Spriteah

An interesting thread. I would like to point out that the position for GM is now advertised on Seek http://www.seek.com.au/job/26545165 Please forward to any Skilled Managers you may know. In the interests of clarity I stress that Mark Clayton was performing well and the board were happy with his progress with repairing past damages and getting the Office back on track. His work ethic was excellent and he spent too many hours working!!! He has chosen to leave to pursue another option and will be returning to Queensland to be closer to family members. In answer to another question there is a master plan for the RAAus which is being followed as best as possible with regard to resources. It is the opinion of the Executive that the General Manager needs to be based in Canberra. Mark made that commitment when he joined our association. To run a virtual office for the GM at this time would not benefit the group. There are 13 staff that require management, numerous meetings require attendance (mostly Canberra) and daily issues that need to be combated. Perhaps into the future other options might become suitable but not at this time. At present I believe there is no intention of relocating the office. It has been discussed (and will continue to be so) however as pointed out by a member we are currently under significant financial pressures and still working to protect our rights. We have many challenges to face in the coming months and relocating would add stresses that at this time are not needed. Regards, Jim Tatlock RAAus Treasurer.

Isn't the RAA a member organisation? And if so then if enough members what more privileges then are they not entitled? Going off Geoffs comments he should be flying under 500ft and not crossing roads, is that what you do? Or are you now happy and do not desire more change? If that is the case I dare to say sounds very selfish. Just because you are happy does not mean we all have to be happy. My two cents worth is change is good (sometimes) and the more privileges we can get the better. However, I do not support mandatory further training and compulsory endorsement with one exception = maintenance. If you want to maintain your own plane I do want you to be able to demonstrate that you have that skill set. Jim Tatlock.

HITC have already mentioned them in other threads. Board are employees for the sake of the contact. Items such as : Contract negotiations, disciplinary matters, on-going investigations. Regards, Jim Tatlock.

Ok Guys and Gals, mostly directed to RAAus members or wanna bees. The attached is the agreement all board members are asked to sign. It took me a while to get the majority to approve the release. Hope it answers some questions and dispels many myths. Regards, Jim Tatlock RAAus Treasurer Confidentiality Agreement.pdf Confidentiality Agreement.pdf Confidentiality Agreement.pdf

Aero - Take up the challege. I don't have a copy of the confidentiality agreement. It was a one page document and yes as I arrive under the past administration I was not given access to forums until I had signed it. In fact when I shared some information on this site I was then removed from access to the board forum (without being informed). That was under the 'old' administration, several of the drivers of these actions have since left the board or taken a back seat. It was very clear the board was at that time a poorly functioning management tool. The CA is not a major issue. It is there to provide recourse if a board member intentionally breaches confidentiality. As a board were are requried to discuss contracts, staff, discipline matters, compliance and regulatory matters. As you could imaging if this information is in the general membership community during our discussions it would complicate or damage fair processes. It's not there to 'keep the membership in the dark'. However when I started on the board what I found was most of the board was 'in the dark', that has stopped I am glad to say. It is significantly better now however has a way to go. Since I have been on the board the Association has gone from disaster to disaster. Most of the disasters were started years ago but only came to bite us when CASA started to look closer. Not surprisingly the CASA new exactly where to look to find skeletons. As time goes on we (staff and board) are dealing with issues and attempting to rebuild some relationships. Things are improving but at significant financial cost. These costs wont be short term. As the systems we are required to implement will need to be ongoing so the Association will be significantly more expensive to run. We can absorb some of the cost for a short period but that will not work for more than a few years. Again the problems we are facing now are because we expanded so quickly but the professional management didn't. If we are to prosper we need to be inovative, safe and dynamic (couple of catch words there). I have said it many times if you have time and skills run for the board!!! Choose your representative carefully, we are not a club, being a nice guy doesn't cut it. I'll see if I can get a copy of the confidentiality form and decide if it can cause harm by posting it. If it will not cause harm I will post it. Regards, Jim Tatlock RA-Aus Treasurer

Aero, Do you not think communication has improved? Info on the web site? Accountability behind the scenes has in will continue however that is harder to demostrate at this time. There is support for reform on the constitution however that has a way to go. Jim Tatlock

Kaz, My understanding (passed on from our President who was in attendance) was the submission must strictly relate to the terms of reference and should be two to three pages long. If this is true then I consider our submission to be acurate and to the point within the terms of reference and requested format. As much as I enjoyed reading and personally support many views of the AAAA submission it did not in my view meet require criteria. Ideally I would like to have the RAAus and AOPA submit a combine response to issues in the future when possible. Maybe one day we will achieve that goal. We can add about 9000 voices to any submission. Regards, Jim Tatlock. RAAus Treasurer

Anyone who has flown a responsive chopper knows they need the most gentle touch. I could easily see gals better at this. As to military training young guys are indestructable and will try anything you ask them or tell them they can do. Girls I know don't think that way. They will delay, consider, analyse and ask questions before trying something they deem risky. My views only. Jim

Again those direct questions could be put to your rep in a 1 minute phone call. Do you seriously think the GM of our organisation should deal with members individually on a daily basis? If that is the case there is no need for elected reps. There will be a need to employ about three GM's though if you want any actual management tasks completed. Insurance tendering is currently being invited. Again your Rep is aware of this point. 'how about the email surrounding the nomination of Myles. that would be a cracker to read'. Nomination for what? When you clarify the question I might be able to answer. PM me your email or feel free to email or call me and discuss any issues you have if you do not feel you can talk with your local member. Who is your State Rep? Regards, Jim Tatlock RAAus Treasurer.

