Lamiunto

There is no way on this planet that that video is real! Still very funny though.

Nope, not working

One problem with a single body that manages all of recreational flying is whether that body will have the financial and human resources to manage all of it. Plus have the legal clout when it comes to regulations and then have enough diversity in the management area to make sure every type of recreational flying is catered for. In the end, it would just become another CASA, only they would have control over a smaller group of pilots and much smaller aircraft. By all means, merge, become larger, stand up to CASA, but will the organisation have the cash and management power to oversee the management of a diverse community such as ours? With the RAA and SAAA stretched out pretty thin at the moment already, think about tripling the size the community with only a fractional increase in size at management, it is a recipe for disaster.

The best option in my opinion would be to have an electronic and print version available. A lot of magazines offer you the choice, you can have an electronic copy, or a printed one, or even both. Generally, if you request an electronic one, that is all you get, if you request a printed one, you receive the electronic one as well. As for actually making the PDF, the "editor" simply saves it as a PDF, or exports it, depending on what they use, and as far as I know, Adobe InDesign CS is the industry standard.

Very good idea there Ian. What can be done at the moment without any worries, is to have a database containing article titles and in which magazine they can be found. You would just design the database and the scripts to allow for the full article to be added later on if you do get permission. To validate whether a person can have access, I think you could just ask them for their membership ID, and then by some way, either interfacing this site with membership records of RAA, you can give a person permissions to access the database. Just some random ideas. :P

I personally hate reading extensive documents on my PC, even though I have an LCD, with brightness adjusted quite far down, it is just too much strain on my eyes. And then, opening a PDF, scrolling down through the ads until your fingers hurt, not nice either. I prefer a print copy, you can have all your magazines stockpiled in your room on the bookshelf, and if you ever want to show someone something from a past edition, you just go and get it, instead of having to search through a 200gb hard drive.

Andy, (with a lot of respect to Tony) I agree with you completely. I have never been one to give in to conspiracies, or believing that the powers that be are out to get you. So, in relation to this, I believe that since CASA seems to be restructuring almost everything, they believe it is time to streamline their operation and get everything into nice readable and organised piles of information. Now they can simply say, for example, part 103 and 149, off to the ultralight industry pile, simple as that. At the moment, they have to gather all the exemptions, together and hope that they have found everything. Just because something "may" or "can" happen down the line doesn't mean it will. Why, on this earth, would CASA want to disturb or break down the fastest growing area of aviation on the planet, not just in Australia? Australia started it, and now it is moving it up further, leading the pack for the rest of the world to follow (I hope). Like I heard one of the others students at my school say, CASA is not the big evil monster that some believe, they actually really are just there to look out for the best interest of the whole country, and they may do that slowly at times, but they do get there in the end. If you look at other areas that CASA is working on, it actively says it wants to take more of an active roll in RPT and even hand over GA to self-administration, now why would they be doing that, spending all that money on reforming everything, if they wanted to turn around and destroy the sport and recreational industry?

Ok, so the current 95 series is being re-drafted into part 103, with some added benefits. But now that it is a CASR part, if CASA decides to make a change to the part we really don't have much of a say? So CASA really didn't have much power over the recreational industry while it was governed by the 95 series ordinances, but now that it has become a CASA document, they pretty much have a stranglehold on the industry?

Tony, I am pretty new to all of this, so bear with me while I learn the ins and outs of politics combined with aviation. :black_eye: So what you are saying is, that the 95 series of documents could be protected from change by the aviators, but a CASR part can be changed on a whim by CASA? Pretty dumb questions, but I have to learn sometime. :;)3:

ozzie, I am trying to see in Part 103 where your rights as a 'grass-roots' pilot are being removed. I have gone through the document dozens of times, and as far as I can tell, it is all pretty much the same, just giving us more privileges and allowing people more freedom. You mentioned stall speeds once before, somewhere, I can't remember where, but in 103, it says for a powered aircraft, the stall stall speed must be no more than 45kts, which means anything in between. Then there is a section for low momentum ultralights, with only 1 seat and an MTOW of 300kg, it doesn't even mention a stall speed requirement in this section. In the case of the height you are allowed to fly, it mentions that you may not fly less than 1000ft above the highest obstacle within a 300m radius where your aircraft is over the ground, in a built-up area. That part is pretty normal in my opinion. Then. No less than 500ft above the highest obstacle in a 300m radius where your aircraft is over the ground, in a non-built-up area. This is where something else happens, (3) Subregulation (2) does not apply to an aeroplane or rotorcraft that: (a) is being operated for the direct purpose of a task authorised by the owner of, or a person having legal control over, the land over which the aircraft is flying; and (b) is carrying only people necessary for the task. (Subregulation 2 was the 500ft requirement), So if you own the land which you are flying over, you can fly at any altitude. I have a feeling I am missing your point entirely, can you please explain to me, where specifically in part 103 are your rights being removed.

