixed loads nor the idea that exporters send goods collated from multiple growers/producers, huh? This rubbish is akin to making out Pauls needs to be supplied by a single massive dairy farm or that Lindsay Bros would only fill a truck up with goods from a single wholesaler for a Brisbane to Melbourne run. Really? A long term project? Imagine if John Wagner had said it was one, upfront, publicly, last year... I mean, how amazing would that have been...

FT... do you read what you write before posting? Actually, do you read at all?

I don't know about Qantaslink being subsidised. And I have already commented on the Skytrans to Sydney run. Private citizens in my social circle didn't find Skytrans' services to be up to scratch. I'll give you an example. I left a busted motor bike in Hillston NSW and caught a ride to nearest airport (not air strip). Got to Sydney and couldn't get home with Skytrans. Had to jump a normal commercial to Brisbane. Despite numerous trips interstate, not once have I used Skytrans as, on each occasion, it was not convenient and the pricing was only good if you booked well ahead... that's my experience and similar to the anecdotes of those whom have discussed their frustrations with me.

Buddy, your "facts" are hardly that. And, you'd need to check the definition of bluster. If you have no expertise (I actually asked if you had exposure, not expertise, by the way) and also no basis for a general understand about this level of business decision making/operations... go learn about it. Oh, um... those passenger numbers. One is the initial offering by one airline... the other will also be inclusive of known FIFO operations that are moving to a Wellcamp base. I am aware of three that are almost certain to make the jump - out journey is a passenger trip, home journey is a passenger trip. A single worker makes for at least 24 journeys annually on a 3+1 roster taking one swing off a year. As many rosters are 2+1, that number increases... the numbers are ambitious, but stack up if you contemplate that Wagner will be privy to the mindset of operators that none of us have access to.

Thats a bloody huge leap to take. You'll probably find that if the kids want out of the airport, it won't be as simple as it being sold off... By the way, reading your comments again, FT, it seems you are continuing to think of the airport as being a purely Toowoomba-useful facility. Are you aware of the quantities of various processing grains and other grown items that are exported from outside Toowoomba? Well outside Toowoomba, but well within the catchment of Wellcamp with an international freight service? Mate, I am struggling here... what part of the bigger picture is eluding your narrow focus?

I wouldn't presume to guess my thoughts, mate. And your argument holds no water. Part of the reason for vacant rentals in the Industrial market would be apparent if you went and looked at them. Also if you asked about leasing one. The size of the industrial lots out there at Wellcamp are somewhat different to those available to the majority closer to town. You're also missing the point made by the Wagners that this was a generational investment, before they started (officially). Frankly, I think you are no more than a whinger, regarding this facility. Your commentary leads me to thinking you have no real knowledge and are just out to bitch about the Wagner family's project... FT, serious question, have you actually been exposed to any large-scale or corporatised business in your working life? If you have, this project by the Wagners would make more sense to you...

FT... is there something you actually know in this? Because, I am failing to understand the context for your point of view... ...as well as not agreeing with it. Usually, however, I can see the reasoning behind an opposing viewpoint. As for what does the region export... well, that is the big question. But more so, is what COULD the region export. Or import. Don't forget, the catchment is also half way to Sydney to the south. There would be significant opportunities for exports not being made, with a global service located at Wellcamp and which may not have been as viable before. There is also a costs benefit to some companies moving operations to a regional hub, away from the city hub. Finally, re the affect on Toowoomba and Oakey... yes, Oakey is more affected. There are changed bits and pieces to be aware of and a couple of months back, Amberley sent a officer around to give seminars on the changes. My understanding was the biggest issue for Toowoomba is a slightly different approach path from North and South xcountry... and an issue with separation (head to head on takeoff in depending on active runways) as the Toowoomba and Wellcamp runways are close to being in line - CASA are watching the space to see how it needs massaging... apparently. Years from now all the naysayers will either be patting themselves on the backs, or life will be going on and Wellcamp will be a welcome part of life - I suspect the latter.

