ALL MEMBERS ! Please fill out those proxy forms..!!

[DominicConnolly]

The original members motion in 2016 to rescind the trophy should never have taken place.

Any Awards Group needs to remain independent and unimpeachable and the decision to award or rescind should have been theirs and theirs alone. Their authority has been subverted by the self appointed few. There is also a contradiction in that they claim the Awards Group have 'done nothing wrong' and'behaved impeccably, yet they are not prepared to accept the Awards Group decision.

A very dangerous precedent has now been set. It means that if I don't like someone who gets an award, I can start a self appointed internet campaign and launch a members motion in the full knowledge that the number of votes cast at the AGM on this motion will be a fraction of the full membership. I can then convince myself that my personal appointment as judge, jury and executioner has been ratified by the 'democratic majority' and arrogantly declare the matter closed. It's laughable really.

Neither side has conducted themselves well in this sorry saga but the big loser is the LAA.

A small number of individuals has taken this on as a personal crusade, nothing I say will make any difference in the slightest to their view, they are, and have been, for some considerable time, in denial.

What I can be sure of though, and as sure as they are as sure that they are in the right at this moment, is that at some point in the future they will look back (or perhaps their children or grandchildren will) and wonder how they came to spend so much time and effort to the extent that is has become a personal obsession on what is, a relatively minor matter. No crime has been committed.

Whichever way the matter goes tomorrow, they should accept it. If it goes against them and they can't, they should give serious consideration to returning their LAA membership card, accompanied by a suitably large cheque to one of the flying charities that the LAA supports as compensation for the unwanted publicity that the LAA has had to bear over this matter.

[L21-B]

The original members motion in 2016 to rescind the trophy should never have taken place.

Any Awards Group needs to remain independent and unimpeachable and the decision to award or rescind should have been theirs and theirs alone. Their authority has been subverted by the self appointed few. There is also a contradiction in that they claim the Awards Group have 'done nothing wrong' and'behaved impeccably, yet they are not prepared to accept the Awards Group decision.

A very dangerous precedent has now been set. It means that if I don't like someone who gets an award, I can start a self appointed internet campaign and launch a members motion in the full knowledge that the number of votes cast at the AGM on this motion will be a fraction of the full membership. I can then convince myself that my personal appointment as judge, jury and executioner has been ratified by the 'democratic majority' and arrogantly declare the matter closed. It's laughable really.

Neither side has conducted themselves well in this sorry saga but the big loser is the LAA.

A small number of individuals has taken this on as a personal crusade, nothing I say will make any difference in the slightest to their view, they are, and have been, for some considerable time, in denial.

What I can be sure of though, and as sure as they are as sure that they are in the right at this moment, is that at some point in the future they will look back (or perhaps their children or grandchildren will) and wonder how they came to spend so much time and effort to the extent that is has become a personal obsession on what is, a relatively minor matter. No crime has been committed.

Whichever way the matter goes tomorrow, they should accept it. If it goes against them and they can't, they should give serious consideration to returning their LAA membership card, accompanied by a suitably large cheque to one of the flying charities that the LAA supports as compensation for the unwanted publicity that the LAA has had to bear over this matter.

My bold.
Of course I trust that you expect Ms Curtis-Taylor to do the same regardless of the outcome.

[Paul Catanach]

The original members motion in 2016 to rescind the trophy should never have taken place.

I respectfully disagree, as do many other members it seems. I believe that is permitted.

Any Awards Group needs to remain independent and unimpeachable and the decision to award or rescind should have been theirs and theirs alone.

As has been said many times they, along with everyone else, were duped. By your reasoning no decision can ever be changed. Ever. Whatever the circumstances. Seems rather severe to me but as I said above we are allowed differing opinions. If our Articles said otherwise the 2016 motion would not have seen the light of day. If any of us disagree with those Articles we are at liberty to submit a motion to have them changed.

Whichever way the matter goes tomorrow, they should accept it.

I agree. For one side this was precisely the situation two years ago and how it should have been left. Whoever disinterred the whole sorry shambles by waking the press a few weeks ago has some explaining to do.

a suitably large cheque to one of the flying charities that the LAA supports as compensation for the unwanted publicity that the LAA has had to bear over this matter.

Quite right. Let's have a look among us and see which member has been courting the Times to give their side of the story. Or appearing on television such as ITV Calendar News. Or radio (5 Live, Cambridge 105....).

