I really do appreciate somebody thinking I could do a good job there 
but many years ago – 2003 – I chose to spend my time writing up trip reports and other articles, with lots of detail, to get people out and about and going places, and do so safely.
Nobody was doing that before and nobody has been doing it since (with the level of planning detail).
Then a huge amount of work has gone into EuroGA, since 2012. With David having got too busy and moved on I have even more work to do now.
All this made me a huge number of friends, and some enemies GA is really amazingly tribal. The trip reports p1ssed off a few people. Starting EuroGA p1ssed off many more, especially as most other forums make money from advertising clicks.
This work means I really can’t do anything else.
Also I think running AOPA in the UK, or in the European context, is a poisoned chalice. Every different category of GA activity has its own “organisation”. If they could, gliders painted white would have one and gliders painted yellow would have one. And basically all these GA organisations hate each other. This is because
Across Europe, they hate each other too. Each has its own forums and of course the forums (which are mostly going back to the early days, 20 years ago) hate each other. I posted about the EuroGA airport database (not the forum) on the German and French domestic forums (in the belief neither has its own) and got a hostile reception which was frankly mostly nationalist. It was posted in their language, first, with English underneath. On the French one, they got p1ssed off that their forum was being contaminated with English! This is despite EuroGA having large numbers of German and French people here, the German domestic database site having been promoted here 100++ times, etc. OK; this reaction shows how successful EuroGA has been!! But it shows that banging heads together and working in a common direction is an almost impossible task, within one country, and even more so across Europe. There is simply no buy-in from the “membership” for any European GA initiative.
These views are not just my own. They have been said, more or less, in every meeting of every organisation I have ever sat in on.
So, how far do you think any AOPA in Europe is going to get, working with anybody else?
Probably as far as having a nice big lunch attended by the heads, commenting on topics of common interest (the waitress or, in these enlightened times, the waiter?) and fly back home, on expenses of course.
I realise the above is a description of defeat and is why we have the representation we have. But that doesn’t mean there is a solution. Some challenges just don’t have one, and this may be one of them.
S57 wrote:
Shouldn’t be too hard to get together a small group from this forum. I’d be more than happy to join and nominate someone like @Peter for the board.
I would be happy to second that.
Tragic reflection on GA Peter.
flybymike wrote:
Tragic reflection on GA Peter.
While there is of course some truth in it, it is generally unfair. I’m getting tired of the constant nagging on “Aeroclub presidents”.
Perhaps the language could change there.
I think what’s being got at is the personality type who likes to think they’re very important and that recreational aviation is a terribly serious business.
Sure, although if that is the only point of disagreement…
Peter – I dont feel you have it quite right.
The reality is that I suspect the vast majority of pilots are as cynical as you. With most of these organisations they see exactly the type you describe and are utterly fed up with it. Of course there will be a few that fit the hat.
It is the majority that would support change, but need to see this change first.
If an organisation like AOPA was able to sweep aside all those who have been in post for far far too long then this change could take place. It only takes an organsiation such as this to have the support of even 50% of the GA community and it all of a sudden it has real teeth. At the moment I think I am being generous if AOPA could claim support of even 10%, and of course they are completely ignored by any of the powers that be when it comes to anything remotely important. I know someone very well that is “well established” at the regulator, and he quite openly will tell you that AOPA are considered a bit of a joke within inner circles and everyone just pays lip service to them as required. Martin is well known for being unable to work with just about every other GA organisation as well which is hopeless. It needs to change, but otherwise I agree with you.
Airborne_Again wrote:
I’m getting tired of the constant nagging on “Aeroclub presidents”.
I agree.
But I think you need to understand that @Peter is not (I hope!) really aiming at Aeroclub Presidents per se… just those personality types that seem to end up in a position of authority in GA who can see no further than their own little Kingdom. I certainly dont see our Aeroclub President in that light.
Regards, SD..
I think what’s being got at is the personality type who likes to think they’re very important and that recreational aviation is a terribly serious business.
I can say amen to that. The problem with clubs is it gradually accumulates people who are since long gone tired of flying, but still remains within the organisations. The only remaining important thing for them is the organisation and their position in it. The rest of the members don’t care, as long as they can get their token single digits hours per year to keep their licenses current. When that happens, the club has corrupted 100% Only a complete tear down and rebuild can fix this, or simply start a new club.
Airline pilot mate of mine.
All ready been on a GASCO course for busting a Class G ATZ last summer. Smashed some class D today. What would be best guess about what might happen next? He is obviously worried he might get a licence suspension.
I should add he was flying GA when these busts happened.