Family Wagner tends to hang around the bigger end of town, so to speak. The types of need they would be aiming to fill are not the types we common-folk would tend to consider. A couple of points - Toowoomba is a major hub. Period. Significant traffic flows through it heading up, down and west. A hell of a lot of transported goods heading north and south actually travel via Toowoomba... the second range crossing is a stark recognition of that. It is not for Toowoomba, per se, THAT is for non-Toowoomba traffic (and to ease Toowoomba's traffic back to localish-only levels). Few of us here would be aware of the levels of export coming from the Toowoomba wider catchment that would otherwise be flown out from Brisbane. We also may not be able to contemplate what export is not being capitalised upon due to distance and cost of utilising Brisbane. The previous point leads me to this - I'm driving to Sydney next fortnight. Why? Because I calculated the time it will take me to anticipate traffic, wait around the airport, and the same at the other end etc etc, the cost to park for two days, car hire/cabs and suddenly it wasn't worth the effort to fly. Three people heading south from Toowoomba, two hours longer total trip in our own car, extra night of accommodation, no parking/cabs/carhire... also worked out cheaper - at the cost of 2 hrs each way. There will be people capitalising on flights interstate from Toowoomba whom would probably not otherwise bother. Skytrans is out because they cannot compete and, frankly, were a service I personally found (and I would assume to be representative) inconvenient and pricey. Now then... there were some ultralights "buzzing" the Wellcamp facility not so long ago... it sparked a public comment from a Wagner that there would not be light air traffic utilising the facility. IE, if Toowoomba Regional Council wants to close the airfield at Wilsonton, it will not be because of a perception that the traffic from there can pick up and move to Wellcamp. That simply isn't going to be allowed to happen.On the other hand, it may well give Steve Jones the opportunity he has been screaming for the put in a decent airport in the Lockyer Valley. Maybe it will spark that one at Lake Clarendon to become a viable prospect... it doesn't seem to have gained any traction as yet, that place.

I'm big. I am rather strong. I too have pondered what I would do to an idiot mate who did something like this thinking it was funny. I won't share the method I suspect I would use to resolve the problem, on account of it being admittedly brutal, even if justified.

It is explicit. Read 8 in this section of the ops manual... http://www.raa.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Section-2.14-Suspension-or-Cancellation-of-RA-Aus-Flight-Crew-Certificates.pdf

Exactly. And the very reason anyone would make an insurer look and feel very stupid if they tried to refuse a claim on the basis that of an incident whilst not displaying an in-date registration card/certificate, in circumstances where there was renewed rego and waiting to go through the processing phase with RA-Aus. Now let's have a look at that lapsed Pilot Certificate issue. I'm going to be less of a bastard. It is in the operations manual at Sect 2.14, 8. In summary it reads that flight crew certificates are cancelled automatically if the holder fails to renew their membership within 14 days after the renewal date. (paraphrased... but please do go read it). Some-one is bound to raise the "financial member" issue from another section... under the constitution of RA-Aus at Part 2, Membership, section 7 Fees, subscriptions etc. (iii) The Association shall cause notice of the subscription expiry to be sent to all Members on or before the last day of the month of expiry. If the renewal subscription remains unpaid thirty days after expiry, the Member's rights as provided within these Rules shall be suspended. (iv) If the renewal subscription or any amount levied remains unpaid ninety days after the date of expiry or imposition of the levy, the membership shall be terminated. The member shall not be required to be notified of such termination. So... unless I missed something elsewhere in the constitution, you do not lose your rights as a member (which would mean you are financial because you actually need only be posted your renewal on the last day of the month it expires in) if you haven't paid within the 30 days following the expiry you have your rights suspended - pretty fair to say this is the point you cease to be a financial member... i.e., when the fee falls due and remains unpaid. It appears to be due 30days after it expires! You cease to be a member a after a further 60 days. Soooooo..... I was a day late, but could have just gone flying. How annoying is that, huh?

Yes I do see it very differently. You need to read this sort of thing literally. First of all, the discussion section does not set out the requirement. It is literally discussion... or background. It gives some context and reason and general... well, discussion. Under Requirement the key phrase here is On receipt of your new card and pocket Very specifically, the Requirement in the bulletin does not say you must not fly the plane as it is not registered until you are displaying an in-date registration certificate. What is does say, is that you must display the new (registration) card, using the provided pocket, once you receive it. Ie, once you have it, you must then display it. In the discussion section where you have bolded the part about when the registration ceases... what you are missing, is that this is in isolation of any renewal you have made. That period of registration does expire on the date printed on the card, but were you to have renewed the registration, it negates this as the aircraft IS registered under the new certificate of registration which you must display "upon receipt of your new card and pocket"... See the difference?

