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A disengaged membership?


Cuban8
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I see from the BMFA's announcement today that their recent members' survey has been a great success with "almost 35% of members responding" (their words).

Excuse me, but that means that, more or less, two out of three BMFA members didn't know about or couldn't be bothered to spend a few minutes filling out what was actually a comprehensive questionnaire and a rare opportunity to flag up both what's good and not so good as far as our national body is concerned, and with any luck, some notice being taken.

Drones, The National Centre, funding, CAA  and much else was covered and opinions asked for. A missed trick for those that didn't participate.

Edited By Cuban8 on 02/11/2020 09:40:12

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From my experience of running surveys and email/social marketing campaigns anything over a 15% response for surveys and over 5% for email/social media campaigns would be considered a very successful result. So nearly 35% or over 10,000 replies to a survey is a great success. So no not a disengaged membership, in fact the reverse!

It will be more than enough to give the BMFA a good idea of what members think and it will also give them some solid evidence on which to base future negotiations with the CAA etc.

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Mention the word "survey" and see how many peoples heads disappear into the local sand pit. Ask anybody in marketing !

35% is not a bad take up at all if you consider what seems to be the general attitude towards the BMFA these days.

I wonder what percentage of the membership only join for the insurance ?

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Kevin - Probably 75% or more I would imagine. I can't imagine many, particularly the 'lone flyer' being persuaded to pay up otherwise. They'd still want the benefits of whatever the organisation achieves though...

There's an awful lot of people who annually renew their membership 'just in case' they get that old model out of the shed where it's been since 1985. Not necessarily disengaged, more just inactive.

Clubs are the same. How many clubs are there where you see the same half dozen faces, and yet there are 47 members on the books. Come the AGM, it takes half the meeting to try to work out who the heck everyone is.

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Yep, I agree with the above posts - whilst I have been critical in the past of the BMFA on multiple issues I don't think that is a bad response rate given the current situation and demographics of the membership. I can't hlp feeling the next 5 years is going to be pivotal for the national associations and the hobby as a whole though - the triple whammy of increasing regulation, Covid and demographics will make it hard to maintain participation levels and membership.

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A lot of anti BMFA comments on many forums abound. Weather you like them or hate them they and the LMA are the only organisations that represents us in significant numbers that the government and its departments will talk or listen to.

Support your BMFA/ LMA or we could eventually lose our sport/ hobby. Many people and I suspect most MP's and the anonymous people in power think we are just eccentrics playing with toys ; perhaps they should be reminded that thier hitting a small ball around a course is in mine and many others opinion just as an eccentric pastime for the well heeled.

I will support the BMFA . They cant work miracles but can lessen any impact our "friendly " CAA and Transport ministry try to impose on us not for safety as they say but for hidden agendas like money for airspace.

As for the numbers who participate in surveys 35% is probably a reasonable turnout these daysj . You often get poor turnouts at general elections . Those who don't vote then go on to complain about various things. Don't vote don't complain.

Support the BMFA etc and protect our sport / hobby.

Sorry went I to one there and nearly fell off my box blush

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Posted by Christopher Long 1 on 02/11/2020 09:55:50:

From my experience of running surveys and email/social marketing campaigns anything over a 15% response for surveys and over 5% for email/social media campaigns would be considered a very successful result. So nearly 35% or over 10,000 replies to a survey is a great success. So no not a disengaged membership, in fact the reverse!

It will be more than enough to give the BMFA a good idea of what members think and it will also give them some solid evidence on which to base future negotiations with the CAA etc.

Absolutely agree. If I got 35% success I'd be throwing a (virtual) party!

If you assume 35,000 members, and want an error of + or - 5% - you'd only need a sample size of 380.

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Posted by Engine Doctor on 02/11/2020 10:28:21:

...Support your BMFA/LMA or we could eventually lose our sport/hobby. Many people and I suspect most MP's and the anonymous people in power think we are just eccentrics playing with toys ; perhaps they should be reminded that their hitting a small ball around a course is in mine and many others opinion just as an eccentric pastime for the well heeled.

...I will support the BMFA. They cant work miracles but can lessen any impact our "friendly" CAA and Transport ministry try to impose on us not for safety as they say but for hidden agendas like money for airspace.

Noble words, but many (maybe most?) pilots are primarily members a) for the insurance and b) because it's a requirement of their club. Their support of the BMFA is conditional on whether our legal right to fly can be defended, as without that the insurance won't pay out in the event of an incident.