So Kaz before those comments you read the terms of reference? Jim.

Really. I'm disappointed by that comment. Regards, Jim Tatlock.

Can I suggest you direct your question/s through your board Rep. I know for a fact that the GM is overworked and at times has hundreds of unopenned emails to plough through. He may put yours aside to address later and not get back to it. If you put it to your representative they may be able to action the request. Regards, Jim Tatlock

All. Thanks for the advice so far. I have confirmed plugs are correct. 1432. It does not have a starter (hand start). Good visible spark when actuating Magneto. The 28 Deg is interesting. I have been setting to 8 Deg before TDC. Will experiments and try to retard more (which I have already done). I have checked its not 180 out (even reversed it to be sure). I really think that the spark is not in the correct spot. I have sent to Revmaster for some guidance. Jim.

Hi all, I have been trying to help a fellow flyer with a VW engine. I am having trouble getting the baby to start. Looking for ideas or advice. It's a VW aero conversions. Magneto ignition that has been re-timed. It's a Bendix dual mag D4RN 2021. Has been timed to the K mark and E gap at R which I think is 8 deg BTDC. It has an impulse system to delay 20 Deg to assist with starting. When I check timing on the engine I can adjust it to open points at 8 Degrees BTDC. However the motor will not start. I get the occasional fire but just wont turn over. Any ideas? Does the timing sound correct? Any advice from some that have experience with the VW's or Magneto would be greatly appreciated. Jim Tatlock.

Fly and others, Good questions but hard to discuss at this point of time. I will say that these proposed changes are not being driven by RAA and we are working behind the scenes to get the best possible outcome. As much as I hate to sound secretive it would not be beneficial to our organisation to have a full debate on this issue on this forum and still expect to conduct productive talks with the regulator. Statistics are something I am very passionate about. There are some troubling stats at this time that need to be address. Ie: 13 fatalities in 12 Months. Regards, Jim Tatlock.

Yenn, We are negotiating with CASA hoping to be able to obtain some exemptions based on past history. Stay tuned for updates. Jim Tatlock Victorian State Rep.

August this year (2013?). I was not aware of any course endorsed by RAA running at this time. Can you tell me more about the course. Sounds interesting. Regards, Jim.

Chris, 2 year memberships and registrations are on the cards in the not too distant future. Jim.

Maj, I have taken on the focal role of the SMS to assist the gm with getting it established. Jim.

What out for jets flying IFR IMC.

National Safety Officer – vacancy November 1, 2013 | Mark Clayton Recreational Aviation Australia Inc. (RA-Aus.) is a national membership organization responsible for administering – on behalf of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority – the training, assessment and certification of almost 10,000 pilots. The Association is also responsible for assuring the registration – and airworthiness – of almost 3,500 aircraft, and for overseeing the operations of a further 200 affiliated flying training facilities and clubs. The National Safety Officer will be responsible for the development, deployment, and oversight of the Association’s organization-wide Safety Management System (SMS). The successful applicant must be able to demonstrate recent, relevant (preferably), and substantial experience with SMS development and deployment; risk identification, assessment and control measures; health and safety system, hazard and compliance auditing; and workplace inspection. You will be a self-starter with a proven track record of teamwork, commitment, accountability, and flexibility. Effective verbal and written communication skills will also need to be evidenced, together with a strong work ethic. This is a part-time (20 h.p.w.) six-month contract position, with potential for extension. The appointee may periodically be required to travel throughout Australia. A competitive contract rate will be negotiated in line with the applicant’s qualifications and experience. Applications to be received by c.o.b. Friday, November 15th. Enquiries to Jim Tatlock (Mob: 0403 228 986)

Me too!

It's advertised as opposed to previous appointments and I am a firm believer best person for the job via correct protocol. Jim.

The board should not be giving tech advice. They can interpret requirements. We have a tech manager for that role. . David, I understand your concerns. The re-write has been a significant failure, however, it is being rectified now. Maybe not to the liking of all and maybe not in the ideal way. The full board has been involved and consulted on the memberships behalf for both tech and ops manuals. I am confident they are better than in the past. We are travelling a little off thread here. I am really looking for feed back on the board make up and ways to achieve it. I would like to hear from members on their thoughts of the following: 1. Could we apply criteria to board selection? If so what? 2. Should we target skill sets? If so which ones? 3. Do we need regional representation? Why? 4. What is the optimum size of the board? 5. Any else you can think of? Regards and safe flying, Jim Tatlock Victorian State Representative.

Col, CASA have put some tight timelines on us for the documents so the general membership will not get the draft. The intention is the tech manual will be regularly updated so members can have input at any time. It's not idea and not our making. Jim.