A call to arms?
We shall have to wait the minutes of the meeting before any serious consideration may be given to yesterdays gab fest in Canberra. However, there are a few facts, which may be useful, available.
There was a productive meeting between AOPA and the TAAAF before AOPA finally managed to get a meeting with ‘the powers that be’. Perhaps that previous meeting was cordial and a pathway to solidarity was riven through the barriers of self interest. Once again the efforts of the inestimable Ken Cannane must be recognised and applauded. As I understand it, some synchronisation was achieved; which, IMO is excellent.
No doubt Ben Morgan is busy drafting a summary of the meeting which he was finally allowed into. That was a battle on it’s own. The puling excuses to prevent his attendance went along the lines that CASA would only meet with the ‘original’ nominated attendees and anyway, Morgan was not on AOPA board. De Stoop fixed that in a heartbeat, much to the chagrin of some of the more pliable. Morgan got a Guernsey and could not be side lined. The winds of change are indeed blowing through the dusty, empty halls of the AOPA.
Anyway, I’ll not pre-empt the Morgan summary – suffice to say further meetings have been scheduled and at very least industry now has a small foot in a very large door.
What must happen, sooner rather than later is unity and a sharing of information and data. It is crystal clear that the CASA version of how the industry is faring, espoused by Skidmore is a fairy story. Now if the minister and the department are being spoon fed artificially sweetened ‘statistic’s’ then it’s going to be an uphill battle all the way to unbutton the emperors new clothes and disavow the mandarins of the notion that all is well. Mandarins will, perforce believe their minions opinions, before those of the howling mob.
That is one of the problems, ain’t it. There is not a howling mob, just a bunch of terrified peasants skulking in the bushes, relying on exemption and favour for sustenance; divided and scared of having their livelihood snatched from them by a CASA bully boy; or, prosecuted for some alleged wrong doing. Pathetic.
If you don’t like AOPA, join any one of the alphabet soup groups, pay the fee and insist that your outfit of choice at very least align with TAAAF or AOPA and add the support of their numbers to the one voice which says ENOUGH. You may, alternatively, sit on your hands in the vain hope of preventing penetration.
Do not move along, buy a ticket, plenty to see from the stands. Much better view than from behind the bushes. Courage and shuffle the cards.
Toot toot.
We shall have to wait the minutes of the meeting before any serious consideration may be given to yesterdays gab fest in Canberra. However, there are a few facts, which may be useful, available.
There was a productive meeting between AOPA and the TAAAF before AOPA finally managed to get a meeting with ‘the powers that be’. Perhaps that previous meeting was cordial and a pathway to solidarity was riven through the barriers of self interest. Once again the efforts of the inestimable Ken Cannane must be recognised and applauded. As I understand it, some synchronisation was achieved; which, IMO is excellent.
No doubt Ben Morgan is busy drafting a summary of the meeting which he was finally allowed into. That was a battle on it’s own. The puling excuses to prevent his attendance went along the lines that CASA would only meet with the ‘original’ nominated attendees and anyway, Morgan was not on AOPA board. De Stoop fixed that in a heartbeat, much to the chagrin of some of the more pliable. Morgan got a Guernsey and could not be side lined. The winds of change are indeed blowing through the dusty, empty halls of the AOPA.
Anyway, I’ll not pre-empt the Morgan summary – suffice to say further meetings have been scheduled and at very least industry now has a small foot in a very large door.
What must happen, sooner rather than later is unity and a sharing of information and data. It is crystal clear that the CASA version of how the industry is faring, espoused by Skidmore is a fairy story. Now if the minister and the department are being spoon fed artificially sweetened ‘statistic’s’ then it’s going to be an uphill battle all the way to unbutton the emperors new clothes and disavow the mandarins of the notion that all is well. Mandarins will, perforce believe their minions opinions, before those of the howling mob.
That is one of the problems, ain’t it. There is not a howling mob, just a bunch of terrified peasants skulking in the bushes, relying on exemption and favour for sustenance; divided and scared of having their livelihood snatched from them by a CASA bully boy; or, prosecuted for some alleged wrong doing. Pathetic.
If you don’t like AOPA, join any one of the alphabet soup groups, pay the fee and insist that your outfit of choice at very least align with TAAAF or AOPA and add the support of their numbers to the one voice which says ENOUGH. You may, alternatively, sit on your hands in the vain hope of preventing penetration.
Do not move along, buy a ticket, plenty to see from the stands. Much better view than from behind the bushes. Courage and shuffle the cards.
Toot toot.