Rob Judd

Already told you, New Zealand. Where men are men and sheep are nervous. Oh, and for any of you contemplating starting a new organization to replace RA-Aus you could do a lot worse than checking out this model organization: http://sportflyingnz.weebly.com/

Sure. Now, since you profess to have local knowledge, go and ask Sidey why the club was moved to Bairnsdale. Then ask yourself why it doesn't have the name GULF any longer. Ain't the same club.

And in case you think this is theoretical, I have to mention the case of Yarram airfield. The council killed the RA-Aus flying school by the simple expedient of requiring their building to be removed. They were more interested in GA, and suddenly lots more hangars were approved.

If it were only as simple as being informed politically as regards the workings of RA-Aus, then we wouldn't have much of a problem. The trouble is that politics is a multi-level game. In understanding regulations wrt aviation you need to be aware of the internal workings of federal and state government, local councils and the overseeing body of which you're a member. And in most cases dreaming up new rules internally will be opposed by one of the other groups mentioned. If you just want to go flying, it's a bit bloody much to ask. Even maritime law is becoming subservient to the whims of local councils, where the tenants of overblown waterfront developments can petition successfully to eliminate boats moored in their precious view, and although marinas are popping up like mushrooms you can't live aboard on most of them due to public liability issues. Rule by the majority more often becomes rule by those with enough money and idle time to whine long enough to get their own way. Meanwhile (back at the ranch) there's Joe Average, whose dreams of fixing up a yacht and sailing away are thwarted by the simple lack of a place to keep his boat. Society find this acceptable because he's in the minority, the majority being content to take their precious Benetau dock queen out once a month for champers with their office cronies. To get this back into perspective, substitute "jabiru" for "benetau".

Actually I'm finding their public servants pretty relaxed in general. Went to the local council to get a copy of the planning approvals for my house, only to find that a large proportion of the rear section had been built as a "carport". I pointed out that the last approval date was 1987 (addition of a garage at front) and that the rear part of the house looked as if it hadn't been used as a carport since then. The girl sort of winked and said, "Well, just don't let us catch you using it as anything else." I was sort of gobsmacked and told her I was accustomed to dealing with councils in Australia that were officious and pedantic. She grinned and said, "Oh, we can be officious and pedantic too", as if daring me to give her trouble. I high-fived her and said, "I like you" and we both laughed heartily. This is life in New Zealand.

You say "democratic system" as if it's something to aspire to, and that anything else is intended by it but what actually happens. Government by popularity, voted on by the populace, cannot help but be a mediocre way to do things. Remember, half of all people have an IQ below 100, and those with an interest in politics are, by definition, crazy. We'd be better off in a benevolent dictatorship, but there are obvious problems with succession then. No easy solution really.

RAANZ doesn't do registrations, and all aircraft have a standard three-letter identifier, including microlights. They also have only two classes of microlight aircraft (ignoring powered parachutes, helicopters and so on), single and dual seaters. We have a lot to learn from the simplicity of the kiwi system.

I don't vote, it only encourages the bastards. Seriously, living on a yacht and being officially "homeless" has its advantages. I have about as much interest into politics as I'd have to a train wreck, and for the same reasons. Ewww, nasty. I'm pretty sure politics is where they put all the truly crazy people so the rest of us can get on with it.

"I've been to Collingwood, I've been to Ringwood I crossed the ocean for a Heart of Gold" With apologies to Niel Young To be serious for a moment, an organisation can never realize its full potential until the individuals within it have done so first. Garbage in, garbage out. The RA-Aus is just a collection of ordinary people, most of whom I imagine (not knowing them personally at all) are trying to make it work. They are limited by the definitions of CASA as to what can be done, which must be tiresome. It would be like having an overbearing parent around all the time. I don't think RA-Aus is really the problem here. Our attitudes to it might be.

Further thoughts: I'd immediately revamp their website so that it doesn't look like it was designed by a mortician. Way too much emphasis on safety and accidents there. A rule that requires all office bearers to permanently retire after, say, 5 years wouldn't hurt either. They could be awarded a certificate of meritorious service and kept on the side as occasional consultants if that appeases the career bureaucrats.

I'd need about a week observing how it works internally before I could answer that with any reality. Certainly I'd get the registration records onto computer as a priority, since that seems to be quite a bottleneck. Biennial registration as raised here is also an option, although perhaps unnecessary if the system is fixed. I'd also lobby government to introduce a way for low-end flying to happen again. The NZ system seems to have a good balance of care and freedom, and would be more likely to succeed than FAR 103 style, which only exists due to its age and user base. However, legitimizing unlicenced solo flight over remote private land is a possibility, and I'm sure it happens a lot in country areas. Security requirements for small country airfields have gone mad since 9-11, they need to be backed off. We all know that was a con job by now, or should. Meh. Don't get me starterd, I'm retired.

What? Oh geez, that photo is donkeys' years old. I'm a bearded, grizzled old grotty yachtie nowadays.

