DonRamsay

CASA, in my mind, can never achieve respect of the Aviation Community while it has such unrestricted power to do good or evil as it's employees choose. When it gives up its right to rule by decree and recognises the damage done to the industry over the last 20 years then it has a ghost of a chance of earning the respect of those it creates regulations for. While it continues to be grossly inefficient and ineffective at updating regulations it will continue to attract the deserved scorn that comes its way. As I understand it, the 1999 Act is still not fully implemented 16 years after it's passing. It will be very interesting to judge the effectiveness of the new Director Skidmore at the end of his first year in the job. I still have hope but it is starting to fade based on the latest monthly newsletter. However, in my view, he would have to try exceedingly hard to ever approach the low standard easily achieved by his immediate predecessor who was able to halt progress faster than a set of Brembo brakes.

Put your questions on notice to get the best answer on the day.

Or even making their point to the Board or Management.

Unless you are avoiding overtime . . . or ?

Of course, for the winner of the NSW/ACT contest, his board term commences as soon as the poll is declared. The new SA rep commences their term at the next AGM at Bundaberg on 10th October.

I can't say for certain but the job of the independent observer is to ensure that all votes valid on the day are counted and all invalid votes are counted as invalid. I don't believe anyone would miss out because of the extraordinary situation where they were not financial when they sent their vote in but were financial when it was counted.

Well, this one appealed to me.

Definitely should have taken me up on that schooner.

Should have taken me up on the bet for the schooner rhysmcc, I thought the voting closed at 16:00 as it used to. Turbs is right when he advocates: " voting closes, vote processing begins, including validation". I don't know what process will be used this time. A better system would be a well controlled vote over the net. That might actually attract a bigger turnout. There is the right to nominate a scrutineer. Also, there is an independent person who supervises the ballot count.

Dean is very well advanced on the restoration of the Opal. I could see it being test flown before the end of 2015.

I'll have a schooner on knowing before 1700 tomorrow.

A stressful but very rewarding day. It was enough of an education to suddenly understand how much safer it is having a controlled airport rather than the "see and avoid" scenario at non-Towered airports we normally fly into. While it was tough to get the radio calls mostly right and follow the strict procedures, it was possible to realise that it could be much easier with a little practice. All that just increases the argument for a controlled airspace endorsement for RAAus so we can avoid the unsafe Ultralight Lane west of Williamtown and flying over tiger country to avoid Coffs and Coolangatta. Many thanks are due the great blokes at Quirindi for organising the day and making it all happen so well.

And a little after 16:00 tomorrow, 28th August, we will know the full composition of the Board until October 2016. I do hope we have a better voter turnout than the usual.

Jill Bailey was running an excellent Partners Of Pilots Emergency (PoPE) course from Temora. Jill gave a briefing on the course at Natfly the year my wife went with me and we went along to the briefing together. The whole idea put the wind up my wife who up until then had been pretty comfortable flying with me. She could easily see the merit of the idea but not being even a keen car driver did not at all fancy the idea that she could one day find herself PIC. In my new Sling I have an autopilot that would keep her aloft as long as there was fuel and, with the press of one clearly marked button get her to the nearest airport. From there it is possible to invoke VNAV and get the aeroplane down to a few feet from the runway with just throttle control to manage. Probably survivable from that altitude. The radio also has a one button press to get to 121.500 mHz. So, all I have to do now is work out how to do that myself and demonstrate and write a checklist/procedure and keep it accessible and revise it with my spouse from time to time. (Note to self: adjust up the rudder pedals on her side).

Airservices, CASA and the Military, at the meeting about the "temporary" extension of Willy restricted airspace, said that they could not allow uncontrolled traffic up Nobby's Beach - ever - because it was too close to the runway. They hinted that when the current airspace review is finished (2017?) it is likely to include a much more liberal zone (width and altitude) in the old ultralight lane. Having just had my first experience of flying into a Towered aerodrome (YSTW) I'm thinking we'd be much better off with an endorsement for controlled airspace transit or even plain old access than hunting around busy airports in dodgy ultralight lanes. If it were just transit then the training could be done and tested in one day. It is not difficult and it adds an immensely better level of safety.

