My memory may even go back somewhat further having been fully ,in executive positions, involved through all the split; it was very, very clear the OSB disdain the OB had for non-airline operations and the fact that their money was being used to support such was decidedly the root cause.
The suggestion the domestics/interstate branches had little time or did little for GA is a total, complete fabrication. One notable case which has always been remembered occurred in Cairns where after many hours spent by the Feds fully pursuing DCA/CAA (whatever it was called at the time) eventually having the operator’s AOC removed following proof of poor/ no approved maintenance where the exhaust system leaked the pilot becoming unconscious due CO poisoning.
Just one of many cases where GA was supported fully and yes, there will always be cases quoted of nonsupport however, there is always two sides to every story.
`Not to spending funds on GA matters, GA got short shrift from Ansett/TAA’: Totally untrue!
`Firstly, it was the Overseas Branch of AFAP that put together the first and subsequent North American style Qantas contracts, not AFAP head office in Melbourne’
The first North American contract applied to Ansett and TAA and it was about 2years later before it was implemented in Qantas following, from memory, the only time Qantas pilots have had a strike. (I stand to be corrected) Then the only reason this strike occurred was because pilots like Dick Holt Ansett), Ted Meredith (TAA), Bart Smithwell (Qantas) and a few others had to put a rod of steel up the Qantas pilots’ backsides to ensure this.
The records particularly minutes of Executive Committee and Convention will tell and entirely different story of the events of the time (Chairman of the Overseas Branch standing on the table at executive or convention pointing his @rse at the chair)
Following the split Qantas pilots went their own way the results showing a slow but continuous deterioration in salary/working conditions decidedly denied by Qantas pilots.
A totaly unified pilot group representd properly by one union is the only way of th efuture