I do have sympathy with the BMFA and the other national associations - in many ways they are negotiating with almost no cards. However, if they are seen to "fail" in getting an Article 16 operational authorisation that addresses the challenges in the revised CAP 1789 (there are several major additions, including the 150m min distance under category Open A3) I expect to see membership take a dip in 2021. Finding new sites would not be easy, and for many it might be the final straw that pushes them out of the hobby. Clubs whose sites no longer meet the requirements could also start to de-affiliate in protest, though doing so would not improve their position in the eyes of the law.

At this point we can only cross our fingers and hope that the necessary concessions are forthcoming from the CAA...

Edited By MattyB on 02/11/2020 11:39:33

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Posted by MattyB on 02/11/2020 11:34:06:

I do have sympathy with the BMFA and the other national associations - in many ways they are negotiating with almost no cards. However, if they are seen to "fail" in getting an Article 16 operational authorisation that addresses the challenges in the revised CAP 1789 (there are several major additions, including the 150m min distance under category Open A3) I expect to see membership take a dip in 2021.

The only cards they have to play are their track record, professionalism, technical knowledge and (above all) a reputation for constructive engagement. Official bodies tend to like persons and organisations that bring them solutions to problems and I believe the senior echelons of the BMFA are seen in that light.

As I read the article in the link, leaving aside considerations about categories and classes, p12 refers to provisions in the regs for the CAA to negotiate arrangements for 'model aircraft' with clubs and associations. This is where the BMFA will earn its corn...

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Posted by Andy Stephenson on 02/11/2020 10:56:37:

I had the email about the membership survey but I am very reluctant to click on links in emails especially when the actual URL looks nothing like the address of the organisation who sent it. Instead I went to the BMFA website to search for it there but there was no sign of a link anywhere in the site so I gave up.

Andy, I don't know where you looked but I clicked on News and it's the top topic with the link at the bottom of the article. If you are still interested in responding I'm afraid you are too late. The survey has been closed. Normally, organisations like Gallup think that 5% randomly selected is sufficient to give a whole country's view. So, 35% is amazingly high. The problem is that it's skewed to those who are interested in the BMFA and its future as opposed to just a place to buy insurance.

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I agree that a 35 % response is quite impressive and not to be regarded in any way as failure to connect.

I'm also firmly of the opinion that having an organisation to represent minority interests like ours is almost essential. Individually we have little power and even less respect but collectively there is a at least a chance of being recognised by those in power. Without the BMFA how would government even be aware our hobby existed at all?

I've always been an advocate of collective action.

When I was a very keen and enthusiastic motorcyclist I was a member of a club affiliated to the ACU (Auto Cycle Union) which meant my sport, hobby and sole means of transport had some representation. I've been a member of the CTC (now Cycling UK) for over 40 years and, because we were keen tandem riders, was very active on the committee of the national Tandem Club (I edited the magazine for several years). I was always a member of a sailing club affiliated to the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) though I guess 'yachting' is more visible to the powers that be than any of my other activities

We may not always agree with how the BMFA acts but members always have the option of trying to change policy if they so wish (or feel sufficiently strongly). However, without it (and similar organisations) we would be considerably worse off. I've seen reports that activities like golf and tennis are seeking exemptions from the imminent lock down rules in England - the BMFA is the only way we might get a similar concession for model flying.

Geoff

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Posted by Steve J on 02/11/2020 16:19:42:

Posted by Mike T on 02/11/2020 14:37:35:

Official bodies tend to like persons and organisations that bring them solutions to problems and I believe the senior echelons of the BMFA are seen in that light.

Would that be the same BMFA that the DfT/CAA gave up talking to early last year and who only got back in the room when a more sympathetic person became Secretary of State and told the CAA to talk to them?

Yep - that's the one. It's easy to pick out specific instances where comms go slightly awry over a long timescale. As always, if you're not happy with the way matters are conducted you can either choose to get involved and persuade people to do it your way, or vote wit your feet.

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Posted by Christopher Long 1 on 02/11/2020 09:55:50:

From my experience of running surveys and email/social marketing campaigns anything over a 15% response for surveys and over 5% for email/social media campaigns would be considered a very successful result. So nearly 35% or over 10,000 replies to a survey is a great success. So no not a disengaged membership, in fact the reverse!

It will be more than enough to give the BMFA a good idea of what members think and it will also give them some solid evidence on which to base future negotiations with the CAA etc.

Similar experience here over many years and surveys - 35% response rate would be classified as amazing and the audience would be described as very engaged /active ....

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