Mike Taylor (ZU-DVL) and Land of Cloud Cuckoo

[gertcoetzee]

In Microflight Africa (Winter Edition July 2009) I wrote a review on the book Mike Taylor wrote about his adventures through Africa with his Microlight, a Gemini Flash, ZU-DVL. Mike was quite outspoken about South Africa, and since he has been back in the UK, has had more reason to dislike South Africa due to his dealings with CAA - see the following, which is a (unanswered) copy of a letter he yet again sent to the CAA....in his quest to deregister DVL so that he can register it in the UK...

(BTW, anyone wanting a copy of his book, or a copy of the Microflight Africa magazine can contact me - I have a couple of magazines, and a FREE copy of the book)

GEMINI FLASH MERCURY AIRCRAFT ZU-DVL
SERIAL NUMBER: 107002967W872


IF THIS MATTER IS NOT ADDRESSED URGENTLY WITH EFFICIENCY AND SPEED, I WILL COPY ALL CORRESPONDENCE PERTAINING TO THE ISSUE TO A NUMBER OF BODIES INCLUDING THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINISTRIES OF TRANSPORT AND TOURISM, THE MAIL AND GUARDIAN, THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, AND AS MANY AVIATION PUBLICATIONS WORLD-WIDE IN THE BELIEF THAT IF YOU CANNOT FINALLY PUT AN END TO THIS DIZZYING INCOMPETENCE, THEN AT LEAST THE PEOPLE AND THE POWERS THAT BE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT. I AM ALREADY COPYING OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CAA, IN THE HOPE OF SENSIBLE INTERVENTION, AS WELL AS THE DIRECTOR GENERAL.

MY PARTNER WITH THIS AIRCRAFT, MR. LOUIS VAN WYK, IS A RESPECTED AVIATOR IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN AVIATION INDUSTRY AND HAS COMPLIED FULLY WITH YOUR PREVIOUS DEMANDS TO NO AVAIL. THE IMPASSE APPEARS TO BE YOUR ABILITY TO CONSISTENTLY LOSE DOCUMENTS, AND INABILITY TO UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN CUSTOMS AND EXCISE LAWS. NEITHER OF WHICH YOU CAN BLAME US FOR.

MY RESPONSE TO YOUR LATEST OUTRAGEOUS DEMANDS ARE AS FOLLOWS:


1. CAR47A Form page 9 completed and signed by both partner (Mr. Van Wyk & Mr. Taylor

- THIS HAS BEEN SENT THREE TIMES ALREADY. IT TOOK THE UK CAA 30 MINUTES TO DE-REGISTER THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE USE OF A FAX MACHINE IN JUNE 2005, AND THEY TELL ME IT WILL TAKE ANOTHER 30 MINUTES TO RE-REGISTER IT ONCE YOU'VE FINISHED MESSING ABOUT. WHAT TOOK THE UK CAA 30 MINUTES TO ACHIEVE, YOU HAVE TAKEN OVER 3 YEARS, AND STILL HAVEN'T ACHIEVED IT, WORSE, YOU SEEM TO BE GOING BACKWARDS.

2. R515.00 deregistration fee

- SEE 1.

3. Original Certificate of Registration

- THIS HAS BEEN SENT ONCE, AND, IT APPEARS, LOST BY YOUR DEPARTMENT. FORTUNATELY I HAVE A COPY WHICH I CAN SEND TO YOU IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, BUT CLEARLY I CANNOT SEND THE ORIGINAL AS YOU'VE LOST IT

4. Original Authority to Fly

- SEE 3.