Don't assume. Go read the relevant sections on pilot certificates, membership and renewals. I got a surprise when I did... And that bulletin absolutely does not say a registration card must be displayed, in isolation. There is a qualifier. Read it again. It does not quite say what you have alluded to earlier. It does not state anything in it that would render a plane unregistered without the certificate being in hand or on display. It clearly talks about renewal in isolation of the actual receiving...

Hey Andy... I was going to go step by step and work through a few things... but I stopped 3/4 way (about a page and a half of reference to RAAus constitution, definition and the Operations Manual, when I decided to do this another way. Mate... where is it put that a plane "must display" a current registration certificate as opposed to "must have" one? Where is the definition or explanation of what "have" means, precisely? Where is it put or even implied, that not having an in-time registration certificate is synonymous with being not registered? Re the pilot certificate... are you aware (I learned this whilst mid-way through the obligatory "prove myself on the internet" thing I changed my mind about) precisely the point at which the ability to legally fly as PIC stops when a certificate holder hasn't paid their membership renewal? If so, when is that? Which specific sections of which specific documents have interplay which lead you to the answers to the above? Enjoy...

It's all good, Yenn. I am a sardonic prick at the best of times. Which was the little known factor? (Serious question). I'd have thought most pilots would be aware of the drawbacks... I certainly was/an. (Not poking fun, I'm wondering if I assumed something to be common knowledge that isn't). Meanwhile, I'd be disappointed with humanity if I tried to sell a single seater, or anything for that matter and buyers didn't try to rape me on the price - I do that on everything and was especially nasty negotiating on a beaut single seater I had fell in love with only to learn, with bitter disappointment, I didn't fit in it - felt like a waste of the efforts I had made in pillaging the owner on price to the point I had all but burned her financial-village to the ground, so to speak. Like most here, if money was no object, I'd own a dozen planes. For me, I think the most cost effective and fun way to keep flying is my own single, and cross hiring when I need a passenger... (there's a reason I'm avoiding another experimental 2-seater).

I sure have. Nice to see they have finally put a price on it.

The problem is some at the RAA office are of the (very wrong) view you are not financial, past the due date, unless they have processed the payment... and they are advising that you effectively are not authorised to fly, in that case. The online form does not take payment, it merely collates the details entered and requires manual processing - just for info.

I'd be taking a look to see if there is any exemption for previously owned items. There used to be (and still may be) some random exemption to do with a personal motor vehicle if you lived abroad for some minimum time and had owned the vehicle for a minimum time... can't remember the details. Call customs and ask... and make sure you return and tell us. Also, isn't there some thing where you can fly N-rego planes here? And isn't that aligned with the reasons there are US-certified LAMEs working here? Or was I misinformed/mistaken in glancing at various sources of stuff I didn't pay close attention to?

I lovehate Red bull. Love: the ridiculous kick from having one. Hate: the ridiculous crash as the kick ends. Vicious circle. Hail Red Bull, amen. I wonder if Red Bull will chip in if I promise to have them paint it the right shade of blue, add logos and commit myself to some activity that is so stupid and ridiculous that even Miss 7 will tell me I'm being "silly"... and which can be filmed... perhaps I could include that KTM in it, somehow. Hmmm... over renthal bars, 3/4 pivot, pike and a triple twist landing in the cockpit with my foot shoving the throttle to the fire wall for an inverted climb-out 25ft into the ensuing take-off roll? Red Bull would pay for that, right? Even it it were RAA rego'd. They may even get me trained up to a standard where I'd only die 99pc of the times I tried to perform this stunt. All jokes aside, Red Bull pilots do some bloody amazing things. I watch the red bull races and can feel the faintness of g-force induced black outs merely by watching on the TV. I think I need some sleep. Okay, so far: 1. Can do illegally-awesome tricks and Red Bull should get involved. 2. Some people reckon I shouldn't for reasons I shall label as 'mature, sensible and prudent' but also 'to be summarily ignored, because logical and rational thoughts have no place in this decision' 3... Still need some hard info that's useful (but it has been pretty entertaining, so far)... useful info like, I dunno... "it handled like... it landed like... I flew one to.... not one rivet fell out despite... my dad's mate's step-daughter's boyfriend's fourth cousin's granddad built one and I'll get you in touch with him...' etc.