Anyone know of a mechanic (L2 or LAME) that has current experience with the 912 iS Sport and lives within 200 NM of Cessnock, NSW?

Anyone know of a mechanic (L2 or LAME) that has current experience with the 912 iS Sport and lives within 200 NM of Cessnock, NSW?

Everybody has their own tolerance for financial risk. As to how much financial risk you are prepared to carry yourself and how much you are want somebody else to carry for you is a decision we each make. Plenty of people don't insure their houses and get away with it all their lives but some don't get away with it and are financially ruined for the rest of their life. I base the deductible (excess) on what I can stand to lose and not have irreparable damage done to my finances. For example, I do not insure for windscreen damage in my car because the relatively low risk of it happening with a curved, laminated windscreen and sealed roads and the relatively low financial impact if the risk happens. For my aircraft, I am reasonably comfortable with the RAAus $10 million for public liability but find the $250k for passenger a risk I am not prepared to take. So, when I took out hull insurance on my Sling LSA, I specified an additional $5 million for pax liability. This may be overdoing it because some legal decisions in NSW appear to deny a pax the right to claim for injury because they were undertaking a risky activity. Clearly, I'm no lawyer but I just can't manage to sleep nights with that as the guarantee I won't ever face a multi million dollar claim.

Everybody has their own tolerance for financial risk. As to how much financial risk you are prepared to carry yourself and how much you are want somebody else to carry for you is a decision we each make. Plenty of people don't insure their houses and get away with it all their lives but some don't get away with it and are financially ruined for the rest of their life. I base the deductible (excess) on what I can stand to lose and not have irreparable damage done to my finances. For example, I do not insure for windscreen damage in my car because the relatively low risk of it happening with a curved, laminated windscreen and sealed roads and the relatively low financial impact if the risk happens. For my aircraft, I am reasonably comfortable with the RAAus $10 million for public liability but find the $250k for passenger a risk I am not prepared to take. So, when I took out hull insurance on my Sling LSA, I specified an additional $5 million for pax liability. This may be overdoing it because some legal decisions in NSW appear to deny a pax the right to claim for injury because they were undertaking a risky activity. Clearly, I'm no lawyer but I just can't manage to sleep nights with that as the guarantee I won't ever face a multi million dollar claim.

Compared to any individual with the possible exception of Dick Smith, CASA do have very deep pockets. And the real rub is that CASA is funded by a levy on aviation fuels. They can use our money to hammer us into the ground - if they so chose. I cannot be complimentary about their handling of the Jabiru engine issue it seems to me to be an abuse of process - but what would I know?

Compared to any individual with the possible exception of Dick Smith, CASA do have very deep pockets. And the real rub is that CASA is funded by a levy on aviation fuels. They can use our money to hammer us into the ground - if they so chose. I cannot be complimentary about their handling of the Jabiru engine issue it seems to me to be an abuse of process - but what would I know?

"Company" is an English name for a body corporate. It relates to being "in company with" or "in association with". An Incorporated Association is a body corporate and is largely indistinguishable in nature from a Company (an association of shareholders). Because it operates across the Country, it also comes under Corporations Law. An aero club can be small enough to be managed on a part time basis by amateurs. It is wise for an organisation that needs to achieve professional standards of administration to hire a professional manager and full time staff to ensure the business of the Association is well managed. The Board of such an organisation needs to interact with the employed management and staff as if it were an individual not as individual, regional "Members' Representatives". It is correct English to use the singular "is" rather than the plural "are" when referring to the Board. The Board is responsible for the direction and administration of the affairs of the corporation. The Board is accountable to the Members and is, under the Constitution, held accountable on a routine basis twice each year at General Meetings, one of which being the Annual General Meeting. The Board may call General Meetings at its discretion and Members may petition the Board for a General Meeting to be held and, if the required 100 members are of the same mind then the Board is obliged under the Constitution to attend such a meeting and be bound by the decisions of financial Members casting a vote in connection with that General Meeting. The Constitution empowers the Board to act with all the powers of the Corporation including employment of staff. How the Board executes their responsibilities is a matter for their judgement and it is up to the Members to make judgements in holding the Board accountable at General Meetings and via the ballot box. Despite your perceived distinctions, turboplanner, there is very little difference between the roles and responsibilities of a top 50 listed public company and RAAus Incorporated. The hurdle for a Constitution change is carved into the Law and the Constitution. It requires a 75% majority of those voting on a motion for a Special Resolution. There must be 21 days clear notice of the motion for the Special Resolution and there is an opportunity for every member to vote either in person or via proxy. There is no way the 75% majority can be achieved for a total rewrite of the Constitution unless the Members have had reasonable time to consider the proposal and to ask and have their questions satisfactorily answered.

