Aus Ag Association ? 4AS

[multime]

Dear fellow agggys.
My question is simple. Last year paid 110-00 $ for a pilot membership, i recieved 4 newsletters of mostly pointless information and nothing else.
Q - Is the Australian Aerial Agricultural Association value for money or is it just another one of (those things aka ASICS etc ) you just have to have !!!! in order to work within the industry.?
Personally i can,t afford it and really can,t justify spending the money?.
No i don,t have any agenda, but would love to know if anyone else feels that value for the $$$$ is missing.?
Cheers
Multi:E

[airag3]

Perhaps it's about showing your support for our industry body which can be an excellent rescourse for information and support for both individuals and business on all aspects of Aerial Ag', (not to mention non-stop effective Govt. lobbying).

I suggest attending some of the events organised by the AAAA and listed in the newsletters you receive be it State based or National ( I know I need to as well!), It's a bit like the more you put in the more you will get out, so overall I reckon it's definately worth being a member .

[currawong]

Much lobbying goes on behind the scene.

Regs, chemical registration, insurance issues, training, etc etc.

Phil Hurst is worth more than what we pay him, if you ask me.

Not all of which is highly visible, but all costs.

[zakpeegoodus]

I totally agree with you mulittime. I was cheesed me off by the AAAA when I obtained my AG rating. I rang them to ask for a list of Ag companies where I could apply for work. P.H said he had such a list, but I could not have a copy until I joined as a member. I explained that I was totally broke, in debt from my rating, and that I would be more than willing to join the AAAA once I had secured an AG job and was earning an income. His words were “sorry, we can’t help you.”
Obviously the AAAAs function does not include assisting budding AG pilots until they have sent money. I realize nothing in life is free, but I thought it rather short sighted all the same. Perhaps they are “an excellent rescore for information and support for both individuals and business,” yet when their support would have been helpful to me, it was not available. Now that I am in a position to be able to support them, forget it...

[jon s gull]

AAA's is excellent value for money.Most of the costs are borne by operator subscriptions.I have been apilot member almost since it's inception.This gives me access to the very latest in industry developments as well as support should I need it.
Three cartons of beer is a token payment only.Even a club must by Privacy law deny membership information to non members.
Grow up kiddies this is a tough industry .

[Turboman]

Multime,

as a member of the AAAA if you have no idea what you money is being spent on I suggest you ring Phil (if you can't attend any conferences) and find out what has/is going on. You might be quite surprised. Be sure to let us all know.

zakpeegoodus,

you had just spent $11k+ and couldn't find another $110, to get your self a job???

[zakpeegoodus]

Yer Turboman, I was sure someone would ask that…In the end a mate of mine who was a member simply had the list sent to him on my behalf…and I invested more than the $110 in the AAAA by attending their national conference.
My point was that I did not understand why AAAA regarded a list of AG companies as private or protected information. Surely the function of the AAAA should involve the spreading of information to budding AG pilots weather they are members or not? Would you disagree with that??
Whatever… it's a bit too academic to bother debating anyhow hey?
It was their attitude of not being willing to assist a budding Ag Pilot that bugged me more than the $110 dollars. I thought it short sighted. Aside from that I am sure the AAAA do great things! I agree $110 is not so much on top of a rating - as I said previously, nothing in life is free - not even the public image of an industries governing body!

Happy spraying!

[currawong]

Point is, they have already assisted you.

To get off your ar$e.:E

They are an industry association, not your mother. Not a governing body (yet). Not a union.

And, a more comprehensive list of operators could have been had, for free, from the phone books at your local post office.

But that is academic.

Disclaimer - this is not a pay out. Your opinion is valid, and should be heard.

[Rarely Dble Amber]

My question is simple. Last year paid 110-00 $ for a pilot membership, i recieved 4 newsletters of mostly pointless information and nothing else.

What else do you want for $110 ??.. A pencil case and a lunch box?

Is the Australian Aerial Agricultural Association value for money...?

Only if you dont want our industry to be legislated out of existance..

