Glad to have my towel!
Glad to have my towel!
Don't Panic!Originally Posted by rwanttaja
Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right.
EAA Chapter 14, IAC Chapter 36
http://acrogimp.wordpress.com/
... which cabinet hasnt been opened for a while due to it being faintly smelly (possibly due to a said leopard having died of boredom). There was a continuous struggle for who opens it first: the Archivist or the Cleaning Lady. Archivist, obviously, had a thin hair attached to a viscous splurt of Aeroshell grease, bridging a drawer with the Policy to the cabinet's frame, thus assuming that the hair will get detached if the cleaning lady ended up opening the cabinet...
.. little did he know that there was another hair attached just in the same manner to a different splurt of grease, that one belonging to the cleaning lady.
Last edited by fidot; 02-05-2016 at 01:11 AM.
There was a terrible silence.
There was a terrible noise.
There was a terrible silence.
The Young Eagles program drifted away into space.
(Thanks for the comedic interlude. I'm going to read some poetry now.)
Jeff Point
RV-6 and RLU-1 built & flying
Tech Counselor, Flight Advisor & President, EAA Chapter 18
Milwaukee, WI
"It All Started Here!"
That you Mr. Dent?
That reminds me... do the powers that be realize we have showers on the property at Airventure? That minors go in there?
The dichotomy blows my mind.... A minor's visit to a Young Eagles day requires background checks, volunteer training and a ten-page policy PDF.
That same youth can camp at Airventure, walk solo into an association-owned community shower and disrobe.....
1) It's my Plane
2) I pay for it
3) I am aircraft commander
4) My Physical is current
5) My insurance is paid
6) My plane annual is current
7) My panel data base at $1000/yr is current
8) I make the decisions who fly in my plane.
9) I can chose or chose not to fly anyone
10) I don't' have to be a member of EAA
11) I have flown more people enjoying flying first time flights than any YE number I have flown in the past 50 yrs of flying
12) I take my flying responsibility very serious
13) Today I am flying with FAA rep
Nuff said.Period
Like many others on here, we've had several of our long time YE pilots announce that they aren't likely to fly any more kids, and with the small size of our Chapter, that is very likely to mean that we won't have enough pilots to hold another YE rally. I don't think there is any question at this point that EAA National got this one massively wrong. Rather than simply walk away in disgust, I'd like to try to get things back on track. Let's come up with a reasonable policy, and see if we can move forward.
In my opinion, a workable policy would be:
1) Required annual sensitivity course for anyone working around youth, preferably provided by EAA via the web.
2) Provide full name and EAA Member number to allow a personalized certificate to be printed out to verify completion of the course. Certificate must be on your person during any EAA event that involves youth.
3) Always have at least 2 adults within sight of any youth at any event. Possibly have one of them required to have taken the sensitivity training course.
4) Always have a second adult present when loading the kids into the airplane and buckling the seatbelts, etc., and always have a second adult meet the aircraft after landing to unload the kids from the airplane.
That is effectively all it takes. Easy to do, not cumbersome, and provides for the protection of the young ones at events.
There is no need for a background check, and in reality they are somewhat useless. If someone has been convicted of a sexual crime, they are already required to be registered as a sex offender. The background check is pointless to tell us something we would already know. If someone hasn't been convicted, the background check won't tell us anything. The key is to provide an environment where the sexual predators simply do not have any opportunities, which is most easily and effectively accomplished by requiring a second adult to be present, as noted above.
The pilot community is fairly small, and our YE pilots are people that we already know. We aren't going to let some random person show up and take kids flying.
I would even go so far as to recommend that each pilot install a Go Pro camera or similar inside the cabin so that a complete record of events inside the plane exists in the unlikely event that any accusations are made. I would not make that part of the official policy, but is perhaps a good idea to protect the pilots.
Thoughts?
Since you asked (which the EAA has not done)... Personally, I'd skip the certificate and simply make it a part of the pilot/ground crew briefing before a rally. Our chapter requires the preflight/ground crew briefing before participation anyway. It will only take an extra 5 - 10 minutes. If someone comes in late, the YE Coordinator gives them a private briefing.
The other things you propose are simply common sense (and I am in full agreement), but should be re-emphasized during the pre-rally briefing. A ground worker and hopefully parent(s) accompany the child(ren) to the plane and are present (we call it a photo op for the parents) as they are strapped in. A ground worker and parent(s) meet the plane (again for photo ops of the kids in the plane) before unloading. Opportunity for evil things to happen is eliminated. Bottom line for all activities is that at no time, other than during a flight, is a child alone with an adult. That protects everyone.
A number of people are proposing this. I'm just not so sure the EAA wants to hear it. I suspect the HQ people have their lawyers whispering in the other ear demanding certification and rigid rules.
-Cub Builder
Last edited by cub builder; 02-05-2016 at 03:14 PM.
If they don't, then you only have yourself to blame. I for one will not comply and wish I didn't have to support the EAA and its airshow to be an IAC member.
1996 Quad City Challenger CWS w/503 - Sold
1974 7ECA Citabria - Sold
1986 Pitts S1S
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