With the very greatest of respect Super Moderator, while your prediction of Mr. Morgan’s options and the future of AOPA are probably correct, that is as far as it goes. The only ones laughing are CASA, Ben has given CASA an excuse to freeze AOPA out. However it is a moot point whether AOPA or any other organisation should be participating in what appears to me to be sham consultation, as explained by BM, which gives legitimacy to an intellectually corrupt process. This is especially so when one considers the bloody punishment CASA metes out to industry participants like Glen Buckley; I mean how can anyone sit around the table with these apparent butchers? But I’m off topic.
As for comparison with AOPA USA, that is unfair and inaccurate. AOPA USA reminds me very much of Don Corleone - the fictional godfather. There is a certain ponderous nobility and strength about it backed up by the capacity, totally lacking in Australia, of metaphorically leaving a bloody horses head on the the bedclothes of any legislator that wishes to cross swords.
This is because AOPA USA has its own Federal political action committee and it is very, very effective at lobbying Federal Politicians. They can make and break political careers. Believe me, when AOPA asks for a favor, it gets done. Their political action committee(PAC) is in the top five percent nationally in terms of contributions and in the top three percent of lobbying expenditure. AOPA Australia and the whole GA sector has zero political clout compared to AOPA USA as we are about to find out again when the green and white papers are released.
The AOPA PAC by the way is independent of AOPA and it’s Board, so the PAC can be as mean and rude and crass as will get a politician’s attention, while the AOPA Board can be noble, generous and charitable like Don Corleone. Their PAC does the dirty work that gives AOPA its strength and don’t forget the 2,500 AOPA volunteers as well.
Criticizing Ben for pointing out the bleeding obvious doesn’t help. Being part of a sham consultation gives legitimacy to the CASA product which it doesn’t deserve. You may leave AOPA because of Bens uncouth Whitlamesque “crash through or crash” approach. He is the reason I joined because I happen to believe that all the old school consultation stuff as practiced for the last forty years(?) is a waste of time when one side is obviously not acting in good faith.
It’s time for more people to spit the dummy like Ben, mate, before this Canberra mob - CASA, ATSB, AsA, cause a series of smoking holes in the ground.
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/aircraf...D000000233
As for comparison with AOPA USA, that is unfair and inaccurate. AOPA USA reminds me very much of Don Corleone - the fictional godfather. There is a certain ponderous nobility and strength about it backed up by the capacity, totally lacking in Australia, of metaphorically leaving a bloody horses head on the the bedclothes of any legislator that wishes to cross swords.
This is because AOPA USA has its own Federal political action committee and it is very, very effective at lobbying Federal Politicians. They can make and break political careers. Believe me, when AOPA asks for a favor, it gets done. Their political action committee(PAC) is in the top five percent nationally in terms of contributions and in the top three percent of lobbying expenditure. AOPA Australia and the whole GA sector has zero political clout compared to AOPA USA as we are about to find out again when the green and white papers are released.
The AOPA PAC by the way is independent of AOPA and it’s Board, so the PAC can be as mean and rude and crass as will get a politician’s attention, while the AOPA Board can be noble, generous and charitable like Don Corleone. Their PAC does the dirty work that gives AOPA its strength and don’t forget the 2,500 AOPA volunteers as well.
Criticizing Ben for pointing out the bleeding obvious doesn’t help. Being part of a sham consultation gives legitimacy to the CASA product which it doesn’t deserve. You may leave AOPA because of Bens uncouth Whitlamesque “crash through or crash” approach. He is the reason I joined because I happen to believe that all the old school consultation stuff as practiced for the last forty years(?) is a waste of time when one side is obviously not acting in good faith.
It’s time for more people to spit the dummy like Ben, mate, before this Canberra mob - CASA, ATSB, AsA, cause a series of smoking holes in the ground.
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/aircraf...D000000233