nomadpete

So to bring it up at the special General Meeting which has an especially general agenda........ Question No:2 for the Board: Please advise the members now, on what points did RAAus fail the four successive audits? I feel that we need to have a list of specific questions to table at the meeting. How about that one? Is there any reason to keep the questions to ourselves at this point? Would it be more productive to air the questions in advance? Peter T

Back to the topic - the alleged Accounting Issue...... I am not much good when it comes to deciphering the accounts. A bit like decoding a weather report. Can anyone please spell out the accounting "Issues" in laymans terms for me? I need more understanding before I take up the cudgel. Peter T

OK, here goes......... Question No:1 to the board: Bearing in mind that SR's resignation apparrently rendered him no longer a member of the Committee under the constitution,will the board please remove him (in accordance with the constitution) from the board, and from his present position of acting President of RAAus, until such time as the conditions stated in our consititution have been fulfilled in regard to his appointments? Please feel free to add all and any tuppence worth's to that starting point (time for me to get kevlar suit!). Peter T

Thanks Maj. Happy New Year.

Thanks Pete for such a good summary. We should all start from that summary and discuss / refine / craft our questions in readiness to present at the Special General Meeting. That is the only way to make a positive contribution toward navigating RAAus out of the darkness. PeterT

Maj - I'll second your nomination

I had been avoiding getting into the detail of my problem, but I may as well air it.... The fuel tanks are mounted in the wings. They are a glassed basin rivetted up to a alloy top skin which forms part of the torque structure of the wing. Whilst replacing the tanks I discovered that one tank had two rows of rivets along the main spar, and the other had one row of rivets along the main spar. So I called up the master and put my question to him - which arrangement was intended? After some email exchanges it was revealed (to my shock) that the original plans were stored on a hard drive which has been mislaid. So no definitive answer was available from Ballina. Yes, the GA-55 looks similar, but you can never be really sure. If I can get a copy of them it would certainly help. Maybe the GA-55 was the kit version of the factory built GA-912, or more likely I have the Rotax powered version of the GA-55?

Well, Desky, Howie will make anybody just about any 'derivative' that you can think up. For instance, tricycle GR-912 could also be called a derivative of a GR-912. Or you could call it a Lightwing with a training wheel. Anyway, I'm after design info on the main spar and wing tank mounting. That is specific to the GA_912 derivative. PeterT

Kaz, Thanks for your contributions to this forum. Balanced, informative and clear. If ever I get into trouble, I'd be content to have the services of a 'bush lawyer' like you any day. Unfortunately your information only adds to my concern for our collective future. Anyway, February will hopefully clarify a lot of things for us, and hopefully resolve some too. Have a great festive season in spite of all that. PT

OOPS ..... P4D - I was rather hoping that someone would say "Hey, thats a great idea - I'll set one up right away!" So far it is a pretty short list. Deskpilot - The GA-912 has same fuse and engine as GR-912, but smaller wings, and half as many lift struts. PeterT

Hi, I am working on my GA-912 and need some information from the original plans. I found a little discrepency that I would like a definitive answer to. Howie was unable to help. Does anybody have a set of the plans? Were any GA's built from kits? If you have a GA-912 would you like to be in touch with other GA-912 owners? We could perhaps make a private contact list so that we can share GA specific information. Peter T

I feel that one of the big causes of member apathy is the disconnect of communications between exec/board and the members. Yes, we ALL just want to go flying. But we don't question that there are numerous political things that we have to spend time on before we fly - stuff like paperwork. I would extend that (individual's) requirement to include our responsibility to ensure that the background running of our organisation is being administered with integrity and efficiency. So it follows that we can't just go flying without taking an interest in the politics. Which brings me back to where I started - please put in place a simple modern way to be informed. As an aside, in business as in Associations, it is the job of the management to empower, educate, and put in place the processes that are essential tools required for the rank and file to make the management look good. Peter T

Well, I guess that 26 prospective remote attendees would not warrant the expense. I was hoping for a lot more, especially considering that the results would have been skewed toward internet users because they would logically be the sort of folk already reading these forums. However, I still believe that these avenues of communication would bring about more active involvement by the members. It is just not good enough to have to wait for the magazine to publish some sanitised report (if anything at all) on what is going on. Peter

Yes, OK, there are more options than I listed. I just wanted to get a feeling for whether people are really wanting easier communication in this way. I, for one, have never been able to attend a AGM because of work commitments and the distance/ time/ motel accommodation costs . So I became one of the great unwashed apathetic ones, unable to vote properly because of a disconnect in the communications. Information is power and the informed are therefore empowered. If I had been able to hear how the meetings were chaired, I would have had a better idea of the way things were going, and how the personalities were interacting at the meeting. In the past I have used web for lectures and for meetings at work. It is not going to be as good as being present at a meeting but is sure does tell you a lot about how the business is being conducted. I suspect that a whole lot more members would get involved if the meetings were made accessible this way. And it can work both ways - through better participation, the board would be better in touch with their members and so be better able to represent the member's. I used to ignore the AGM. The minutes didn't tell me much. But if I had been 'present' at the meeting, I would surely have been in my nearest board member's ear asking him questions.