5. Copy of SAD550 Form (RSA) (bearing the Stamp of Customs)

- THERE IS NOT, NOR HAS THERE EVER BEEN, A SINGLE ADMINISTRATIVE DOCUMENT FOR THIS EXPORTATION, STAMPED OR OTHERWISE. THAT IS BECAUSE THE EXPORTATION WAS COVERED BY MY 'CARNET DE PASSAGE'. A CARNET DE PASSAGE IS A LEGAL CUSTOMS DOCUMENT THAT FACILITATES THE MULTIPLE IMPORT AND EXPORT OF A COMMODITY THROUGH A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES WHETHER THAT COMMODITY IS A WAGON FULL OF COFFEE BEANS, A MOTOR VEHICLE, OR AN AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHIPPED FROM LONDON TO CAPE TOWN AND THEN SET ON ITS JOURNEY TO BE THE FIRST AIRCRAFT IN HISTORY TO TRAVEL FROM CAPE TOWN TO LONDON BY ROAD. A SINGLE ADMINISTRATIVE DOCUMENT IN EACH OF 12 DIFFERENT AFRICAN COUNTRIES WAS UNFEASIBLE. BY THEIR VERY NATURE, 'WORLD FIRSTS' ARE UNIQUE, WHICH IS PERHAPS WHY YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF A CARNET DE PASSAGE FOR A MICROLIGHT BEFORE. BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF ONE, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT VALID, IT MEANS YOU ARE NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE ENOUGH IN CUSTOMS AND EXCISE PROCEDURES, WHICH IS PERHAPS UNDERSTANDABLE GIVEN THAT YOU ARE NOT A CUSTOMS AND EXCISE OFFICIAL, BUT IT IS UNFORGIVABLE TO CONTINUE TO DENY THE VALIDITY OF SUCH PROCEDURES BECAUSE OF A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. I HAVE SENT YOU COPIES OF MY CARNET DE PASSAGE WHICH CLEARLY SHOW THE ENTRY TO ZAMBIA FROM BOTSWANA (A RSA AFFILIATED CUSTOMS NATION), AS WELL AS THE FINAL DESTINATION PORT OF FELIXTOWE IN THE UK IN JULY 2006, OVER 3 YEARS AGO. THE AIRCRAFT HAS REMAINED IN THE UK UNABLE TO FLY SINCE THEN BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT DE-REGISTER IT, THUS DISALLOWING THE UK CAA TO RE-REGISTER IT AS A UK BASED AIRCRAFT. ALL BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ADMIT YOU DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT CUSTOMS AND EXCISE, AND CONTINUE TO MAKE STUPID DEMANDS IN THE LAUGHABLE BELIEF THAT YOU DO. THIS IS INSANE. THERE IS NO SAD550. THERE NEVER WILL BE A SAD550, THERE WAS NEVER ANY NEED FOR ONE. YOU CANNOT DEMAND ONE ANY MORE THAN I CAN DEMAND YOU STICK YOUR HEAD IN A BUCKET OF FISH AND WHISTLE A HAPPY TUNE. TRUST YOUR OWN CUSTOMS OFFICIALS TO DO THEIR JOB. IT IS AFTER ALL THEIR JOB. YOUR JOB IS TO DE-REGISTER AEROPLANES. HAS NOBODY TOLD YOU THAT?

6. Copy of F178 or N.E.P Form (RSA) (bearing the stamp of the registered owners bank)

THIS IS A NEW ONE. ARE YOU NOW JUST INVENTING OFFICIALDOM TO MAKE MY BRAIN BLEED? FOR YOUR INFORMATION - ONCE AGAIN - I'M AN ENGLISHMAN. I LIVE IN ENGLAND WITH AN ENGLISH AEROPLANE. THE ENGLISHMAN AND THE ENGLISH AEROPLANE CAME TO SOUTH AFRICA ONCE AND TEMPORARILY REGISTERED THERE TO FLY THE AEROPLANE LEGALLY. THE ENGLISHMAN THEN FLEW IT AROUND, AND CARRIED ON FLYING IT AROUND UNTIL HE GOT ALL THE WAY BACK TO ENGLAND. WHEN HE GOT BACK HOME HE WAS STILL THE SAME ENGLISHMAN WITH THE SAME ENGLISH AEROPLANE BUT SUDDENLY FOUND HE WAS GROUNDED BECAUSE THE SOUTH AFRICAN CAA KEPT LOSING DOCUMENTS AND INSISTING ON OTHER DOCUMENTS LIKE AN F178 THAT DEMANDS LEVIES DUE FROM THE SALE/EXPORTATION OF A COMMODITY. AS FAR AS I KNOW, NO ONE HAS EVER WORKED OUT HOW TO SELL ANYTHING TO THEMSELVES AND MAKE MONEY ON IT. IF THEY DID, WE'D ALL DO IT, AND THAT WOULD BE THE END OF WORLD POVERTY. UNLESS YOU FEEL YOU HAVE THE ANSWER TO WORLD POVERTY CAN YOU PLEASE RETRACT YOUR DEMAND FOR A F178?

