African Pilot, Aeroclub and us "thugs" (NOT)

[Nkwazi]

I too sent an email to Arthole Franz and got a long winded reply about how he has recently dismissed some staff member for insubordination ......... Ja, me too, I have absolutely no idea what that has to do with his way out of order comment.

Fot the record, I will no longer buy his magazine, and I fully support the MISASA magazine which despite no paid staff, is interesting and humorous

That's exactly the same cut and paste reply that I got. I have no idea what most of his reply has to do with his statement in his weekly newsletter.

[ZULU1]

Gert, I totally agree with you.

1/ Microlighters.co.za (aka Thugs) is the mouth piece for Microlight peelots, no problem.

2/ Microlight peelots irrespective of machine or status are the largest group in the aeroclub.

3/ No brainer in my book, tell them all to take a hike and lets go it alone...Trikes and all are a bunch of thugs anyway that just report to CAA and tell RAASA and EAA and all comers we are the largest group so we sort our own lives out.

Be honest chaps we just want to fly, Donald and Alan you guys rock but lets give them some (even) more teeth. If the miners can do it without the respective unions, why cant we help Donald and Alan with the respective clout ? Where i come from its called "sort the buggers out"...If nobody does anything then nothing will happen and in a years time the thugs will still be whinging.

Zulu1 (plane less and looking) waiting to return to the status of thug...

[lefssa]

I wont be buying african pilot either.

[Tumbleweed]

does'nt the gliding fraternity operate outside of Aeroclub?

[John Boucher]

Firstly, it is not Athol Franz that referred to us as thugs and it would be unfair of me to place this persons name. You see, copy and paste can be a major problem when you are trying to make a point based on someone else’s content and reputable name and the statement would be feverishly defended. His reference refers to the events that took place at the AGM. It is so strange that after the meeting was over, that most of us were able to share stories, laugh and be merry. One has to be able to separate business from pleasure no doubt. If certain persons within the system think they are going to utilise the microlighting fraternity for an "old boys club" - there may be a few hurdles for them in thinking that. MISASA represents an off the pat figure of almost a 1/3 if not more of the total Aeroclub budget.

There are a couple of sub-sections that manage their own membership and the affiliation membership is globally administered by Aeroclub....

We are being branded by certain sub-sections as having been totally out of line (well according to AF) and this will most probably be addressed in a board meeting. It is my understanding that AGM's are there to voice your approval and disapproval by the member being present as after that, one has to work through the chairman to the board meetings. The fact that our collective voice and presence was there, made the difference. Those sub-sections that manage their own membership would obviously not experience the same drama that we do.... and as for the smaller sections that don't really have the interaction or the need to interact with RAASA come ATF/licence renewal time, do not experience the frustration as we do.

We agreed as a committee that we would give a report of the meeting in a positive fashion, yet the "blabbering" of Athol has now tainted that with an unbalanced biased opinion (which he is entitled and subscribers to his mag pay to read that!) Also forming alliances to ensure business may not be the best way forward...

Just a footnote here... have a look at this thread as it is not "in your face" at the bottom of the microlighters board : viewtopic.php?f=21&t=19633

[Boet]

Met him once in person. I did not like his attitude towards my kind of flying. Therefore I have NEVER bought a single one of his magazines. Free country..........

[alanmack]

Mmm... I would like to comment on the question raised as to why we need the Aero Club and on why we are the only section that is so adversely affected by the incompetence of the system.

We are the only section that produces a printed magazine as a part of it's membership communication strategy and the only section that spends a lot of money on stamps - so the membership database is critical. I have had a mag in my garage for 2 months and we do not have a reliable address list - we cannot send mags to 200 questionable addresses. The others do not rely on the Fundi system in the way that we do so they do not experience our frustrations. On this point we have now decided that the work we are doing with RAASA on the Database ( Natasha Steyn and Neil de Lange are working with us ) will be completed within about 3 weeks so we will send out 2 mags together at the end of the month.

The Aero Club is, I believe, the second oldest aviation club in the world and it has a proud tradition. When we have matters that need attention Government Ministers, Departments etc do listen to creditable associations that speak on behalf of their members and the more consolidated the membership the better. Fragmented sports, associations etc do not have clout. If you attended the AGM those that spoke without having the facts did not know that a number of sections are unhappy and at least one that I know of refused to attend the meeting. The Chairman of the Aero Club ( Jeff Earle himself ) has reservations about the Fundi System, RAASA has matters needing attention and so do others. As an example the following is posted on the website of another section.

MISASA has recently called for a referendum by their members to express their opinions on the service delivery that the Aero Club of South Africa offers to their membership.
> To see the online discussion on this matter on microlighters.co.za CLICK HERE
> To have your say on our own referendum on this matter CLICK HERE

This is not the first time that MISASA has lead the way "to get what is broken fixed." When I first was involved in our sport the Aero Club faced liquidation - the sections ran away from the problem - and it was MISASA that stood it's ground and given time, others joined and the problems were resolved. If you believe in what you do and you stick to what is right rather than worrying about who is right - eventually - others will find their feet and the problems will be fixed. At the moment the Aero Club Executive have an "I'm Right" attitude and the facts and what we have to say is ignored. When others stand up and join us we will ( see my 1st chirp!) be able to make the following call:

> Let us all explore what problems unite us instead of belabouring those problems which divide us.
> Together let us explore and promote the freedom of our skies.
> And, if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let us join in creating a new endeavour - not a new balance of power, but a new attitude - where the strong are just, and the weak secure, and the skies preserved.
> And so, my fellow aviators, ask us what we, together, should be doing for you and please do step forward and volunteer so that together we may demonstrate what we can do for aviation in South Africa. - With apologies to JFK

Unfortunately, for now we will have to stand alone and press for our rights.