I would like to get a rough idea of how many of the forum folk would use a webinar or audio 'telecast' to know what is going on at a AGM. Don't let internet availability put you off, there are public libraries with internet in most towns and often it just takes a visit to your local club or neighbour to use their internet if your own is not up to it. It seems that the cost would not be great once spread over a potential 12,000 members. Also, it should be possible to set up a login to make the information only available to paid members. Peter

To my way of thinking, the proposal of a "working party for a second organisation" has merit. Not because I expect a new organisation to actually eventuate as a phoenix rising from the RAAus ashes, but because it allows interested people who have the skills we would like to see in RAAus to openly table their ideas about how to successfully organise the running of our governing body. It would allow the airing of lots of concepts that may even ( well, the better ones, hopefully) be adopted by our people rebuilding the dysfunctional RAAus. Sort of like modelling of a new open communicative, responsible group and testing the ideas. It allows the development and open processes that we (the complainers) would dearly like to see. It allows the contribution and participation of many more members than are presently allowed to be involved. These forums have opened my eyes to the many talented and knolwedgable members that we should be asking. We are not just a bunch of knockers. Nor just a bunch of cowboys. The ideas suggested already such as studying the merits of the NZ system sounds great. After all our present problems don't come (as far as we know) from a lack of regulation. It comes from a lack of due processes and lack of compliance with existing or new procedures. A heavier bureaucracy will only burden the administrators (and cost us more). I would like to see a lightweight regulatory system for our type of flying, coupled with a better culture of personal responsibility. Peter

Turbo, please don't take offence re: my 'stirrers' remark. Nor anyone else. I was only trying to paraphrase what I think is the thrust of those against the EGM. I don't personally think that there is a hazardous stirrers camp unless you count the silent board and executive. I have faith in the due process of a properly conducted meeting. I would like to extend the communication so that more of those who have so far been apathetic, may get involved in the democratic process. I, for one, am unable to get to Canberra for any meetings. Knowledge is required for us to make informed decisions (and a prerequisit to vote wisely). We can use our presently available processes to start reforming RAAus. This must happen as soon as possible. The purpose of this forum is to debate and air our thoughts and opinions. And to try to rationalise what is happening in our organisation - at this time we only have this forum to discuss things. Thank you Ian for that. Although there are not enormous numbers of us interacting here, remember that there are probably many more sitting on the sidelines wishing to get some facts to fill the information vacuum. Hopefully even some more of the board members ? I heard someplace that for every person motivated to write about something there are ten more who are thinking it but are afraid to voice it. regards, PeterT

Firsty, The only complaints I have read here regarding the calling of the EGM, revolve around the fear that a few stirrers might hijack the voting. My view is that hijacking could not happen if all interested parties (all members or at least a lot of them) simply take an active interest in the EGM, communicate their views and at very least send a trusted proxy to vote on their behalf. It is a democratic process after all. Secondly, the streaming of sound would be a great step toward transparency and communication. Especially to help the majority who are probably unable to attend in person. Pending permission if that is required - is there anything about it in the consitiution? Any steps toward communication will work toward preventing misinformation getting out of hand. Thirdly, what about slow scan video or low definitiion (lower bandwidth required), would that be possible? I'm sure that there would be some honorable members who would be prepared to stump up a donation/subscription to help pay for any overhead costs. For instance I'm sure my club would definately pass the hat around and we would have a dozen or so watching at the clubhouse. This doesn't have to be a television show, just a camera and a microphone near the front so we can hear the answers.

Again I ask..... Is it possible to set up a webinar so that all interested members can hear the questions as asked at the EGM (if it happens)? That way, members can phone their appointed proxy if something contentious and unexpected happens and they need to have an input before each vote. It would showcase to the RAAus members just how effective an open communication process can be implemented. The technical side would have to be planned right now in order to be able to set it up on the occassion. Any volunteers? PeterT

Dear Board members who have entered this forum, It is great to hear from you. I have now got some meaningful and useful input from at least some of the Board of RAAus. That is better than the official website has managed. Keep up the good work, please involve us members more in the process - tell us everything relevent - the good and the bad. We need to know where we are at and how to bring our organisation back to where it should be. Dear Board Members who sit on the side lines reading our forum and not participating, Please take the initiative to start open communication with the members. We need your help to restore RAAus to what it should be. We need to hear open and frank communication from you too. Become part of the solution. Please. regards, Peter T

Gavin, Many thanks for taking the time to comment to us via this forum. Your contribution to opening the communication channels is appreciated. regards, Peter T

Jim, Thank you for joining our forum. It is sad that this avenue seems to be the only way that we members are exposed to any information about what is going on in our organisation. Maybe one day the RAAus website will offer us the communication transparency that we need. Your guidance is helping us to put events into perspective. It also helps to quell the more volatile voices. Please remember that most of us are not blindly listening to those scare mongers. We are just trying to get a handle on what is happening and to collectively find a way to get RAAus back on track. We know that there are hard working people involved, and would better appreciate their work if only we had better insight into the workings of our system. thanks for playing a part in improving the communication flow, Peter T

John, I offer my personal 'thank you' for posting timely and honest information which is relevent to the members. You have shared your facts and opinions with a clear separation of each. This is exactly the sort of transparency that we all hope to see from RAAus. It counters speculation by storytellers who try to fill every information void. Exactly the sort of timely information needed to keep members happy (or maybe less unhappy), and informed. I hope your example is noted by board and executive members, and also by prospective board or executive members. Thank you for setting a standard. Peter T

Wow, thanks so much. I've always pondered such things as the meaning of life and what I really am. Now at least I know what I am . . . . . . . . . . Now, tell me again, what is the meaning of life?