Hello AWAL Members, 

In my last report 2 months ago I listed a number of tasks we were starting as part of our role as Administrator of Limited Category aircraft. I’m glad to say that there has been significant progress in all areas.

Our Director of self Administration, Charlie Camilleri, is checking existing limited category certificates of airworthiness and their accompanying program letters, and reissuing corrected documents where necessary. If you own an aircraft in the category and have not yet copied Charlie with your documents, you would be well advised to do so as we can now confirm that quite a few of the old certificates we’ve seen were incorrect.

Charlie is also auditing adventure flight operations. This, we consider, is a major part of AWAL’s responsibility.

Kim Rolph-Smith has been working hard to organize our Safety Seminar, details of which appear elsewhere. Every warbird owner, operator and pilot should attend this meeting, but spaces are limited, so get in fast.

The AWAL AGM will be held the following morning. We need a good roll-up, and some new people to join the AWAL Board. The existing Board has done the hard yards for several years now, and it is time for new faces and fresh ideas. Shortly we’ll invite nominations for committee positions. Please think carefully on what you can offer this organization.

In the last two months we have had meetings with CASA in both Canberra and Sydney, including our first audit by CASA. Our report card wasn’t quite perfect, but we obtained good marks where it counted most. Just last week secretary / treasurer Jeff Muller and myself met with Greg Vaughan, George Dukats, and representatives from Aerosafe for a review of our risk management. This culminated in an offer of funding from CASA that will assist us to run the administration of Limited Category.

Charlie, Jeff, and myself briefed HARS engineers at Wollongong on the self admin progress. It is a pleasure to deal with such a professional organization. HARS has been allocated a seat on our Technical Advisory Committee, and we’ve suggested they might also consider putting forward a nominee to stand for election to our Board

Finally I’d like to congratulate another highly professional organization, the Temora Aviation Museum, on the first flight since rebuild of their Sabre. Temora’s Chief Engineer Peter Pring-Shambler is of course one of our directors. Good work, Pete, and please pass on our congrats to your guys .

Safe flying. 

Steve Crocker

President, AWAL