Hehehe I had a similar discussion the day after mine lapsed. I had been away and realised I hadn't seen a renewal and called to find out when it was due. Shock of shocks, the day I was due to return was the day and I couldn't hand a card detail over that minute to beat the date as I was on site and hadn't brought my wallet - there's nothing to spend money on here anyway. I was dropped home after business hours meaning I had to wait until the next day. I dutifully called to pay explaining I wanted to go flying immediately after was told I was not able to. Questions were asked and I eventually explained the concept of having received confirmation that payment details were in hand at RAA, processing was not a matter for me and was an administrative process which was of no consequence to my obligations (unless, the credit card declined and I ought to have known it would). The first admin person told me I was wrong. However, the ops manager and I had a chat later and she agreed with my take on the issue (we specifically discussed the online payment issue - this was last month). At my end, just like when the debacle over the rego was going on, my position is and will remain until law changes negate it, that once RAA has the ability to avail itself of my money, I can consider myself financial/registered etc, whether staff have bothered to process the payment and rego/license-renewal, or not. And I would feel quite comfortable arguing the point with an over-zealous insurance drone, in court if necessary. All that said, the discussion/feedback with the ops manager leaves me feeling like some positive change is coming in RAA. In fact, I was feeling that way after meeting the assistant ops manager a couple of months ago, too on a separate matter. I'd suggest you put fingers to keyboards and send in these concerns utilising a constructive, un-emotive tone, as feedback to the organisation. Tell the staff what we like and don't like. Or feed the info to your local board member, in writing. It is the best way to ensure issues are raised and (hopefully) dealt with.

Or we could just carpet bomb the entire middle-east and most of SE Asia, the lower half of Africa and most of the southern American continent, Eastern Europe through to the entire Baltic region plays the entirely of what was the USSR, New Zealand (JUST BECAUSE!!!) plus those annoying French people's land. Then, instead of shooting at terry-wrists, all you old coots can relax on your rocking chairs demanding young-turds "git of me lorn!!!"... well, until the fall out reaches you.

Well, well... such negativity. Let's pretend I managed to weigh up the drawbacks of single-seaters and found my discomfort with those factors to be at levels best described as insignificant. Besides, I've had a one seat motorcycle for years that carries just enough fuel to have emptied out all over yourself, upside down, winded, 50km from where you started, far behind your mates and in that middle of certifiable nowhere... That machine is more impractical than asking a eunuch to be a sperm donor... resale is horrific on account of it being more than a couple years old and a high-performance model enduro bike. But I still have it. Lately I ride it about twice a year. I grin like a twat for a few minutes, every time, then generally go sailing over the bars and into lantana/mud/creek beds/log piles/rocky steep slopes/trees that don't bend/other riders/cacti/ant mounds/etc. KTM 525s're stupid like that. I may never sell it. And I don't care. Actually, I never advertised it and there's no one in a position to try to make me... so I don't even need to pretend. Where was I? Oh yes... yeah yeah, single-seat planes are poor value-for-money (unless you buy a built one second hand) and blah blah blah. Wives are a truly horrible investment too... but one you like will enrich your life, if she chooses to... see where I'm going, here? Meanwhile, how's about those Diamond experiences... gimme. And if you want to try to convince me to not go a single seater (which I may not, yet, it depends on those last couple of factors including whether I like them in-the-flesh), please... start a thread entitled "Adam should not even contemplate a Diamond because..." and I'll check it out if I do proceed, a year or three after I have owned it in flying condition (so sometime around 2030, probably) and see how right you all were or were not. ;)

For teh same reason there are number 2-cams in some Japanese hotel toilets? Weird, huh?

There are pee bags that turn the urine to gel, sold in 4packs on the Clear Prop store website... This forum's supported by the sales, so buy some.