Sorry Brent, if I am intruding. Adam, you don't need to beat CASA initially. A person with Type 1 Diabetes can get a class 2 medical provided they meat certain medical criteria. The criteria are here in the DAME handbook: http://casa.gov.au/manuals/regulate/dame/080r0204.pdf On page 6 you will see some requirements for all diabetic pilots, whether it be type 1 or 2. On page 7, in section 3, you will see information specific to Type 1 applicants. The criteria aren't too hard to conform to, it is actually just the normal ranges that all diabetic people should be controlling themselves within, and is where most clinics will train newly diagnosed people to keep their sugars. The only problem with type 1 diabetes, is that newly diagnosed people go through a very rough period in management which lasts up to 5 years, where their body goes through many internal conflicts and makes it extremely difficult to manage. So most DAME's won't certify a pilot if they are newly diagnosed and will ask the applicant to wait at least a year before they try again. The fight starts when you believe that the "as or with co-pilot" restriction on your medical is not needed anymore. That is when you need to battle it out with CASA and prove to them, beyond any doubt, that you have less than a 1% chance of being even partially incapacitated in flight. By the way, it is Roger Serong who beat CASA. :big_grin:

Those prices are fantastic Andy, our Aero club here in Mackay doesn't own any aircraft (as far as I know) which is probably why we only pay $11 per year for membership. I think it is mainly been that way because we have never had an FTF here in Mackay, and now that one is on its way, things should start to look up, the Aero Club is also starting to get their act together, so hopefully we can see them purchase a Jab soon, and then be clever enough to be able to work out a pricing scheme similar to yours, it would be great, we have some nice scenery up here that I would just love to see.

Yup, there is always something to come and bite you in the backside. As long as I can fly, I am a happy camper.

Yup, I read that article, it was in the DAME newsletter, the flight safety mag, and the australian aviation mag. It took him a good 10 years though. I would be delighted to get in contact with him, but at the moment, I am not interested in a fight with CASA, or even taking on the dreaded medical, I just want to fly. Next year when I have almost a years worth of blood sugar logs, all the test reports and enough cash to go for a host of ecg's and stuff, I will look heavily into it. I am not giving up on GA, I am just taking an alternate route. Thanks for the info.

Adam, it's type 1 diabetes. While I am fully within the CASA standards for controlling it, I simply don't have the $1000 to fork out for a class 2 medical, which then comes with the 'as or with co-pilot only' restriction. I might be going for it next year when I have enough cash, but at the moment I simply don't have that amount of money lying around, and then chancing it on the fact that CASA might just turn around and say no, simply because one of my reports state I am 0.1% over for something. I wouldn't know what that something would be because I am going to be examined with more scrutiny than someone going for a class 1 medical. Since all my RAAus hours count to a PPL, I find that it is the best method for me at the moment. When I do go for my medical, I already have my SPL so it would just be some higher air work in a C172 and then to pass some CASA exams and I would get my PPL. But at the moment I simply don't have the funds to risk.

Haha, yeah, it would be weird. Weirder still, I am training in a VH registered Gazelle. ;) I am their first RAA student, up until now, almost 20 students have gone through to their PPL while training mostly in that same Gazelle.

Mike, I understand exactly what you are saying. I am probably just having one of those rambling student moments. Ian, I agree 100%. It seems though, that flight schools see a brand new ultralight aircraft for $150k, and then see a brand new C172 for over $250k, and then take the ultralight because it is $100k cheaper, and is legal in both the RAA and VH registers. The problem doesn't end at the flight schools though, the manufacturers are always adding "bonuses" to push the price up, sometimes it's an all glass cockpit, or a recovery chute, the list goes on and on, and there is an added $10k here, some $20k there, and so on. I would think that flight schools would rather just get the standard analogue cockpits, which is best for students in my opinion anyway. The J160's are going for $74k last I saw, so I wonder why FTF's aren't snapping them up. :;)4:

Yeah, I guess it all really comes down to the individual needs of your flight school. If you have 4 instructors on your payroll (like here at Horizon) then your fees might need to be a bit higher, add to that hangar costs at an RPT airport, and then all the other factors that are also not really regulated, such as airport fees and such, and you will end up with an hourly charge that either makes you break-even or get a bit of profit out of it. I do agree though, we need some sort of industry standard when it comes to what students are being charged.

