How can Mr Bertram be so, apparently, ignorant about GA security in places like the UK?
I have flown in the UK privately in the last few mths and visited GA airfields regularly there for the last 2 yrs....there is NO security at these airports at all...let alone dumb security like ASIC cards...NONE.
It beggars belief that he would turn up to such a meeting and not have such basic information to support his case that DOTARS are idiots out of control when it comes to private aviation.
And that he sees no positives in being in communication with like minded organisations overseas.
I find his innability to answer some very basic questions disturbing in the extreme.
I would bet folding money that in the days Patroni was running the place this would not have been the case...and that was why the organisation had such a high number of members...4000 out of 18000 is a telling number....especially when you include the huge numbers of professional pilots who used to be members...like me for example.
The old story about statistics and damned lies...if you include ALL pilots who might join AOPA or who used to be members it makes for a more interesting comparison....many ATPL holders also own aircraft but by Bertram's own admission they, AOPA, are not interested unless you only hold a PPL.