Just arrived in my inbox;
AOPA President Ron Bertram would like to advise that "A Current Affair" (Channel 9) has confirmed and is advertising that its story on the Benalla air crash tragedy will air tonight (Thurs 14th Oct 2004).
Recent scheduling changes have delayed this broadcast but AOPA has been in contact with ACA and they have indicated that it will be shown tonight.
It is a disturbing look at the way that Air Services were involved in this terrible crash and is of the greatest interest to all members of AOPA and those who have to deal with Air Services.
Please check your local guides for broadcast times.
my bolding.
Be prepared for some mind numbing and discursive Smith approved polemic from their own inhouse legend.
Ghost writers in the sky.
I hope they have more expert "legal" advice than is usual on what they should, may or may not assert.
Their last legal fracas, intiated by them against AOPA US (now over 400,000 members, near the total pilot population) I expect based on the same expert advice, with the same cast incumbent, cost em over $250,000 of members funds.
Have they been indemnified or financially supported in some way on this little adventure?
The membership, mostly "ex" (over 6,000 at the last count of a once near 11,000) are
terminally tired of being used as a dilletante millionaires plaything and the personal soapbox of old hasbeens.
I'll be surprised if they are not the single voice on this programme, which can only have been generated by Smith et al.
Whatever, I am not aware that the membership has been canvassed on nor would, I suspect, support this action in their name.
One can only guess that this is part of the new "let's put AOPA (actually the legend) back on the map" plan, they seem to have forgotten that it was this form of rubbish that IMHO took em off it in the first place.
Anybody got any idea when the final ATSB accident investigation report and coronial will be available on the causes and;
is there anybody who can educate me on when and where the law relieved the pilot of the responsibility for their own navigation whilst conducting an instrument approach outside of a control zone.
Or have the responsibility for those activities now been delegated to Smiths AOPA.