Lead, or follow, just don't get in the way.
Hitch - "So how do we decide which one to follow?"
Baa, baa – Bah!~ bollocks - “We” don’t need to be following anyone. It may have escaped Hitch’s notice but the great majority of aviation folk are independent types; flying is a solitary task and most aviators must be able to think for themselves – they ain’t great ‘followers’. That said, they do have tribal loyalty and an inherent ability to follow and understand regulation. This they happily do until its time to call bull-pooh. They may remain with a rubbish company until they can move on, they may work within a rule set which drives them to distraction, this is simply because once the pettifogging happy horse shit on the ground is behind them, they are released to where independent, self reliant, disciplined ‘thinking’ is the name of the game.
No matter which tribe an aviator belongs to, since Pontius, pilots bitch, whinge and moan about everything – from the dunny paper to the boardroom buscuits – this is indicative of an ‘independent’ mind at work. Some, probably many, hold very strong views and will actively, often vocally express those views, not through civil disobedience or to the point where a group or a company can be ‘embarrassed’ but they are active.
Almost every aviator follows the rules – company, government, manufacturer and even some folk law – all set down in stone, without too much deliberate intent to step outside those rules. This is also part of the mind set, indicative of a self sustaining, disciplined balance.
Scratch the crust off any of the pilot unions and you’ll find some pretty clever cookies who understand their members very well; they have a fairly good system which mostly works. It would be a simple matter for those unions to ask the membership if they support a change in ‘the Act’ or not. A change in the Act would lead to a change in the rules which could, with patience and persistence, remove so many of the more ridiculous demands those rules impose. What kind of a union would, for example, allow criminal charges to be brought and supported on a whim? A short, to the point letter from each of the unions and ‘Alphabet groups’ to the ‘minister’ indicating support for a change to the Act would be a great and wonderful thing.
Remember; the rules don’t just apply to GA. Airlines and operating companies all work under the same rule set – the cost of compliance with the current lunacy is staggering, the cost of producing the enshrined lunacy is mind blowing and increasing; the cost of doing business is prohibitive and the system drives away investment faster than a temperance league raid on the local cat house.
So, no mindless ‘following’ – make your own up; ‘tis a simple question. “Do you support a change to the Act?” Tick a box and send the answer back to your ‘leaders’ of choice. Ten seconds of your life, a one line e-mail - to change aviation for the better and make your life a little more secure, seems like a fairly small, low cost imposition to me.
This is the first and probably the last minister in history who has given this industry one shot at bringing some sanity to matters aeronautical. Don’t be a follower – don’t sit on the side lines, make this thing happen – or quit bitching. There, simple enough; - ain’t it?
"I support a change to the Act". Copy, past – send.
Toot - toot.
Hitch - "So how do we decide which one to follow?"
Baa, baa – Bah!~ bollocks - “We” don’t need to be following anyone. It may have escaped Hitch’s notice but the great majority of aviation folk are independent types; flying is a solitary task and most aviators must be able to think for themselves – they ain’t great ‘followers’. That said, they do have tribal loyalty and an inherent ability to follow and understand regulation. This they happily do until its time to call bull-pooh. They may remain with a rubbish company until they can move on, they may work within a rule set which drives them to distraction, this is simply because once the pettifogging happy horse shit on the ground is behind them, they are released to where independent, self reliant, disciplined ‘thinking’ is the name of the game.
No matter which tribe an aviator belongs to, since Pontius, pilots bitch, whinge and moan about everything – from the dunny paper to the boardroom buscuits – this is indicative of an ‘independent’ mind at work. Some, probably many, hold very strong views and will actively, often vocally express those views, not through civil disobedience or to the point where a group or a company can be ‘embarrassed’ but they are active.
Almost every aviator follows the rules – company, government, manufacturer and even some folk law – all set down in stone, without too much deliberate intent to step outside those rules. This is also part of the mind set, indicative of a self sustaining, disciplined balance.
Scratch the crust off any of the pilot unions and you’ll find some pretty clever cookies who understand their members very well; they have a fairly good system which mostly works. It would be a simple matter for those unions to ask the membership if they support a change in ‘the Act’ or not. A change in the Act would lead to a change in the rules which could, with patience and persistence, remove so many of the more ridiculous demands those rules impose. What kind of a union would, for example, allow criminal charges to be brought and supported on a whim? A short, to the point letter from each of the unions and ‘Alphabet groups’ to the ‘minister’ indicating support for a change to the Act would be a great and wonderful thing.
Remember; the rules don’t just apply to GA. Airlines and operating companies all work under the same rule set – the cost of compliance with the current lunacy is staggering, the cost of producing the enshrined lunacy is mind blowing and increasing; the cost of doing business is prohibitive and the system drives away investment faster than a temperance league raid on the local cat house.
So, no mindless ‘following’ – make your own up; ‘tis a simple question. “Do you support a change to the Act?” Tick a box and send the answer back to your ‘leaders’ of choice. Ten seconds of your life, a one line e-mail - to change aviation for the better and make your life a little more secure, seems like a fairly small, low cost imposition to me.
This is the first and probably the last minister in history who has given this industry one shot at bringing some sanity to matters aeronautical. Don’t be a follower – don’t sit on the side lines, make this thing happen – or quit bitching. There, simple enough; - ain’t it?
"I support a change to the Act". Copy, past – send.
Toot - toot.