[Peetwo]

Sandy's comment in reply to LMH - 

Reference from last week's LMH:

...The feedback from AirVenture 2019 inevitably contained one sentiment common to just about everyone I spoke to: heartbreak. Events like these consume a lot of time and emotion from the organisers and when the weather gods express their displeasure it's absolutely gut-wrenching. The infamous dust storm on the Saturday was a real crowd-killer as you would expect, but even as the blue skies returned on the Sunday, the attendance from outside Parkes was not as high as the organisers would have hoped. Yes, it was heartbreaking to that extent, and one other: the fact that both this show and Ausfly are constant reminders of the destructive rift in the general aviation community. People are at their wits end with the finger-pointing and constant bickering between AOPA Australia and RAAus that is causing the split. The words "fed up" are starting to be spat back at me whenever I bring up the subject, and fair enough too! This is now at the point where two groups who constantly spout how they are all for promoting general aviation are actually causing a lot of damage en route. It has created an environment of antagonism that just has no place in GA, and the reality is that the ongoing war is not reflective of the true wishes of the majority of people within the GA community. Both AirVenture and Ausfly will continue to struggle as long as they are symbols of this rift and force aviators to choose between one or the other. It's time for one big GA fly-in, preferably organised by a party completely independent of either of the current antagonists.

Read more at http://www.australianflying.com.au/the-l...9hVPV64.99

Sandy in reply...

Sandy Reith • 2 days ago

RAAus and AOPA split? I understand AOPA is supporting the weight increase so its not all a one way street. The overarching reality is that there should never have been a government induced split in the first place and there is no, repeat zero, reason why we should not all be in one simplified and graduated system with none of the crazy transitional problems. Problems that are, like the sometimes heated and destructive contretemps between unnaturally competing interests, should never have been built in by the irresponsible and thoughtless actions of Ministers and Governments.

Its been plain from the start that the low weight system is designed to siphon off lots of pesky private pilots, induce them, with self declared medicals and some eased maintenance requirements, into the low weight category. No thought was given to suitability, the needs of many for carrying capacity or range or sufficient for the often windy and rough flying conditions of Australia. Building down to an unrealistic weight was always going to create severe problems.

Hiving off what is properly a function of government to a government sponsored private monopoly company will never work fully to the national interest, there are too many ambiguities, and there are incentives within the hierarchies of management to pursue sectional and personal interests.

If only a Minister with eyes to see and a backbone to cause reform. - Yes if only...

Well said that man and the chocfrog is in the mail...


MTF...P2