RAAus shuffling positions

[jackc]

Just now, BrendAn said:

I don't believe raaus can be responsible for someone making a bad decision 

 

That Pilot sadly, made a bad decision and allegedly died with it, his flying history preceded him?  A sad ending for him and family RIP 

[T510]

30 minutes ago, BrendAn said:

I don't believe raaus can be responsible for someone making a bad decision 

 

My understanding is they are not being held responsible for his foolish decision to take off in bad weather, the issue is the Coroner stated he should never have been issued with a licence.

 

The coroner stated "his accelerated training was rushed and ineffective" with only "14.7 hours of training and 3.6 hours solo time".

 

Jill Bailey saying she was concerned she “may have inadvertently” issued the certificate in contravention with the operations manual in messages to Matt Bouttell leading the coroner to conclude RAAus “engaged in a deliberate strategy to hide these key issues from the court” and “Bailey gave evidence which was false in material respects, which also served to hide these key issues,” does nothing to help RAAus or Jill Bailey.

 

The interesting part was the SAFA safety manager testifying "“Mat was particularly arrogant when it came to being honest about his decisions, denying there was a problem and refusing to recognise that he had made errors in judgment. His belief in his invincibility was a great worry,”. 

 

This is particularly evident given the conditions he took off in.

 

The end result is the ambulance chaser lawyers putting this up

https://www.mauriceblackburn.com.au/blog/public-place-injury/is-it-safe-to-fly-licences-being-issued-despite-inadequate-training/

It gives a pretty clear indication of their intent in civil litigation.

 

That is alongside the Victorian Coroner Paul Lawrie officially referred RAAus and key personnel to the Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) due to withholding critical documents. 

 

If his instructor, Geoff Wood, had not passed away I imagine he would be in the cross hairs too.

 

Regardless of the outcome it's not good for aviation in Australia

 

 

 

[BrendAn]

1 hour ago, T510 said:

My understanding is they are not being held responsible for his foolish decision to take off in bad weather, the issue is the Coroner stated he should never have been issued with a licence.

 

The coroner stated "his accelerated training was rushed and ineffective" with only "14.7 hours of training and 3.6 hours solo time".

 

Jill Bailey saying she was concerned she “may have inadvertently” issued the certificate in contravention with the operations manual in messages to Matt Bouttell leading the coroner to conclude RAAus “engaged in a deliberate strategy to hide these key issues from the court” and “Bailey gave evidence which was false in material respects, which also served to hide these key issues,” does nothing to help RAAus or Jill Bailey.

 

The interesting part was the SAFA safety manager testifying "“Mat was particularly arrogant when it came to being honest about his decisions, denying there was a problem and refusing to recognise that he had made errors in judgment. His belief in his invincibility was a great worry,”. 

 

This is particularly evident given the conditions he took off in.

 

The end result is the ambulance chaser lawyers putting this up

https://www.mauriceblackburn.com.au/blog/public-place-injury/is-it-safe-to-fly-licences-being-issued-despite-inadequate-training/

It gives a pretty clear indication of their intent in civil litigation.

 

That is alongside the Victorian Coroner Paul Lawrie officially referred RAAus and key personnel to the Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) due to withholding critical documents. 

 

If his instructor, Geoff Wood, had not passed away I imagine he would be in the cross hairs too.

 

Regardless of the outcome it's not good for aviation in Australia

 

 

 

Makes sense. Geoff wood was a nice bloke and respected instructor. I was going to go up and do some training with him but he said wait till the weather was calmer later in the year. Sadly all this stuff happened then he got crook.

[turboplanner]

4 hours ago, jackc said:

Sadly there is more fallout to come🦠 I would allege The DPP has not ruled out taking further action against RAAus because of certain actions resulting from Coronial outcomes? 
The Civil action against RAAus by the Pilot’s family will fail, and in my opinion so it should. 
But as always court cases cost money, regardless of findings?  Court is never a place to go, because it will always cost money regardless? 

Why do you say the Civil action will fail?  Sometimes the parties come to an agreement before the case is heard, but often on the day they can be unpredictable.

[jackc]

3 hours ago, turboplanner said:

Why do you say the Civil action will fail?  Sometimes the parties come to an agreement before the case is heard, but often on the day they can be unpredictable.

I will sit and WAIT…..with a box of Popcorn 🍿 

[FlyingVizsla]

Don't forget to VOTE - it closes 1st Oct.  You have to use the log in provided in the email from Vero 3 Sept 2026.  If you click on the link in the 3/9/26 email it will log you in directly, otherwise you have to manually do the log in. 

 

Still don't know who to vote for?  Statements from each are provided in the voting link, before proceeding to voting for 2 of the 3.

