SAFETY IN A CHANGING WORLD W
elcome to our summer edition of Licence to Learn. We received overwhelming positive support for our first edition of this publication, so are planning on producing it on a more regular basis. As everyone knows, safety is part of the core of what makes RAAus so valuable to our members. We continue to produce resources that help everyone, from our instructors and maintainers to our mainstream members. The resources are also valuable tools for budding aviators, students and anyone with an interest in aviation. More than half a decade has passed since I was appointed CEO and in that time RAAus has seen significant change. We are now a company limited by guarantee, we have 13% more members than in 2015 and our safety record has vastly improved. Change comes in a number of ways and is often precipitated by a causal factor. The same can be said for safety. Take for example the recent bushfires and second-hand smoke that has enveloped various cities, Canberra and Melbourne included. To deal with the smoke a lot of people began to wear breathing masks. A change as a result of an event or safety concern. RAAus has taken a similar attitude. As we have gained more and more intelligence from our Occurrence Management System, we have been able to understand more about the risks our members experience. Once we are more aware of these risks we can communicate them to members in publications such as this one and assist with changes to processes or behaviours. Sometimes people say they don’t like change, but I think today, we live in a world of constant change. Technology and human learning are growing at such a rate that finding new ways to do things is almost an everyday occurrence. We take that attitude at RAAus. We have a small but dedicated team who focus on innovation and improvement. This publication is an idea of theirs. We have a host of interesting articles for you to read, consider and explore how you can incorporate changes that could improve safety in your everyday aviation activities. Sit back and enjoy what we’ve prepared or you. We’ve learned - will you?
Michael Linke CEO Recreational Aviation Australia
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