Advice Pls: Syndicate Woes
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: UK
Age: 74
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My final support of the novice
I am aware we are getting off the original topic but I think it is relevant for us all to be aware of the real state of affairs.
I was looking at the February bulletins on the AAIB web site recently and of the 30 or so accidents to light aircraft, 75% were commanded by OVER 100-hour pilots. Many were over 1000-hour pilots. The remaining 25% were all in training.
So lets get it out of our mind that the "new" pilot must be the only focus of attention when assessing who to let into our groups. They deserve every encouragement. A belief that at 100 hours TT a pilot is more acceptable because the insurance says so is a mistake IMO.
WR
I was looking at the February bulletins on the AAIB web site recently and of the 30 or so accidents to light aircraft, 75% were commanded by OVER 100-hour pilots. Many were over 1000-hour pilots. The remaining 25% were all in training.
So lets get it out of our mind that the "new" pilot must be the only focus of attention when assessing who to let into our groups. They deserve every encouragement. A belief that at 100 hours TT a pilot is more acceptable because the insurance says so is a mistake IMO.
WR
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Good group organisation doesn't mean inflexibility
I have been in several syndicates over the past twenty years and have been fortunate in that they all worked well. However what characterises them were certain features they all had in common.
1. the aeroplane belonged to the group not to individuals so that for example, a member couldn't leave before an annual is due without the costs of that being taken from his share.
2. we met regularly and notes of the meeting were taken - this seems onerous but can be reduced to a bare minimum. The note only need to show that a majority of members agreed on a particular course of action. At the moment I belong to a small group which has illness in family members so formal evening meetings which used to be accompanied by a meal no longer happen, but we still meet up in the club.
3. fixed costs (including an allowance for forseeable bills based on time such as the annual inspection) are budgetted and paid monthly by standing order.
4. Billing for flying is done monthly - a chore for the treasurer but not so difficult now he emails out a spreadsheet and we pay electronically
5.There is a "Partnership Agreement" which you draw up before any trouble happens detailing what happens in the case of forseeable issues such as non payment of bills, disagreements and voting rights, booking procedures, new members, selling shares, etc. Hopefully this will never be needed but knowing it is there and that someone has thought about these things in an impartial way beforehand can save a lot of hassle. Once disputes become personal - they get a lot more difficult to resolve without egos getting bruised. Don't start me on the subject of pilot's egos.
As for the problems that have been described in this thread, I have a lot of sympathy for those caught in the cross fire. I also think the unfortunate treasurer in the original post probably needs support not criticism. However, I do know of some groups that don't go well - and being in a group where you don't trust the other members can be a really bad experience.
And on the subject of groups, I am relocating, so if anyone knows of a nice syndicate near Bristol that has a vacancy for a new member, please PM me!
1. the aeroplane belonged to the group not to individuals so that for example, a member couldn't leave before an annual is due without the costs of that being taken from his share.
2. we met regularly and notes of the meeting were taken - this seems onerous but can be reduced to a bare minimum. The note only need to show that a majority of members agreed on a particular course of action. At the moment I belong to a small group which has illness in family members so formal evening meetings which used to be accompanied by a meal no longer happen, but we still meet up in the club.
3. fixed costs (including an allowance for forseeable bills based on time such as the annual inspection) are budgetted and paid monthly by standing order.
4. Billing for flying is done monthly - a chore for the treasurer but not so difficult now he emails out a spreadsheet and we pay electronically
5.There is a "Partnership Agreement" which you draw up before any trouble happens detailing what happens in the case of forseeable issues such as non payment of bills, disagreements and voting rights, booking procedures, new members, selling shares, etc. Hopefully this will never be needed but knowing it is there and that someone has thought about these things in an impartial way beforehand can save a lot of hassle. Once disputes become personal - they get a lot more difficult to resolve without egos getting bruised. Don't start me on the subject of pilot's egos.
As for the problems that have been described in this thread, I have a lot of sympathy for those caught in the cross fire. I also think the unfortunate treasurer in the original post probably needs support not criticism. However, I do know of some groups that don't go well - and being in a group where you don't trust the other members can be a really bad experience.
And on the subject of groups, I am relocating, so if anyone knows of a nice syndicate near Bristol that has a vacancy for a new member, please PM me!
Join Date: Aug 2008
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SoCal
I guess if you want to you will but I never mentioned statistics, I stated facts. The AAIB has a web site and you can check for yourself. Those "in training" are stated as such on the site.
See what you make of January's accident reports to GA aircraft (not microlights). Every GA-fixed wing accident that month involved a 100-hour plus pilot.
In the meantime I shall continue to applaud those "new pilots" who join our ranks and resist the notion that they are by definition a risk, without considering other factors. My point is, I would not turn away a new pilot who wanted to join my group who had less than 100-hours on that basis alone. FACT.
WR
See what you make of January's accident reports to GA aircraft (not microlights). Every GA-fixed wing accident that month involved a 100-hour plus pilot.
In the meantime I shall continue to applaud those "new pilots" who join our ranks and resist the notion that they are by definition a risk, without considering other factors. My point is, I would not turn away a new pilot who wanted to join my group who had less than 100-hours on that basis alone. FACT.
WR
