Flyer59 wrote:
On the other hand: so what? I will fly as long as I can a) afford it and b) am healthy enough. Why would it interest me much if future generations fly? I don’t reall care …
I would want to give the next generation the same opportunities I had. So I will do my best to support that goal. I never liked the mentality Im here and since I am, I dont want anybody else to come. Pull up the drawbridge mentality. Not to say that Alexis you are saying that but what you are saying is I’ll have fun while I can and what happens next I dont care. Well Im sure you’ll have less aggravation that way.
The drawbridge is the mentality from my understanding of some flying clubs that people complain about. Its our little fiefdom run by a bunch of busybodies. To be honest I have not run into that myself. But can understand the mentality of flying clubs thinking they will lose control when members join AOPA or they support AOPA. I really dont get that way of thinking but then again I dont get LeSving’s thinking either.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
I think that only people who understand and have watched AOPA USA doing their job, where they are the ONLY lobby group for GA and a fairly united voice of GA towards the FAA and the legislators with even members of congress in their ranks, do understand the full extent of what AOPA is about over there
To be fair EAA has a large number of pilots mostly for Experimental Aircraft. A lot of pilots are members of both. They both lobby and a lot of times they combine forces when it affects both of them. Then there is also NBAA for Business aircraft mostly jets charters etc. They too sometimes join with the other two when all are threatened as with user fees.
There is no free lunch when it comes to maintaining ones freedom and choice. Socialism isnt bad unless taken to the point where everyone wears the same style grey suit. As in no freedom of individuality. Which in this case is being able to fly your hang glider off of a cliff.
You are right, that’s not what I meant. And it’s right, I am not interested in becoming a fighter for the survival of GA. I can (and do) share my enthusiasm, I made several people do their PPL, I will tell anybody everything I know about it, support them in any way I can. I think within my possibilities I do a lot (but I’m not going to do PR for myself here).
But I am not into motivating people to fly who have no interest in flying. If people will want to fly in the future, they will. You really cannot feel responsible for the whole world. And you have to concentrate on the things that are really important. To me that’s other things than flying: my kids, my wife, my friends, my company and my employees.
If i became active politically it would be for other things than flying. Sorry. But since I am completely unable to be diplomatic, any political activity would end in a disaster anyway … ;-)
Flyer59 wrote:
If i became active politically it would be for other things than flying. Sorry. But since I am completely unable to be diplomatic, any political activity would end in a disaster anyway … ;-)
There are sensitivity courses you can take. Im sure they include political correctness as part of the course. 
Here is what we have done at KHTO to raise awareness and positive support for GA and the local airport. We had an open house with Static display burgers and a free round a wide pattern flight. During a 7 hr time period we gave hundreds of flights. The local FBO gave us the gas at their cost and we flew for most of the day. People years later were still commenting how they loved it. Do you think that helped GA image you bet. Of course there were a few pilots fearing lawsuit did not participate in the flights but they did other things to make it a successful day. By the way nobody threw up in the plane. I was more concerned about that than anything else.
It’s not clear to me that wanting to fly, enjoying flying and wanting to travel widely and easily are incompatible. That’s obviously the reason why RVs have become so popular, being aerobatic, fast, suitable for long flights and cheap. I think fuel tax, other fees, costs and hassles brought on by technology are the reasons why Europeans are sticking to local flying even while political boundaries are somewhat reduced compared with 40 years ago. As with many of our office environments, an increase in the ease of communication has been used to fuel an matching increase in self serving, pointless process and procedure for European cross-country flights, and for maintaining the aircraft that can do them. Most of that strikes me as ludicrous. Otherwise, I think Europe is an ideal place for traveling by GA, short flying distances, busy roads and a lot of things to see within those short flying distances.
I give rides all the time and at my US base we have display days once a month that the locals check out. The airport is an asset for the community and FUN. Warbirds to watch, lots of formation run and break approaches, groups of people coming and going in their homebuilts and sport planes, others arriving from far away, plus lots of training. The main things are a welcoming attitude, no major hassles to fly and no feeling of exclusivity (except maybe for the odd Cirrus pilot calling his 24.7 mile straight in 
but nobody pays much attention)
C210_Flyer wrote:
Boy now there is, a problem of thought that contravenes against all pulling on the same thread in the same direction for the betterment of all in aviation.
In Norway all GA (every single bit of remotely related aviation activity in fact) is within one single organisation, the NLF. I have been a member there, of several clubs for decades, Gliding, Microlight and “Motor” (PPL type aircraft) + EAA. I feel I’m “pulling in the same direction” rather nicely thanks. We also have AOPA, a handfull of old men flying certified aircraft, whom somehow feel they are too good or too “special” to mix with the rest of us (most AOPA members are also NLF members, but that is really beside the point).
From 1st of January NLF Gliding division became an EASA aviation authority (that’s right, an authority in the same sense as the FAA is an authority) for gliding. Austria also has the same setup for gliding from earlier this fall, as the first in the world. The reason for this, is under EASA NCO that was the only way the gliding association could continue operating as it always has done – on their own, with minimal interventions from the authorities. I mention this just to show what kind of power AOPA never will get by continuing their “on the sideline” way of operating. Maybe it works in the US, but around here we have a tradition of more direct contact with authorities. How it is in other countries, I’m not sure, but Austria obviously is similar.
Austria also has the same setup for gliding from earlier this fall, as the first in the world.
I’ve never been into gliding, but to my best knowledge the “Österreichischer Aeroclub” has been responsible for gliders (and balloons, hanggliders…) for many years or even decades. Nothing knew here AFAIK.
The Aeroclub is basically the umbrella organisation of the local flying clubs. It has never shown any interest in (powered) aviation outside of this clubs. It has never been of the slightest use for me as a renter or aircraft owner.
For my part, I’m convinced that the sole meaningful lobbying body for all of powered aviation (from club-owned C150 to turbine GA) is AOPA operating on a European level, with national sub-organisations adressing their relevant authorities. Therefore I have joined AOPA Germany, while the Austrian chapter has unfortunately been dormant for years…
blueline wrote:
I’ve never been into gliding, but to my best knowledge the “Österreichischer Aeroclub” has been responsible for gliders (and balloons, hanggliders…) for many years or even decades. Nothing knew here AFAIK.
That’s what I said. The new and unprecedented is that the Österreichischer Aeroclub has become an aviation authority in a “EASA sense”, same as gliding division within NLF. They have never been that before. They have only been organisations that handled their business with minimal interference from the national CAA, because they did all the stuff that the CAA would otherwise do. With part NCO that was not possible anymore, but it IS possible within EASA for any organisation to act as an aviation authority (for EASA aircraft and EASA pilot licenses).
For me, the utility and the travel part of GA, is the juice. That’s what I’m in it for. I’m not in it for gliding, aerobatics, or bimbles. And I also happen to think that’s where the growth will be eventually. I’m absolutely sure that one day mankind will fly their own aircraft/vtols/hovercrafts/dornes/whatever like we today drive cars.