You might feel that you are not getting value for money simply because you arent aware of just how much Phil and the AAAA's does for Australian Ag Aviation. $110 is a very small contribution to the running of the AAAA's. Enough pilot members also ensures that there is a Pilot representative on the board. Something that might be very important to you when the rest of the board consists of operators only. :uhoh:

[Agwaggon]

Good one Mul
I have often wondered about this one myself. Actually if you received 4 news letters last year you did pretty well. I think I got 1 or maybe 2.!! As a pilot it's pretty easy for us to wonder where the value is in this membership. We certainly don't see it up front thats for sure. The real picture is however far more than a news letter or four. A lot of younger or perhaps newer pilots to the industry could be forgiven for not knowing just how close our industry has come over the years to either being legislated out of doing practical business or even simply shut down. I'm aware of one meeting years ago where the question was asked by a very powerful and pertinent pollie whether this country could simply do without the aerial agricultural operators and therefore take potential tricky situations out of the equation.
I think the fact is that without the work up front and behind the scenes by the AAAA's you and I would now probably be doing something else to pay for the cornflakes mate.
Personally I considder the membership fee a donation to the cause. If you are genuine in your statement that you carn't afford it then perhaps you could reconsidder your priorities Mul. $110 = 3 or 4 slabs. Or what 4 packs of coffin sticks. Or 3 or 4 plastic bags as you exit Coles. 1 rock concert !! 1 day at the cricket (including beers). A couple of beers after work with old Dunnie. A visit to the shrink (10 min only). Dinner for 2. (if shes a bit of a dog). A blinker light assembly for a 69 MGB. 18 Holes at Coolum. A hair appointment for your missus (Try taking that one away!). And so on and so on.
Yes Multime there is very good value for money there if your serious about you chosen vocation.
Having said all that I don't think the AAAA's really do anything for the pilots persay. But then it really is an operators association isn't it!?!?!!;)

[multime]

Dear Guys
Point taken on industry representation and lobbying at the federal level. Guess its a case of UNITED WE STAND????.
Our industry over many years of hard economic times and lean times has reinvented itself, with the introduction of turbine fleets , excessive EPA ledgistration and keeping the hairy armpit brigade, pot smoking, great unwashed, tree huggers happy. I,m happy to pay the fee but perhaps some positive news on the side of our industry we (don,t) get to hear about wouldn,t go astray either.?
AGWAGON - got to laugh!! if you think i could get away with $110-00 for the blonde bombshells haircut your dreaming !!!.
Thanks Again Guys
Cheers Multi:ok:

[jon s gull]

''Having said all that I don't think the AAAA's really do anything for the pilots persay. But then it really is an operators association isn't it!?!?!!''


Membership for pilots has in the past and now provides discount and sometimes free training material such as the spraysafe manual,spraysafe exam,as well as discount entry to conferences.
Anyone who takes advantage of these benefits will recieve excellent value.
Whilst it is true that the operators pay for and run the show,it is still the pilots only representative organisation.The association has recognised this with the pilot membership ,giving us a say.
All ag pilots benefit at some level.Whether you pay or not. Dont be a freeloader.It is, after all, tax deductible

[zakpeegoodus]

“Personally I consider the membership fee a donation to the cause.”

A great way of looking at it!

____________________________________________________
"A hair appointment for your missus (Try taking that one away!)"

What, your missus, or her hair appointment?

___________________________________________________
"get off your ar$e"

isn’t the whole point of an AG rating is to get on your ar$e, be it in an AG plane?

It is a shame when intelligent people need to resort to provocative langue in discussions…All the same, that you feel the need to thusdefend the AAAAs I take as a sign of your respect for them, which is a healthy situation.
____________________________________________________

“A lot of younger or perhaps newer pilots to the industry could be forgiven for not knowing just how close our industry has come over the years to either being legislated out of doing practical business or even simply shut down.”

Interesting point. Thanks for making it. When you invest much time, money and effort in obtaining an AG rating, your personal concerns of finding work take precedent over such broader issues of the industry. Once in a good job I am sure your priorities shift.
Meanwhile, thanks for reminding me of the boarder perspective. I now realize that the AAAAs have far more important tasks than providing even minimal information to non-members who are keen on joining the industry.
I had better not be a freeloader.
:ok:

[currawong]

I will not resort to provocative "langue" any more:E


:ok: