Some of you can't tell fact from fiction, which is sad. However I'm pleased that I can still write a reasonable imitation of a press release.
But seriously folks, get your head around the current directions climate change debate is going under the "leadership" of Greta Thunberg and "extinction rebellion" (heard of them?). Airline travel is already in their sights.
Given that Australian pilots and their organisations, are not noted for their political skills (with some exceptions) and that Government at all levels is about to start looking for low hanging fruit to satisfy the climate change alarmists, don't you think you are easy targets? I do, especially when I consider that some of you sit on luverly flat property development land worth billions? Then there are the politics of envy or the tall poppy syndrome - Australians as a rule don't like rich aircraft owners. You are an easy mark, the public couldn't give a damn about you..
In my opinion, the ONLY way you are going to save your industry or hobby is to drive your organisations into being politically savvy and active right now. Forget about negotiating with CASA, forget about all this professionalism - Marquis of Queensberry honorable behaviour BS, you need to build a political reputation as bad as the CFMEU, or the African honey badger, an animal so fierce its been known to tear the testicles off lions. At the same time you need community outreach to build a positive image of GA in the minds of the general public - Peninsula Aero Club and Angel flight are pretty good at that. To put that another way, we need to join something like AOPA and turn it into the pit bull terrier that guards aviation from Government encroachment, we also need to generate a warm fuzzy image of Australian GA with the public.
And its doable. Do you know what Senator Pauline Hanson did to the Government the other day? Do you know what Senator Jacqui Lambie may do to the Government this coming week? Do you know that there may be a bye election in the seat of Chisholm? All it takes is one or two politicians holding the balance of power and warmly disposed to GA and we start getting what we want. You need to get a reputation with politicians - like AOPA USA has, that you are one big headache when annoyed and that it is wiser for politicians to give you what you want. Political clout - that is what you need to develop, I've talked ad nauseam how to build it. Without it my press release, or something close to it, may one day be fact, not fiction and sooner than you think.
Quoted for truth. Nice post Sunny.