Hai-Lee
Old and Bold RC PILOT
I am ashamed to admit it but some, (more than I had ever suspected), Australians are mindless bigots. Recently I had a dispute in the local club which involved the national modelling associations and even the Federal regulator.
I had been using a Smartsafe setup for over three years and finally stopped all radio interference and range issues with my setups. I progressed to being a flight instructor among many other positions including being elected to the local club committee. When the national association introduced flight competency testing it all hit the fan.
The testing rules were rewritten at the local club to exclude Smartsafe operation completely. Of course I objected especially as it was a senior management decree!
I raised the matter with the national association and the federal regulator. During the discussion I raised the fact that I had been working on a safe radio control system and operating method for use by the disabled, (I am a defence Veteran after all). SUDDENLY everything changed and I was given the choice of abandoning the use of Smartsafe altogether, (and with it any radio control system for the disabled), or leave the club. I was forcibly ejected!
Since then I have had a committee member harass and threaten both myself and anyone he sees me associating with and was taken to making false complaints to the local authorities of my flying in a dangerous manner and where flying is prohibited.
This was bad enough and easily countered with facts and the local laws/regulations but now I find there are efforts afoot to prevent my forming a local RC club that allows disabled members to fly in accordance with the federal regulations.
Luckily I still have a few supporters within the club though I am loath to identify any of them and most do not wish to be known, (in case they share my fate), BUT just recently I was informed by a contact within the club that the contact overheard part of a committee members conversation involving other committee members. The statement relayed to me is that, " They do not want Cripples and Retards" flying in their club/s.
"CRIPPLES AND RETARDS"!
Unfortunately the contact did not overhear as to whether that was a local club rule or is it was the person relaying the national association's unwritten rule! RIght now I am somewhat infuriated at the blatant and institutional levels of the discrimination. Even if it is a local club ruling it must reflect in the approval of the rules by the national association/s. What a pack of B'strds!!!
My battle has now been expanded to a national crusade for the rights and rules provided by the federal regulations and raise the matter directly with the local, State, and federal governments. Disabled Veterans received their injury laying down their safety and life for the Australian people and then later to be excluded as either a cripple or retard is DISGUSTING in the extreme!
I will update this thread where there is any change or progress in the battle for equality for all!
Have fun!
I had been using a Smartsafe setup for over three years and finally stopped all radio interference and range issues with my setups. I progressed to being a flight instructor among many other positions including being elected to the local club committee. When the national association introduced flight competency testing it all hit the fan.
The testing rules were rewritten at the local club to exclude Smartsafe operation completely. Of course I objected especially as it was a senior management decree!
I raised the matter with the national association and the federal regulator. During the discussion I raised the fact that I had been working on a safe radio control system and operating method for use by the disabled, (I am a defence Veteran after all). SUDDENLY everything changed and I was given the choice of abandoning the use of Smartsafe altogether, (and with it any radio control system for the disabled), or leave the club. I was forcibly ejected!
Since then I have had a committee member harass and threaten both myself and anyone he sees me associating with and was taken to making false complaints to the local authorities of my flying in a dangerous manner and where flying is prohibited.
This was bad enough and easily countered with facts and the local laws/regulations but now I find there are efforts afoot to prevent my forming a local RC club that allows disabled members to fly in accordance with the federal regulations.
Luckily I still have a few supporters within the club though I am loath to identify any of them and most do not wish to be known, (in case they share my fate), BUT just recently I was informed by a contact within the club that the contact overheard part of a committee members conversation involving other committee members. The statement relayed to me is that, " They do not want Cripples and Retards" flying in their club/s.
"CRIPPLES AND RETARDS"!
Unfortunately the contact did not overhear as to whether that was a local club rule or is it was the person relaying the national association's unwritten rule! RIght now I am somewhat infuriated at the blatant and institutional levels of the discrimination. Even if it is a local club ruling it must reflect in the approval of the rules by the national association/s. What a pack of B'strds!!!
My battle has now been expanded to a national crusade for the rights and rules provided by the federal regulations and raise the matter directly with the local, State, and federal governments. Disabled Veterans received their injury laying down their safety and life for the Australian people and then later to be excluded as either a cripple or retard is DISGUSTING in the extreme!
I will update this thread where there is any change or progress in the battle for equality for all!
Have fun!