COME ON. GET REAL. WHAT ARE YOU ACTUALLY DOING OUT THERE? YOU'RE DRIVING ME MAD. WHAT POWER YOU HAVE. SAT THERE, UNACCOUNTABLE, IMMOVEABLE, INEFFABLY UNAFFABLE. WELL I HAVE POWER TOO, YOU KNOW. THE POWER OF THE PEN. AND PEOPLE LIKE READING ABOUT UNDESIRABLES; IT MAKES THEM FEEL HAPPIER ABOUT THEMSELVES. IMAGINE HOW HAPPY THEY'LL FEEL WHEN THEY READ ABOUT YOU. OH, BUT WAIT... YOU HAVE THE POWER OF THE PEN TOO. YOU COULD STOP ME IN AN INSTANT BY SIGNING MY DE-REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE. DO IT! NOW! AND DON'T FORGET TO STAMP IT OR I MIGHT SEND IT BACK.

Mike Taylor

[Grumpy]

Sadly the way to get it sorted out is to PAY...............
No No........... UNDER the table.
Eish such a simple solution......

[Tumbleweed]

If it was'nt so pathetic it would be funny.

But if we can declare war on the civilised world defending our Caster, I'm sure they'll tell the world to get stuffed over this also.

[gertcoetzee]

Some good news, perhaps?

Dear Mr. Taylor,

Thank you for your e-mail. I’ve gone through the e-mail personally and in detail and have taken note of your comments.

I’ve requested that this matter be fully investigated internally with a view of taking the necessary action towards and incident of misconduct. I’ve also requested that we receive a thorough response from the South African Reserve Service. I do apologise for any inconvenience you may have suffered and assure you that this matter is receiving the highest attention of senior management and will continue to receive such until this matter is fully resolved.

I’m confident we will be able to assist you in deregistering the aircraft as soon as possible. Unfortunately I’m out of the country next week and so won’t be able to follow up on this matter during such time however Mr. Carel Raath (acting Senior Manager: Aircraft Certification) will ensure that an accurate response is provided to you on the outstanding documentation which purports to prevent the deregistration of the aircraft.

I thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and assure you that we will resolve this matter as expeditiously as we can. You will receive a response from Mr. Raath on Monday the 19th October. Please feel free to contact us further should you wish to.



____________________________________
Best Regards,


Subash Devkaran
Senior Manager: Aircraft Certification
South African Civil Aviation Authority
Tel: + 27 11 545 1153
Cell: + 27 83 461 6418
Fax: + 27 11 545 1462
Fax 2 e-mail: + 27 86 657 5375

[gertcoetzee]

And Mike's email to me (a bit of premature exitement, I think)...

Hoorah for the shaming principle.

Louis,
Fingers crossed, maybe this time...

Gert,
Thanks for sticking your oar in...

World,
what a wonderful place you are...

Regards

Mike

[Cloud Warrior]

I bought Mike's book from him after I came across the "discussion" between Mike and Gert on the BMAA forum. Not much flying in it but very inspirational for those of us near to a mid life crisis. Also Mike was a very nice guy to deal with. Seems like quite a character.