SAFA Skysailor Magazine

4 SKY SAILOR May | June 2024 I recently attended a monthly meeting at our local club and was available to answer questions during a session discussing SAFA issues. I was asked the question, “What are the major challenges facing SAFA?” I think parts of my answer surprised a few people, so I will try to repeat it here. SAFA’s business is providing a framework so we can all safely enjoy flying. We have two main stay-in-business issues that SAFA is perpetually addressing: aviation authorisation, and insurance. In simple terms, this boils down to being able to use the air, and being able to use the land. To operate in Australian airspace requires that we comply with aviation laws and regula- tions. Under Australian laws, we have no right to use the air, we can only do so under the framework that CASA regulates. CASA allows us to issue aviation authorisations to SAFA members provided we have a framework of rules that govern opera- tions and safety. Most recently this required us to become a Part 149 CASR Approved Self- Administering Organisation, which SAFA achieved in December 2023. The manuals that provide this framework can be found in the members section of the SAFA website. Ensuring that our set of rules is appropriate does not happen automatically, and is never guaranteed. It takes ongoing and concerted work from SAFA staff and volunteers. These efforts allow us to use the air. President’s Update by Alistair Dickie