If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
BGA Strategic Plan.
The BGA have just published the current strategic plan.
It may be found at British Gliding Association http://www.gliding.co.uk , info for Clubs & Members, http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/news.htm , Click here for latest updates around the website http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/update.htm , BGA Strategic Plan document added http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/doc...OKLETHIRES.pdf . It is an attractive well illustrated explanation about gliding and the BGA. Well worth a look. W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.). Remove "ic" to reply. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.). wrote:
The BGA have just published the current strategic plan. In the "Aims and Objectives" it fails to mention "Sneak in more and more regulation under spurious safety or national-security grounds whenever possible" Jeremy (ex-pilot) |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.). wrote:
Where and when did you fly? One of the major UK clubs, until the end of the 2003 season. How far did you progress? Early crosscountry. None of which relates to my feelings, but yes, I feel a little bitter. - Jeremy |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Martin, this isn't aimed at you personally.....
Martin Gregorie wrote: On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 23:25:07 +0100, Jeremy Harris wrote: W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.). wrote: Where and when did you fly? One of the major UK clubs, until the end of the 2003 season. How far did you progress? Early crosscountry. None of which relates to my feelings, but yes, I feel a little bitter. - Jeremy With regard to which change exactly? Please explain. The only major change I can think of in the last season has been the medicals requirement Precisely. to put gliding in line with the new NPPL license. Irrelevant. What _benefit_ does it provide (or in my case, would it have), and at what costs? I liked gliding. I liked the freedom, the having sole responsibility. They took that away. I regarded the imposition of the medicals requirement as the first in a long series of "obvious" steps in the name of "safety" and "security" which would soon be introduced. I hadn't thought particularly of G- registrations on gliders, but that's the sort of thing. I _had_ thought of: Photo-id - after all, you've got to prove that the medical papers you're required to have on your person on the airfied actually apply to you! Transponder. Oh, and radio while we're at it. And filing flight plans. Soon somone will suggest ATC, no more than one aircraft in a thermal, and flying straight-and-level, for gossakes. Optician's certificate, with measurements. So you can prove either you don't need glasses, or the two pairs you're required to carry actually match your prescription. Oh, the glasses had better have serial numbers, or be microchipped too. Oh, of course. A _license_. I hear that in Oz you need two signatures every time you rig. Faugh. Personally, I don't wish to have to carry paperwork, id or whatever to prove that I'm a human being. I don't wish to spend time or money seeking out a GP to get that medical. But, you say, "everyone _has_ a GP". Wrong. I don't. I dont need a GP to be human, either. Will this hassle for documentation put other British glider pilots off? Well. There's the competition pilots. They don't care, they'll do anything because they love it. Good on them. There's those who are also power pilots. They don't care, they need a medical already, it's "always" been needed. There's the committee people, those who put time and effort, mostly unpaid, into running the sport, because they love it. Well done, you're all needed. But precisely because they love it, they'll spend the extra time and the extra money. But then there's those at the margin, for whom money or time is tight. They can only just stay in the sport. Extra hassle, eh? Hmm. Maybe they'll stay home and watch the box instead. And they are not the people getting the medals or sitting on the committees. So they'll just drift away, unnoticed - or never go further than that trial flight. A few years back we applied to the Sports Council for some lottery money to help fund a new hangar. One of the reasons for being turned down was "Gliding is percieved as a elitist sport". It is, in some ways. Expensive, for a start - but it just got made worse. Much worse. Contrast it with football. You don't need to get a medical before you buy a football at you local shop, and go for a kickabout with your mates. You don't need to get a G- registration for that ball. You don't need to call on the radio before you pull on you boots and enter that recreation-ground. What did the BGA (I suspect, without proof, forced by the CAA) just do to Gliding? I think that introduction was inevitable under outside pressure. So, roll over and have your tummy tickled. Oddly enough, it can even be beneficial: I did the group 2 medical for a passenger rating this year and found it also made the Germans happy when I boogied up to the Wasserkuppe to do a bit of flying. I'm certain I'd not have been allowed to solo there if I didn't have the medical certificate - and a British Glider Pilot's License. To at least some extent, the same arguments apply. Inhabitants of other countries, where medicals and licences have "always" been required, probably don't see what my arguments are. To them, I say: "Is the participation in soaring growing, by headcount, in your country? What is the age profile?" Jeremy |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
"Martin Gregorie" wrote in message
... Ever wondered how long it will be before you need a medical and an annual check to drive? A little while after all vehicles are fitted with data loggers and that appears to be just around the corner here in the UK. Ian |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