I hope it works out that way, it would be great. :big_grin: So, has this thread helped you in your survey on instruction costs?

Ian, that sounds like it was great. I would love to do something like that, take maybe a week off, fly at every chance I get and be done with a certificate. The problem is, I am living the student life, so it is not much of an option for me at the moment. One flight per week is doing pretty good, then I have the luxury of a very good PC, to run FS2004 on almost full graphics and then I have full realism settings. So I practice circuits, glides etc... in there. I do it in the C172 though, but I try to focus on the principle of what I am doing, rather than how to do it in the cessna. Pete, luckily I am charged per tacho hour as well. I also don't pay for briefings or any tests (so far), but I agree, having to watch your flight time while up in the air to make sure you don't spend too much money is not how you are supposed to learn to fly. Especially when you need to get something perfected, like gliding approaches in my case. Adam, you are 100% correct. It seems that some FTF's are realising just how many people out there would rather go for a rec. certificate, saving some money and not having to deal with CASA too much, so they decide to charge GA rates for RAA instruction, it is a real pity. Hopefully someone somewhere has the courage to take them on and try to fix the problem before it gets out of hand. (I don't have the guts :black_eye:) Maybe we should buy a huge plot of land up here in Mackay and start an air park, we only need to be more than 6nm from the airport to be out of the controlled airspace steps. DLL is at 1000ft, then the further you go, the higher it gets, everything below is uncontrolled.

Mike, I agree with you completely, it did seem odd that moving down from a Cessna 172 ($200/hr) to a Gazelle was only a $30 difference. There isn't much I can do about it though. Horizon is the only flight school up here in Mackay AFAIK. I wish I could be charged those rates you have, I would be able to fit close to 1.5 flight hours into a lesson with $170. Edit: Ohh, one small vital piece of information I forgot to mention. The school doesn't own the Gazelle, they have it on lease from someone down in Brisbane. So maybe that is what is going on. I heard my CFI mention that they are charged over the top by this guy, and then Horizon still has to take care of maintenance costs.

Yeah, it is a bit on the steep side when you look at what others charge, but I think what they might have done, I am not sure though, is include small portions of fees for your tests, so say they have an average time to solo tests or BAK tests, each of these tests costs say $30 each, so if you were to get to these tests at 10 hours, then you need to add $6 per hour onto the charge of a lesson, then maybe some on top of that for briefings, say $10, then the hugely expensive price of aircraft maintenance charged by the monopoly holding company here in Mackay and you might end up around the $170 mark. :;)1: Also, it doesn't get too busy with the gazelle either, it is mostly flown on the weekends, and then maybe only for 8 hours on the weekend, it doesn't get too much flight time during the week. Hopefully now that the school is becoming an FTF the gazelle might get more time. Then add to that, that it is possible that the school gets a CASA exemption allowing solo training in CTA airspace under the supervision of the flight school, then it is going to get a lot of flight time. The only real condition place upon this exemption is that the student hold a class 2 medical, which kind of defeats the object. :P

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Here in Mackay, we get charged a fixed rate for flight instruction. For the gazelle that is $170 per hour, since it is being maintained by a LAME and has a VH reg, but even though they are re-registering with RAAus soon, the cost is still gonna be the same. As far as I know, we don't get charged for any exams that we sit. All we get charged for is when we demand the full attention of an instructor, in other words, if the phone rings, he doesn't answer! ;) So, we get charged $170/h, supervised solo is the same, private hire works out to be around $140/h, we don't get charged for formal or informal briefings and can come in any time and ask for help with the theory (we have correspondence textbooks) and not be charged either. The instructors also fly charters, which adds a bit to their income, but, if weight and passenger numbers allow, a student can fly with at no charge, which is also extremely nice. :big_grin:

I think it would be a good idea to have a powerpoint for this Andy. Maybe not really, but like a two column table that shows the current regs, and then the proposed ones, basically showing for instance the increase from 544kgs to 600kgs MTOW. And then any extras that is being presented, like the CTA endorsement. Then of course what restrictions are being removed as well. I think that something like a head-to-head comparison would help wonders.