LAA membership - mandatory for Permit a/c owners?

[Rob Swain]

The way people are getting so aerated anyone would think membership was expensive!

At around 50 quid p.a (slightly more to join, less to renew) what's to quibble about. It's less than an afternoon's flying for a lot of us!

Compare that with what you actually get (magazine) and have access to (engineering, inspectors, coaching, this Bulletin Board, not having to deal with the CAA directly) I'd say that, on balance, it's pretty good value.

No, I'm not making a case for paying more!
Let's face it, if the freeloaders start to pay (whether by suggestion or coercion) it shouldn't be necessary.

And don't forget that some members have joined without even owning aircraft, and presumably they STILL think it's money well spent!

Now shall we stop griping and move on to more interesting subjects?

[Rod1]

So all we know for certain is that about 1% of the LAA membership voted for the rule, three years ago.

Rod1

[John Brady]

Last time I checked the cost of a permit renewal covered the cost of the work done by engineering in that area. So multiple owners do not pay more for their permit than single owners. Period.

As a group they do pay more to the Association but they all benefit equally and individually from the excellent magazine produced by Brian and from the other services provided by the LAA (such as the 8 hours I spent today on Aviation duty and Mode S and charity administration at no cost (should really be £800 per day plus expenses!)).

If a group is unable to pursuade a member to join the LAA and so they feel at risk, I suggest they change the rules of the group to require LAA membership and then invite the errant pilot to go elsewhere if they still decline.

If anyone following this thread has time for whinging and moaning, please would they call up the Mode S consultation from the CAA website and do a bit of analysis for us, perhaps starting with the radiological safety report.

http:/www.caa.co.uk/consultations

Think positive in the Year of the Rat. Kung Hei Fat Choi

[Rod1]

“If a group is unable to pursuade a member to join the LAA and so they feel at risk, I suggest they change the rules of the group to require LAA membership and then invite the errant pilot to go elsewhere if they still decline.”

Nice try but most group rules would require a unanimous vote for such a change, so not a very practical solution is people refuse to join. Lots of groups are using the company ownership rules to restrict liability; this will also get round the LAA rule, as the group members do not own the aircraft…

I will have finished the Mode S stuff by mid next week (I am flying to Germany and will study it at the airport/hotel, but I have made a start already)

Rod1

[John Dean]

Lots of groups are using the company ownership rules to restrict liability;

Doesn't work.

[macconnacher]

As John say it dosen't work. Since all the members are directors they have a liability and even if they try not to be directors, the law will say they are since they will have the same fiduciary duty as the directors. You cannot set up a company and have no directors.

With regards to avoiding LAA membership LAA can accept corporate membership.
LAA Rules
13g. Corporate Membership
Corporate membership shall be open to any commercial organisation with an interest in recreational or sport aviation. Corporate membership will be upon such terms and conditions as the committee shall decide.

This debate is going nowhere.

[ChampChump]

I'm with Rob Swain & co.

A propos democracy and AGM voting, would it be possible for all members to have a postal vote (or equivalent)? I imagine the cost of a stamp is within the grasp of all, even if the cost of membership is beyond their budgets
Such matters as this could then be raised at the AGM and the resulting vote would carry much more weight.

I appreciate the passion and admire the arguments of some posters here, but we live in a country stuffed with inequalities, compared with which this is of nought. That people can quibble about +/- £50 when there's a need for a decently-funded organisation to fight on our behalf makes me sad. If the several aviation interest groups cannot act together when fighting our battles for us, for whatever reasons, we need this one to be as strong as it can be.

CC

[Steve Brown]

Mmmm - I operated a group for about 8 years with no written agreements whatsoever - it all worked fine because all the members were the right type of people.

Best of luck with the 'interpretation' of your group rules when something goes wrong!