At 04:30 03 October 2003, Tango4 wrote:
'Martin Gregorie' wrote in message .. . Ever wondered how long it will be before you need a medical and an annual check to drive? In the UK for a car 70 years of age requires a medical and every three years there after. For a HGV at 45 years every 5 years and annually at 65 Competence checks can be imposed by the court following driving offences, ie disqualification until a test is past, in effect a driver becomes a student again. There are very strict guidelines for precribed illnesses, so we are not far behind or in front!!!! Dave Martin |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
On Fri, 3 Oct 2003 04:22:34 +0000 (UTC), "tango4"
wrote: "Martin Gregorie" wrote in message .. . Ever wondered how long it will be before you need a medical and an annual check to drive? A little while after all vehicles are fitted with data loggers and that appears to be just around the corner here in the UK. I missed that one! Is this another part of Blunkett's Total Surveillance Strategy or something entirely separate? It looks like a logical progression: CCTV - mandatory identity cards - vehicle tracking. -- martin@ : Martin Gregorie gregorie : Harlow, UK demon : co : Zappa fan & glider pilot uk : |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
In the U.K. for a private car driving licence a new application has to be
completed at 70 years of age . This requires a new medical declaration, but it is self-declared; no medical examination is required (unless some complication is declared - but this applies at all ages). W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.). Remove "ic" to reply. "Dave Martin" wrote in message ... In the UK for a car 70 years of age requires a medical and every three years there after. For a HGV at 45 years every 5 years and annually at 65 Competence checks can be imposed by the court following driving offences, ie disqualification until a test is past, in effect a driver becomes a student again. There are very strict guidelines for prescribed illnesses, so we are not far behind or in front!!!! Dave Martin |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
I saw the results of some tests done by the DMV and a GPS/GIS company who
both thought the idea of being able to book you for speeding, unauthorised parking and entering city limits on an annual basis were pretty attractive. There was some coverage in the press, probably hidden behind headlines about Iraq at the time. The permutations are so attractive to a beurocrat that I'm surprised its not already happening. Then again perhaps it is ........... rant on 1 - Launch a European GPS constellation - in progress ( create jobs, an industry, and spinoffs ) 2 - Make everyone get a machine readable ID and licence ( watch out for the national ID that was mentioned at the Labour party conference if its smart card based I'm going to start getting really worried ) 3 - Europe has how many cars ? must be over 50 million, Set up a tender for that many loggers, cost will be £50 or less. Logger connected to ignition/imobiliser is enabled by smart card licence and will store 2 years at 1 second intervals ( easy with todays flash memory ) records G forces, speed and position, lights status and engine RPM. Last 30 seconds ( before airbag deployment) is recorded at 100 ms intervals. Roadside CCTV will capture and decode numberplate and store time and place ( already happens ) and if at the end of the year when you go for road tax renewal your logger wasn't on when when you got recorded then you better have an explanation or your car gets crushed there and then! Tell everyone by x date to retrofit logger, no logger no insurance no drive! The local fitment centre will charge £199 ( or more ) to fit it or you rent it for £30 / per annum from the government, part of your road tax! New cars will have them as standard. A bit of tap dancing around data protection and the demographic data available is mind blowing! ( If we can go to war with Iraq then the DPA is a cakewalk! ) A whole new industry is born with an annual turnover in the billions, a shed load of jobs are created ( franchised fitting and service centres, logger readers, batch analysis data centres, PC systems and software everywhere, yada yada yada ) Insurance companies settle claims with a modified version of SeeYou! They will be behind the system all the way. "You have a logger fitted sir, well that's 25% off your premium". No logger well we'll sell you/rent you one There are some advantages to all this though ..... If you are a slow and careful driver and a 'good citizen' you don't have a worry in the world. Your insurance comes down to next to nothing! You can tell your car who is allowed to drive it and where and when its allowed to go. You can find out where your kids get their good dope from! rant off Ian "Martin Gregorie" wrote in message news On Fri, 3 Oct 2003 04:22:34 +0000 (UTC), "tango4" wrote: "Martin Gregorie" wrote in message .. . Ever wondered how long it will be before you need a medical and an annual check to drive? A little while after all vehicles are fitted with data loggers and that appears to be just around the corner here in the UK. I missed that one! Is this another part of Blunkett's Total Surveillance Strategy or something entirely separate? It looks like a logical progression: CCTV - mandatory identity cards - vehicle tracking. -- martin@ : Martin Gregorie gregorie : Harlow, UK demon : co : Zappa fan & glider pilot uk : |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Canadian IFR/VFR Flight Plan | gwengler | Instrument Flight Rules | 4 | August 11th 04 03:55 AM |
Canadian IFR/VFR Flight Plan | smackey | Piloting | 0 | August 11th 04 03:55 AM |
Canadian IFR/VFR Flight Plan | gwengler | Piloting | 3 | August 9th 04 08:39 PM |
Strategic Command Missions Rely on Space | Otis Willie | Military Aviation | 0 | September 30th 03 09:59 PM |