I wish the new organisation representing private, sporting and recreational aviation in Ireland every success in the future.
In the UK we have just finished a period of consultation on swingeing charge increases that impact of most areas of GA and, hopefully, the CAA has reaped a whirlwind of outraged responses arising from the wind they sowed.
It has highlighted the need for a concerted vigilant attitude to threats to our GA professions, pastimes and, indeed, passions by our representative bodies. Many of whom do not have any full time staff and are reliant on voluntary effort. Even the larger bodies have mainly administrative staff so the effort to analyse huge consultative documents from a wide variety of sources to determine just how it will affect us is a real problem.
On a personal note I have just got back from the Portrush Air Spectacular in Antrim. A fantabulous weekend indeed where my cousin, His Islamic Excellency Sheikh Yasser Ferifat OLK, LtCol RJAF (retd), was introduced to no less a delicious damsel as Miss Ireland, a gorgeous Irish colleen hailing from Ulster. We had a ball though the weather for a delayed return on Monday afternoon left a lot to be desired. Thank the Lord for duplicate GPS and a spare Icom A24 in my flight bag. The latter not needed but its presence was reassuring.
Cheers,
Trapper 69
