Hi,
Would a Microlighters Administrator please unlock this topic so that pilots are able to comment and bend my ear on any information provided.
Just to let you have a brief "heads up" on what MISASA is up to I will post a comment here every few months. The whole "MISASA does nothing thing" has a habit of coming and going and really it is about offering opportunities for all to help and about letting you all know who is doing what? It is important moan when you feel the urge as maybe there is a crack in the plan that you may wish to fill and believe me, we need help - you cannot believe how much time being your voice with bureaucracy, the public, pilots etc takes.
When someone has an axe to grind or just sounds off - PLEASE - allow the space needed for grins and for growls. Usually when you have unpacked the matter raised, often emotionally, on the forums, there is a lesson to learn. Rudi did a great job of keeping this thread alive and I have now taken over communications as well as the magazine as Rudi has exhausted his available time. If anyone wants to help I will be happy to have you on the team.
PLEASE - HAVE A GO - RAISE IT HERE - SO THAT WE CAN KEEP A CONVERSATION GOING - MANY FEEL THAT THE
WWW.MISASA.CO.ZA WEBSITE DOES NOT SUPPORT CONVERSATIONS - I AGREE - IT IS AN INFORMATION PORTAL - THIS IS A BLOG - RAISE YOUR MATTERS HERE - HOPEFULLY OTHERS WILL HELP ANSWER THEM
So, here is a run down of what is on the go.
- Contact: The contact details for committee members is on the tab COMMITTEE - see the home page.
- Competitions: Mervyn and Shaun ran a great Starters Masters competition at Petit - the next mag has the story. They are busy buying another 10 data loggers to support the call for competition equipment from various clubs around the country. MISASA now has over a dozen data loggers so if you need to use them or need ideas and kit to host a competition in your province/area/club- phone Mervyn or Shaun.
- Events: For detail on the Wild Coast Gaggle fly away in June see Donald's personal aviation website at:
www.weboonline.com/donald/ plus the Mozambique tour kicks off later this week - they are flying to 14 airfields see the airfields on Donald's website. Noel is feeding me items to put on the
www.misasa.co.za website and if you would like an event posted please email me at
nemo@webo.co.za Why not host one? Have you flown a LANDRACER - Noel is working on an event where you can give one a spin. If you want to help contact Noel. Noel is brand new on the committee and is a fine example of what and how you can help.
- World Champs: Rob McFie with the support of others is progressing us hosting a World Microlight Championship in 2013 at Springs with all hands on deck to get the huge sponsorship that is needed.
- Challenges: These come and go. We need to go "toe to toe" with the various authorities and with our own members on a regular basis > believe it or not the authorities are not always wrong! The current "debacle" is about the possible new requirement for an AP to test fly your plane before an AP is issued. If you want to help on this one it is a huge time gobbler but hey! > do we need this > please contact Rowena (Deon also helps here in his off time - it's got to do with LOVE!) They have many meetings that you can attend or people to see so that we move this mountain. Just think of how much your AP will cost if this goes through. Insurance for the AP's life who will want your plane insured also > These are but a few things that will boost the cost - never mind the extra time and whether or not you want your plane flown by others.
- Answering questions - phew! necessary and important but which few enjoy: A number of us share this load: If someone has an hour to two to spare a day, week or month we can use any help. egs Do I need an LSA licence to fly a Bush Baby, Foxbat etc Answer: Depends on the ATF specified MTOW - if over 600kgs > PPL if not LSA. How much do I need to learn to fly? Answer see the tab Learn to Fly Microlights on the website. How do I pay my fees? Why must I be a member? Ok you got the idea!
- Development: Yes, BEE has arrived and it is now a formal government requirement. We have had a programme in place for a number of years with the National Youth Development Trust and are ahead of the game re other Aero-Club sections but some like the Modeling section are doing a great job that we can learn from. This is a very rewarding portfolio so if you would like to lend Donald a hand please contact him - it is very much more than taking people for flips - in fact we are trying to limit this as much as possible.