We could very easily lead a break away - others are deliberating just this. To do so you need just copy the ARO ( It's on our website) and submit it for approval. As it is an approved ARO it would need to be accepted. You can at the moment get an ATF, without Aero Club membership, if you have an AMO sign off your plane. This said, I do not support it - let us once again not run from the problems and let us get what is fixed broken. Here is the alternative - call it "The Quick Fix" if you like > we start a campaign to get 300 members to attend the next AGM and we vote to have our nominated four members appointed to the Aero Club's Exco. With this "voice" we will be able to ensure the changes that we have begged for are implemented.

FEEDBACK

At this moment, on the table is a deliberation about us following the USA in requiring only a valid drivers licence and dropping the requirement for a Class IV medical. Now if this gets approved I for one will be a happy chap and our CAA would have shown a progressive mindset that all should applaud. This is the type of matter that we should be working on and the current diabolical piggery that some individuals seek to progress is flabbbbergastic (apologies if the spelling is pix-elated) and but a reflection of their own ignorance of the facts!

Fly safe - have fun - and please (pretty please) send me your stories
nemo@webo.co.za

[John Boucher]

[nicow]

Thanks alanmac

[Athol Terence]

I apologise if I have upset some of my microlight friends and this is my first posting on your forum. To John Boucher and Alan Mac, thank you for listening to some of the issues I have raised and hopefully will now go away.

Please allow me to make some corrections to some of the misinformation already posted on this thread:

1) At no time have I or anyone at African Pilot referred to Microlighters as 'thugs'. This came out of the Tedderfield 'Shoot Out' earlier this year, which I attended in support of MISASA. Alan even gave me a spot to talk about aviation photography, for which I was grateful. I sincerely don't know how my name became associated with the thugs issue.

2) African Pilot is on record as having supported MISASA and its membership projects in many magazines in the past. In fact there is an article which Willie Bodenstein wrote on the Africa Cup held at the Numbi Hotel in the November edition right now.

3) The next Tedderfield 'Shoot Out' scheduled for 9 February is already on the AP calendar with reference to Alan Mac as the contact person.

4) Perhaps I got a little carried away reporting on the Aero Club's AGM and now that things have settled down, I will not place anything further about the negative side of the AGM into the December magazine report.

5) I have several friends who fly Microlights and I have also been flown in weight-shift, conventional 3-axis Microlights and Gyrocopters in the past.

6) At the AGM I made reference to my Cessna 182, which I share with other members in the AFOS syndicate. Initially there were 10 members in the syndicate, but this is changing right now due to the engine overhaul we have just undergone that has cost the syndicate more than R220K.

7) African Pilot regularly covers ALL the sections of the AeCSA, of which MISASA is the largest due to the sheer size of its membership. It would be very foolish of me to single out any one particular section of the AeCSA for any reason. My report related to the comments of very few individuals at the AGM and not the greater membership.

I now understand that MISASA committee members have sorted out the Fundi system with the AeCSA, but please let’s all remember that the AeCSA belongs to ALL of us and MISASA has a voice on the board. We ALL need to get behind the AeCSA so that we can continue to enjoy the 'freedom of our South African skies'. Any talk of breaking away will only land everyone in a whole lot of policical nonsence, which no section can afford.

9) In the past I have offered Alan Mac assistance with Microflight Africa in terms of pictures and articles and from time to time he has actually used some of my submissions, which I supplied free of charge. This offer stand to this day and into the future.

10) The AeCSA Year Book my business produced for the members had four pages devoted to MISASA and this will be exactly the same again for the 2012 report.

Finally let me say that I am interested in publishing MISASA articles in African Pilot so if any of you have the burning desire to work on some or other feature please let me know via my e-mail: editor@africanpilot.co.za. Thank you.
Regards,
Athol Terence

[Nkwazi]

Welcome to microlighters Athol. Thank you for your post and coming here with your right to reply.

[nicow]

Thanks for your reply-welcome to our forum .

[mcfly]

This is what is mean't by taking a stance!..... together!!!

The lesson here is
When you piss off enough people on enough occasions you get pissed on.

I stand by my post comments##

[dumpy]

Mr Franz.Your reputation preceeds U
Stop talking kak you've pissed the microlighters off and it will take a moer of a lot to get them positive again :lo


U certainly can mutlitask......U can talk and piss people off at the same time!!!!!!!!!!

[John Boucher]

Ai tog weet jy... yes, welcome AF!

The thing is, the microlighting chaps are "gatvol" for "others" trampling on them for reasons ranging form "inferior licences" - "incompetence in the air" and being branded disruptive.... and all the other things that have been said. They are there to enjoy the fun side of aviation yet try to comply to the rules and regs as laid down.

and it will take a moer of a lot to get them positive again

True words dumpy....