[Bill McCarthy]

Dominic - on your post previous to the last, you hadn’t made up your mind how you were going to vote. Now you appear quite vociferous towards those who questioned the validity of the award. In your latest post, put me right, (para5 I think) who do you say is in denial, TCT or the “heavy mob” ?
As with all judgements, whether it be a goat, car or an aircraft, the result is a matter of OPINION, never a matter of FACT.

[Chris Martyr]

One can only assume that Dominic Connolly may be a recently joined member. Unfortunately his membership no. is not visible to confirm this .
I only bring this up as I do not recall him making any contributions to the TC-T thread on here 2yrs ago and had he followed that thread , then it may have just saved him from some of his repeats on here .

He clearly thinks it is rather beastly of some LAA members to have voiced criticism on a person who has gained undeserved recognition via being evasive and untruthful . That is indeed his prerogative and as he has said , no crime has been committed . But then again , less than exemplary behaviour hasn't exactly been the order of the day either has it Dominic . Which is always nice if people want awarding for something .
If Dominic Connolly wishes to distance himself from the many inconvenient and rather unsavoury facts surrounding this saga , then he is perfectly at liberty to do so . Or maybe he should have followed the story a little closer.
I was contacted recently out of the blue , by a gentleman who has been following this very closely indeed .
He is a highly respected and extremely accomplished warbird pilot from Ardmore N.Z. and he knows our subject person probably better than anyone else connected to this .
What this gentleman has written makes very interesting reading indeed .
Discretion forbids me in making private correspondence into public knowledge .

And Dominic Connolly may remain safe in the knowledge that I will not be showing any of this to my teenage grandchildren . Because if they were to get the idea that this is normal adult behaviour...........I would disown them !

[DaveWhite]

Fighting amongst ourselves and throwing accusations around doesn't help. There's quite enough bad feeling already.

People are allowed to hold different opinions - of course they are. What we should all be striving for is the good of the Association, and furthering bad feeling definitely won't achieve that.

[Chris Martyr]

Fighting amongst ourselves .

In fairness to many contributors Dave , I cannot really see too much of the above . On the whole I think we're quite a well behaved bunch of ageing misogynists .

Most of the contributors here seem to be completely at one .

Rather unusual for a forum I would say ...

[DaveWhite]

Yes, most here are - and perhaps the silent majority too (we'll see tomorrow).

But that's no reason to give a hard time to anyone (such as Dominic) perceived as not being quite in line.

[T Wilcock]

Particularly by trying to read significance into the absence of an LAA number. I note the CEO falls into the same category! Would one think he was also a new member?

[Graham Donnelly]

Personally I feel Dominic is mistaken in his assertions, however I do see he joined the forum in 2012 and, like me, was possibly an LAA member for a time prior to joining.

[John Price]

Well today's the big day.

As they say ' time to face the enemy'

I'm unable to attend would someone take the time to post the outcome for the rest of us later today.

Thanks,

John.

[ChampChump]

Apologies for dragging the Mail into this, but...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... t-row.html

Most unpleasant. Perhaps she was misquoted...

[L21-B]

Todays Daily Mail and Daily Express.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... t-row.html

Multiple videos clearly showing her using the word 'Solo' and yet she still denies it, must be that slip of the tongue again.
http://m.engineeringnews.co.za/article/ ... tis-taylor

https://youtu.be/VZD6IsGmGgw

Oh how she likes to promote in her speeches and online Bio about being trained by military pilots yet has this to say about the members of the LAA, they must be the Misogynist members.

Many of the members are ex-military men and about 80 to 90 per cent are over 60. They act like some kind of old boys' club.

But is still quite happy to accept the title of "Hon Lt Cdr Curtis-Taylor RNR"

And of course she was never in it for any financial gain, or so she said, Oops another slip of the tongue.

I wish they had never bothered to give me the award. There was no money, just a cup which you keep for a year and then give back.

Then announces;

I've often felt like an outsider because it has been made clear that some resented seeing a woman doing something that they don't do.

Well Tracey I wonder why you felt like an outsider. Read just a few of your famous quotes above.

[mikehallam]

15.20 and nothing here about the vote ??

I wonder what the result is considering our Chairman under duress/threats advised folk to side with TCT/ If so is that a fair vote - hardly !

mike hallam.

[Alan Kilbride]

Both motions failed.