Master of the bleedin' obvious, 'e is. I already have one firm supporter. :-)

King of what? RA-Aus? CASA? The world? (Hey, the job is still open, if you ignore the reptile aliens.)

Hmm ... RickH? Is that you, Biggus?

Well, the end result was different than expected. After consultation with RAANZ I decided to go ahead and purchase it. Apparently there is no required test period for single place microlights in NZ, which was my major concern. (Aside: Imagine paying CFI rates for 40 hours and you'll know why I was worrying about it). So, I am now the proud owner of a unique aircraft. And at my age, who cares whether it kills me.

Reminds me a bit of Colin Chapman's Forumla One design philosophy. Unfortunately a DNF (Did Not Finish) due to breakage really isn't an option in an aircraft.

For my kids to have an aeroplane to play in, I'd first need to have some kids. At 61yo you're placing an onerous responsibility on my shoulders, old mate. :-)

Those concessions were achieved by handing over the running of grassroots aviation to government, AFTER government had caused the problem with a shortsighted policy. Some record of achievement there, not. Oh twaddle. If you deal with the devil (CASA) then you should only expect hell in return. Early pilots dried up through legislative complexity, and were replaced by yuppies who could afford Jabirus. The bottom end of aviation has been decimated in Australia. As I said earlier, RA-Aus became ersatz CASA and merely another smaller arm of GA. Meanwhile CASA offloaded much of its administrative work in the process. Who got the better end of that deal? Easier to design and build your own airplane, but there are still hoops to jump through getting it type approved and tested if it's an own design. Their requirement for type approval for microlight aircraft and type ratings for pilots was borrowed from the poms (like much of NZ culture) and is completely out of place in a sparsely populated county. It tends to defeat training and concentrate flying to a small subset of popular aircraft types, as witness the large number of illegal pilots and airplanes extant in NZ. Still, it beats Australia hands down as far as I can tell, because kiwis still have that unreasonable optimism that we've had knocked out of us for so long by oppressive regulations. As for the rocky bits, I'm considering a ballistic parachute. :-)

The seller is twisting and turning over this and making life hard for me. I think they've already spent the money. I've had it with dreams of aviation. It's for rich folks.

Well Sidey (my old CFI) didn't know it either. However I did get a photo of the ID plate from the owner, which helps because that it can be registered in NZ under part 47. The plate lists it as a Homebuilt, type "Rainbow Chaser" built in 2005. Since it hasn't ever been registered though, I suspect big chief Head In The Clouds was right. I reckon someone built it and was too afraid to fly the thing, or bodged it up to look as if it was registered and just flew around private land. And without design specs or a flight manual even a Senior Flight Instructor - required under the RAA NZ rules to test aircraft to CAA 2116 standards - wouldn't volunteer to test the damned thing for me unless he had a death wish. Too hard. I've asked for my money back.

Actually that would make a good holiday. Go to the USA, buy a Legal Eagle and fly the old Route 66 at low level. Might just do that when I've finished my sailing trip to Brazil.

No, of course it won't happen, the moving finger having writ. Since I'm no longer a member of RA-Aus I'm probably not eligible to stand, and anyhow I'm not that masochistic. I'm moving to NZ in retirement, and "go fly(ing) anyway" is fairly common there but I'll work within the law anyhow. That's just the kind of guy I am.

Don, Predictable reply. Many of the early pioneers died because of the ruling that we weren't to fly above 500 ft. That's the sort of governance that we've had, which then allowed the noose to be tightened in the name of "safety." And yet in the USA they still fly across country in Part 103 aircraft, built at home and maintained by a pilot with no medical testing requirements. I don't think we can thank the AUF - or its successor - for much in retrospect, given that grassroots aviation died on their watch. There are times I've wanted to build my own aircraft, but the rules are designed for rich people with years of spare time to waste on compliance with administrative minutiae. In conversation with old Charlie Lambert - if you can remember that far back - I gained the impression that regardless for their enthusiasm for the sport, even the build inspectors were resigned to generating mountains of paperwork as part of the process. The government handling of private aviation has gone something like this: If you slow something down enough it will eventually die off, which is cynically what was expected to happen. If that doesn't work, interfere with the organisations responsible for overseeing it until they're in chaos, then take them over internally. Standard black ops stuff really.

Interestingly when I was flying at Yarram some years ago a student showed up with a two-seater aircraft that was very similar. I'm pretty sure it was European but can't for the life of me remember the manufacturer. I've emailed my old CFI there who gave the guy lessons to find out if he has a record of the airplane in his flight logs. It's unlikely to be a TLAR with those die-formed side panels, btw. Seller had it stored in a shed but it may have been a damp environment so I'll be doing a very careful inspection. It has some mechanical skin damage on one wing but materials to repair that are included. If worst comes to worst, the value of the trailer and Rotax 447 is about what I paid for it. The trailer will be useful to take some large old couches and benches to the tip and I was going to buy one anyhow. I can always use the engine as the basis for a homebuilt. So in all it was a calculated risk. Will know more when I get back to NZ in October I guess. Watch this space ...