- Safety: Alex and Mike attend every accident scene to ensure that the official investigators get the right sport specific experience that they need to formulate the correct impressions and accident reports. Here help from around the country would be great. You could even help with spending a day a week at the CAA. It would make a difference to many.
- Training: Mmmm... do you know how much paperwork and heart ache cheating on the exams takes to sort out plus the questions need to be checked by someone who actually knows what an MPL?LSA? plane is! It has recently been agreed that you do not need to have a percentage of student pilots to fail. Rather you need sound exams and an examination process and if all pass that is fantastic! Sounds simple - anyone want to help attend the meetings to keep it that way? Calling all educationalists! Here is your chance to spend your week-ends productively so that our team can have the odd week-end off. Go on phone Deon for I'm sure that you do not coach soccer every afternoon?
- Treasurer: Ok take your hats off - reconciling the bank account is a nightmare! More than half the deposits start as being anonymous donations! Here is a good cause you can devote to that pastime for your annual leave or for that odd late night - phone Brett if you want to help - he will faint! Did you know that half the membership do not supply an eMail address - I suppose they believe that we have nothing of interest to tell them - if you believe that to be the case then they do not need to be contacted - if you do - we need your help.
- PRO: Here's a fun one - join the Snake Team and go fly at airshows or join the ground crew and be a VIP where ever you go. If you believe that this portfolio is all play and no work then phone Jay he will have an Oddball or two for you to kick about whilst having the time of your life!
- MEETINGS: I am told that when you retire you miss going to meetings? Anyone with this problem need only know that the membership will be eternally grateful. I have been to many meetings that never take less than three hours for absolutely necessary matters to be resolved. These meetings with a variety of officials have a common thread of never having a defined agenda, with attendees not empowered to take required decisions but hey, can you imagine what decisions could be taken if there was no fly on the wall! Seriously, people like Braam Hechter at the CAA are making a difference and we all should support those that are, really, in it for " what's right" rather than " who's right." You get no medals for this job but know that we attend these meetings on your behalf! If you want the detail, please attend a MISASA Committee meeting. They are held at the Aero Club every quarter. If you do attend you will get VIP treatment and you will be given your choice of portfolio to assist with. Truly we will give you what you want - ask anyone that has done so - they have never been allowed to go home empty handed! If you want to help and live outside Gauteng we will fly you in to meetings, we will tea and biscuit you all night whilst we deliberate solutions and see that you get collected at the airport and that you have a place to stay for the night. We can even guarantee that the work that you do will go largely unnoticed but we can guarantee that none of your time, not one secound, will be wasted and or not give you tremendous satisfaction for when the pain sets in, there are no contracts, you can leave immediately, for we appreciate that which you can offer - when you can - and when.
- FINALLY - the magazine: I'll keep it short - the plan on the table requires the content to be in at the end of this month and every three months thereafter. It has never happened! We have less than 5% of a mag on hand for the next one. Promises need to be followed up on - adverts need to be secured - goodies need to be collected and finally - you could even use those long lost valuable skills like enveloping! Seriously can someone not help with securing scribes to replace the work done by John Boucher in the Free State - he has moved to Mossel Bay. The tourism authority in the Free State want to promote microlighting in the Free State and neither John nor I can get information. We need a farmer that wants to try their hand at reading and writing! Come on the Bethlehem airshow and other events are really well attended and are enjoyed - there must be at least one Free State person that wants to join the communications team. I do believe that someone who went to Grey College must have learnt to read and write sufficientlty well for someone who went to Queens College to fix it! Ha, Ha! Smile lads and volunteer. This said, what about the Northern Cape and Limpopo > if you are not reading about your area in the magazine > it is because we do not hear from you.
Ok, so that's my first round up on what we have on our plates. Your turn ..... To the Committee.... please feel free to nudge me on what's been left off?
Fly safe