[trailer]

RAAus 2026 AGM Notice & Financials – Quick Summary for Members
The 2026 Notice of Meeting and Annual Financial Report for Recreational Aviation Australia Limited (year ended 30 June 2026) has been released. Here’s a neutral, member-focused rundown of the main points.
AGM Details
Date: Saturday 14 November 2026
Time: 9:00 am AEST / 10:00 am AEDT
Format: Hybrid (limited in-person places at Unit 3, 1 Pirie Street, Fyshwick ACT + online via Vero pre-registration)
Main items: Chairman’s and CEO’s addresses, presentation of the Financial Report (no vote required), and formal announcement of the already-elected directors.
Board Changes
Two member-elected director positions were filled via earlier ballot:
Andrew Scheiffers – reappointed
James Macdonald – newly appointed
Michael Monck is retiring at the close of the AGM. Jim Tatlock is the current Chairman.
Financial Snapshot (year to 30 June 2026)
Result: Loss of $105,367 (previous year: loss of $39,839).
Revenue: Slightly down at $3.564 million (from $3.592 million). Membership income held up; aircraft registrations and government funding were softer; investment income also lower.
Costs: Employee benefits rose significantly to $2.026 million (from $1.788 million). Key management personnel compensation increased to $934k (from $794k). Legal costs fell sharply, which helped the “other expenses” line.
Cash: Ended the year at only $65,624 (down from $297,123). Operating cash flow was a $228k outflow (previous year was a $146k inflow).
Balance sheet: Net assets $1.050 million (down from $1.156 million). Investments remain solid at ~$1.25 million. Deferred membership income (income in advance) is still substantial at around $1.6 million total.
Other Points of Note
The company plans to start administering larger aircraft under CASR Part 149 in the coming year.
There is an ongoing contingent matter: RAAus is being represented by its insurers following an inquest involving the death of a former member. The note says the matter is not yet finalised.
No resolutions requiring a vote at the AGM itself. Proxy forms are still available if you want someone to attend on your behalf (deadline 12 November).
Overall the organisation remains solvent with a healthy investment buffer and stable membership revenue, but the larger loss, sharp drop in cash, and higher staff costs are clear changes from the previous year.

[BrendAn]

15 minutes ago, trailer said:

RAAus 2026 AGM Notice & Financials – Quick Summary for Members
The 2026 Notice of Meeting and Annual Financial Report for Recreational Aviation Australia Limited (year ended 30 June 2026) has been released. Here’s a neutral, member-focused rundown of the main points.
AGM Details
Date: Saturday 14 November 2026
Time: 9:00 am AEST / 10:00 am AEDT
Format: Hybrid (limited in-person places at Unit 3, 1 Pirie Street, Fyshwick ACT + online via Vero pre-registration)
Main items: Chairman’s and CEO’s addresses, presentation of the Financial Report (no vote required), and formal announcement of the already-elected directors.
Board Changes
Two member-elected director positions were filled via earlier ballot:
Andrew Scheiffers – reappointed
James Macdonald – newly appointed
Michael Monck is retiring at the close of the AGM. Jim Tatlock is the current Chairman.
Financial Snapshot (year to 30 June 2026)
Result: Loss of $105,367 (previous year: loss of $39,839).
Revenue: Slightly down at $3.564 million (from $3.592 million). Membership income held up; aircraft registrations and government funding were softer; investment income also lower.
Costs: Employee benefits rose significantly to $2.026 million (from $1.788 million). Key management personnel compensation increased to $934k (from $794k). Legal costs fell sharply, which helped the “other expenses” line.
Cash: Ended the year at only $65,624 (down from $297,123). Operating cash flow was a $228k outflow (previous year was a $146k inflow).
Balance sheet: Net assets $1.050 million (down from $1.156 million). Investments remain solid at ~$1.25 million. Deferred membership income (income in advance) is still substantial at around $1.6 million total.
Other Points of Note
The company plans to start administering larger aircraft under CASR Part 149 in the coming year.
There is an ongoing contingent matter: RAAus is being represented by its insurers following an inquest involving the death of a former member. The note says the matter is not yet finalised.
No resolutions requiring a vote at the AGM itself. Proxy forms are still available if you want someone to attend on your behalf (deadline 12 November).
Overall the organisation remains solvent with a healthy investment buffer and stable membership revenue, but the larger loss, sharp drop in cash, and higher staff costs are clear changes from the previous year.

all the above shows whats wrong with raaus. instead of a volunteer organisation covering costs and administering an aviation hobby we have a fortune being spent on salaries and a company making investments.    RAAUS IS RECREATIONAL NOT COMMERCIAL.

[jackc]

There is going to be some changes in the sector very shortly now that SAAA have their new training course fully approved by CASA and the legislative instrument to cover the qualifications to undertake the course and get the certificate from CASA to maintain own aircraft be a builder or otherwise has now been approved and the first two courses by SAAA are now fully subscribed already

[turboplanner]

19 minutes ago, jackc said:

There is going to be some changes in the sector very shortly now that SAAA have their new training course fully approved by CASA and the legislative instrument to cover the qualifications to undertake the course and get the certificate from CASA to maintain own aircraft be a builder or otherwise has now been approved and the first two courses by SAAA are now fully subscribed already

Are you saying SAAA is breaking out of CASA?

[BrendAn]

2 hours ago, BrendAn said:

all the above shows whats wrong with raaus. instead of a volunteer organisation covering costs and administering an aviation hobby we have a fortune being spent on salaries and a company making investments.    RAAUS IS RECREATIONAL NOT COMMERCIAL.

Nothing against the raaus staff, I find them great to deal with, I just think too much of our money is going in the wrong direction 

[jackc]

1 hour ago, turboplanner said:

Are you saying SAAA is breaking out of CASA?

No, as CASA have made a legislative change to allow approvals to be given to VH Experimental  registered aircraft, for the owners to do their own maintenance whether they built the aircraft or not.
Owners  do the SAAA course and with their certificate,  if they pass take that result to CASA  who then issues the person with an authority to maintain their own aircraft under the CASA system.  There is also a pathway for further training,  to become a LAME under this CASA regime.