Volunteers Wanted

[SteveC]

As I shall shortly be stepping away from AOPA activities I am looking for volunteers to replace me on some of the projects that are active.

The key activities will be the MetOffice working Group which meets 4 times per year at various locations. These are all mid week meetings and the venues have varied between Exeter, BA's offices at Heathrow and Central London. I will forward the terms of reference to anyone interested in taking over the role but would suggest as the content of the meeting can become technical from both a business management and meteorology perspective that it is someone who has a firm grasp of both.

There are other activities with OfCom and the mentoring scheme. The VFR version is just about to go live following a period of agonising consultations which have now all been agreed. We will need someone with IFR experience to carry on with the delivery of the IFR/IMCr version.

I am sure there will be a queue of suitably qualified volunteers who can do the job so much better than me stepping forward so I will try and hand over my few bits as cleanly as possible.

Please remember that these roles are totally voluntary and will be at your own expense. If you commit to taking them on you are required to attend and represent/report as required. Please also remember that a most of this work is weekday so unless you are retired/self employed or have an understanding employer will need to come from holiday so are not to be undertaken lightly.

I will also be looking for someone to replace me on the Members Working Group. Once again anyone interested please PM me for a TOR.

I wish you all the best.

[Awful Charlie]

As a single AOPA member, I'd like to thank you for the hard work you have done, and the time and efforts you have given. It will be a hard job for anyone to fill your shoes, and wish I could afford the time and work leave to do a fraction of what you have done.

I'm happy to get involved in some of the things that can be done 'remotely', but 4 trips a year from Switzerland to the UK is a significant overhead, and the UK Met Office is a service I imagine I use a lot less than other forumites, so I would hope there are better placed people for that particular task. I've already started on OfCom again, and am happy to continue with this (but would naturally appreciate some assistance, even if only to proof read).

Let me know if you think there are some other areas I could assist with

All the best for your future time fillers!

Ben

[NickC]

As I shall shortly be stepping away from AOPA activities I am looking for volunteers to replace me on some of the projects that are active.

Steve is this because of the regular spats on this forum? If so, please reconsider. It's clear you do an awful lot of work for AOPA that's of benefit to us all. It would be real shame to lose that because of some disagreements on an Internet forum. If there are other reasons then fine, and please accept my thanks for the work you have done.

[SteveC]

Eventually you have to ask yourself why you bother. One mans robust defence becomes another mans insult. You do however expect your peers to support you.

I am no longer a representative of AOPA just a plain old member and as such I reserve the right to stand and respond to those who think they know better but cant actually be bothered to actually get off their **** and do anything about the problems that surround us. Or alternatively I may just sit on the sidelines and watch while GA implodes through it's own infighting. Not quite sure at this moment in time.

But at least I tried, warts and all.

In the meantime I thank those with kind words from the bottom of my heart. Occasionally my faith in human nature is restored.

[derekf]

Steve,
I'm sorry it's come to this, however thanks for all the work you did.
Cheers,
Derek...

[Gerard Clarke]

Steve, here is another vote of thanks from someone who is not even an AOPA member* (but soon will be), but who is aware from a distance of the work that you have done and of the unfair slagging that you have sometimes attracted. I wonder if I might be able to assist with Ofcom or possibly other regulatory and legal matters. I do public law as a sort of day job when not winding up Steve Morley on here, and being self employed can often be flexible as to days off. It may be a help or a hindrance that my chambers has a working relationship with Ofcom. What will happen to Ofcom (and the UK in general) after the election is anyone's guess.

I shall send you a PM to establish email contact.


*Reasons: (1) inertia; and (2) the picture of Mr Ugly on the "get a discount in some tacky motorway flophouse that you'd never dream of staying in not even for a casual bunk up with SuBo" pilot card that they used to advertise. I was in the PFA/LAA for a bit but became lapsed (a bad habit of dodgy Catholic paddies).

[Adrian]

One mans robust defence becomes another mans insult.

Especially when it is persistently bullying and aggressive. If your peers haven't supported you, it's perhaps because your "robust defences" made a significant number of people want to have nothing to do with AOPA UK? Even if you were working hard and with the best of intentions.

[SteveC]

And of course, I don't give a toss what you have to say Adrian, so crawl back in your hole. I fully expected you to pop along with one of your usual comments. GOP will be next and no doubt a few more who I can't be **** to name.

[Adrian]

QED.

[SteveC]

QED.

Yep, but as I aint' a mod and I aint' an AOPA representative I am entitled my opinion, just as you are to yours.

[Gerard Clarke]

Steve, mate, do please take this in the spirit intended, but, as Andy R may have observed elsewhere, you do sometimes use a nuke when one is not required (and I know that there are some people who shall remain nameless who do go on at you), but it's a pity to see you lobbing nukes at sensible and knowledgeable blokes like Adrian. Anyway, peace, love and bunnies to all (I have probably managed to **** all parties off equally now and had better scram).

[SteveC]

I know Gerard, but unfortunately Adrians, constant personal attacks on me eventually had me reaching a point where I view him the same as the stuff I found on my wellies this morning. Which still surprises me as the one and only time I met him after being introduced by Janie as I recall, the meeting was completely amiable. I guess it takes all sorts to be so 2 faced. However if you can find a post that he has aimed at me that has ever been anything but sniping then I will stand down and apologise in full.

But we digress from my original question which was finding volunteers for some of the stirling work that AOPA does on behalf of us members.

[grumpy old pilot]

Well - the true colours are certainly on show tonight and hopefully the hierarchy and membership of the AOPA will be impressed with your robust debating 'skills' that they will now be deprived of...

Ian

PS BTW...Think you might have to "stand down and apologise in full" to Adrian...

[SteveC]

Ah, damn I lose the bet for how long it would take you to come out of the woodwork. I thought it would be another half hour. You are so predictable.

I am standing by for your examples of when he has been civil to me, in fact examples of when you have as well fir that matter.

Just waiting for Barcli now!!!

[Gerard Clarke]

Lovely all, it is almost Burns Night. I am not a huge fan of the bloke and his ditties (although I like haggis), but he did have some sensible advice about seeing ourselves as others see us. Actually, maybe if we had a Forum-wide rule that everyone had to put on a kilt before posting, that would make things different.