LAA first impression

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Rod1
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Location: Midlands

LAA first impression

Post by Rod1 » Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:15 pm

This is the new era of the LAA. We are new exciting and fun. Come on in and join our vibrant BB. Oh S***T it does not work! The PR implications of this are a lot bigger than you might think. As is said in another thread, there is only one chance to make a first impression.

Rod1
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Geoff. Collins
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new laa

Post by Geoff. Collins » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:22 pm

Come on lads,you all know that new websites can have teething problems.
I have just spent 20 minutes, going round and round registering,but I seem to be in now?
Lets not get this new forum full with unfair or unnecessary criticism before it gets going. The old one was getting boring. Bloody boring in fact,if I'm allowed to say that?

Gaznav
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Location: Brackley

Post by Gaznav » Fri Jan 04, 2008 6:21 pm

Excellent new "Light Aviation" magazine - what a shame the first front cover was spoilt by a spelling mistake of "Yungmeister" instead of "Jungmeister"!

I am proudly displaying my LAA car sticker and look forward to many happy years as a LAA member. I do think there is a market for the good old days of the PFA and "Popular Flying"; how about a page dedicated to old articles from yesteryear or pull-out posters of the wonderful cover art by Howard Leigh in the 1930s? Let's not forget our heritage alltogether (by the way I am 41 years old before you ask).

Regards to all

Gary

Sandy Hutton
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Location: Perthshire

Re: LAA first impression

Post by Sandy Hutton » Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:19 am

Rod1 wrote:This is the new era of the LAA. We are new exciting and fun. Come on in and join our vibrant BB. Oh S***T it does not work! The PR implications of this are a lot bigger than you might think. As is said in another thread, there is only one chance to make a first impression.

Rod1
I had a small problem registering but that was down to my membership not being updated and that was because I paid after the the bulk of the updates were filed. A quick e-mail to the office and Penny was back to me within an hour having sorted it all for me. Thank you Penny for the great service. I had no difficulty whatsoever getting into the site so a smooth transition as far as I'm concerned. :D

steveneale
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Post by steveneale » Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:54 pm

Some of us raised this back in October (offline). Roger Hop knew someone in EAA and it was squared off.

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Rod1
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Post by Rod1 » Sat Jan 05, 2008 3:42 pm

I am not criticizing any individuals. As a person with some expertise in PR and Marketing I commented to several PFA people including Graham and Brian that it was important we got the launch right. We have not succeeded in getting it right, in my opinion. This is sad, but all we can do now if fix it ad carry on. Opportunity missed.

Rod1
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Gerry Holland
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LAA Website Launch

Post by Gerry Holland » Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:52 am

A couple of comments from someone who in the past has been a little aggrieved with PFA but is willing to give LAA a chance so...

Rod1s initial comment in this thread was "The PR implications of this are a lot bigger than you might think." referring to Website launch. I'm not sure I can see any big implications in this case. This is a Website to support LAA Members and I've seen no deliberate intention yet to market it to a wider audience so what damage has been done. I've been involved over the years in Website applications for organisations with large subscribed memberships and others with safety critical information. Despite endless testing 'off line' all can glitch with ease.

Regarding Jeremys observation on EAA/LAA similarity. This is a very subjective area. They are in similar vein but in 'my' eyes they are easily distinguishable. The Logo has turned out well. If the similarity to EAA brings EAA type regulation all the better. I somehow think I'm losing it now!

Regards
Gerry

Nick Allen
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Post by Nick Allen » Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:57 am

"This is a Website to support LAA Members" True, but it's also the Association's first point of contact for many potential new members, our shop window if you will, and seemed (in its first incarnation at least) memorably glitchy, way beyond what one would expect if basic testing had been done properly. However, incremental changes are being made to fix things (even Jungmeister is now correct on the magazine cover image!), so perhaps by the time the rest of world is alerted to the site's existence, then it will be approximately working. And one day it will turn up on a search engine...
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Rod1
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Post by Rod1 » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:22 am

Firstly, thee site is one of the few external signs of the name change, as is mentioned above, so we needed to get it right.

Secondly “This is a Website to support LAA Members”

Take an example of Mode S. The LAA want to represent GA, so we put the CAA presentation on Mode S on our web site and told the world about the meeting at PFA HQ and posted links to the presentation all over the web. Non members who were interested in Mode S would visit our site, see what a good job we were doing and ….

The article from the mag is going to be posted soon for the same reason. If the name change is to help, we have to broaden our appeal, and this Web site is front line stuff. If we want to shake off the image of a few well meeting ammeters bumbling along…

Rod1
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Gerry Holland
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Post by Gerry Holland » Sun Jan 06, 2008 2:10 pm

The reason that I and others of us are LAA Members is that is is the Regulatory Authority or Organisation that allows as to build. repair or fly Aircraft is the LAA. That's the premise that directs us towards the LAA. If I operate a direct CAA regulated Aircraft then I might have a passing interest in the LAA and topics it raises but I will not need to join or possibly want to join as it does not directly legalise my right to fly. Who beyond that are the LAA trying to attract? The public who are interested in Aircraft for recognition etc. do not need to be LAA Members. Some are but those who are not can still get close to Aircraft even at LAA Fly in days.
I'm not being awkward about this but rather struggling to see how a growth in membership can increase from such a base with aircraft operation and ownership the prime mover.
The leisure aviation arena is fragmented into various groups already with some such as the BMAA quite resistant to any talks on cooperation so that area wont be fruitful for increasing numbers. It's further muddled by various categories of aircraft weight being increased and decreased. Microlight weights look like increasing so the BMAA is another choice to operate under. Add to that deregulation of sub 115kg and yet another group are moving but this time from the BMAA.
Maybe the trick missed by the naming of the LAA was to consolidate all light aircraft under one organisation. Hell freezing over probably time lines that possibility!

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