Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:12 pm
#1719674
^^^^^^^ OK, except it smacks of the "secret handshake" societies such as Freemasons, Buffaloes,Toc H, Rotary...... etc. Surely, the objective should be to make the "General Public" comfortable with Recreational Aviation.
Blokes in dark uniform, gold rings on the sleeves, scrambled egg on the hat.....yep' that's elitist and rightly-so.
Bloke in cotton shirt and jeans (loafers optional) flying a small aircraft for pleasure, not pay, is an amateur.....just like the bloke fishing on the bank with his Carbon pole and R/C bait- dumper boat-thing.
or the dinghy-sailor who spent anything from a hundred ,up to tens of thousands....yep! they're proud to be amateurs as well! So, What's with the snobbery of trying to hide the fact that ,
"you, too, could be flying an aeroplane like this, Mr/Mrs Joe/ Josie Public"
I know the "elitism" is entirely unconscious, but it's there and apparent. ...An amalgamated organisation needs to reflect a broad appeal in it's name and, more importantly, in it's PR.
I know the BMAA has invested in a mobile display-trailer and is visiting country-fairs etc. with it....a step to be applauded,-reaching out to a new audience, rather than the same ageing, jaded and shrinking aficionado-scene of the current practitioners and enthusiasts of GA.