"Company" is an English name for a body corporate. It relates to being "in company with" or "in association with". An Incorporated Association is a body corporate and is largely indistinguishable in nature from a Company (an association of shareholders). Because it operates across the Country, it also comes under Corporations Law. An aero club can be small enough to be managed on a part time basis by amateurs. It is wise for an organisation that needs to achieve professional standards of administration to hire a professional manager and full time staff to ensure the business of the Association is well managed. The Board of such an organisation needs to interact with the employed management and staff as if it were an individual not as individual, regional "Members' Representatives". It is correct English to use the singular "is" rather than the plural "are" when referring to the Board. The Board is responsible for the direction and administration of the affairs of the corporation. The Board is accountable to the Members and is, under the Constitution, held accountable on a routine basis twice each year at General Meetings, one of which being the Annual General Meeting. The Board may call General Meetings at its discretion and Members may petition the Board for a General Meeting to be held and, if the required 100 members are of the same mind then the Board is obliged under the Constitution to attend such a meeting and be bound by the decisions of financial Members casting a vote in connection with that General Meeting. The Constitution empowers the Board to act with all the powers of the Corporation including employment of staff. How the Board executes their responsibilities is a matter for their judgement and it is up to the Members to make judgements in holding the Board accountable at General Meetings and via the ballot box. Despite your perceived distinctions, turboplanner, there is very little difference between the roles and responsibilities of a top 50 listed public company and RAAus Incorporated. The hurdle for a Constitution change is carved into the Law and the Constitution. It requires a 75% majority of those voting on a motion for a Special Resolution. There must be 21 days clear notice of the motion for the Special Resolution and there is an opportunity for every member to vote either in person or via proxy. There is no way the 75% majority can be achieved for a total rewrite of the Constitution unless the Members have had reasonable time to consider the proposal and to ask and have their questions satisfactorily answered.

Do have a look at the size of the airspace for Richmond and Oakley in particular and tell me it's not just historic. Williamtown airport doesn't cause me any problems because they are not allowed to fly over the built up areas of Newcastle City. Reason for that is that they dropped a Vampire onto a house in an inner suburb around 1960 and then a few years later dropped a Mirage onto a block of flats in an expensive and densely settled inner beach suburb. The latter accident could have resulted in a substantial fatality list but as it was only the unfortunate pilot died. My argument for the Military operating in areas away from the coast is for their benefit to be able to fly in better weather and with greater freedom from local traffic . . . . the benefit of flying over fewer densely settled areas is a bonus. Flying over cities means the RAAF spends half their day placating the locals who moved in "yesterday" and paying big chunks of public money to install soundproofing.

Do have a look at the size of the airspace for Richmond and Oakley in particular and tell me it's not just historic. Williamtown airport doesn't cause me any problems because they are not allowed to fly over the built up areas of Newcastle City. Reason for that is that they dropped a Vampire onto a house in an inner suburb around 1960 and then a few years later dropped a Mirage onto a block of flats in an expensive and densely settled inner beach suburb. The latter accident could have resulted in a substantial fatality list but as it was only the unfortunate pilot died. My argument for the Military operating in areas away from the coast is for their benefit to be able to fly in better weather and with greater freedom from local traffic . . . . the benefit of flying over fewer densely settled areas is a bonus. Flying over cities means the RAAF spends half their day placating the locals who moved in "yesterday" and paying big chunks of public money to install soundproofing.