One-Man Band
Well not only is Bill Hamilton the sole concoctor of all submissions to CASA without any consultation with the board, but he is also the mouthpiece for AOPA.
Bill has made many a media release without ever having discussed the issues with the board, inventing policy on the run.
Sometimes Bill has well articulated an issue, on others he went completely tropo.
A great example was his national media pronouncement that REX would go bust in six months (got this wrong didn't you Bill) and that the Ansett collapse was caused by CASA. Neither of these policy positions had been discussed by the board and it was probably well outside AOPA's bailiwick anyway. AOPA was forced to apologise to the management of REX and was nearly marginalised by the Government over the Ansett allegation.
Somehow the new board will need to stop Bill playing aviation commentator under the name of AOPA. Media Releases should be driven by the President and the policy thrust endorsed by the board.
Russell