ERA GA2015, day one report - Tuesday 13 October
It all begins in Berlin – ERA General Assembly 2015
The first day of the ERA General Assembly 2015 started today, 13 October. Despite the rather grey skies the mood at the first day of the three-day event was buoyant with golfing enthusiasts gathering for the traditional golf tournament and beginners’ golf clinic at the andel's Hotel in Berlin early in the morning. The golfers enjoyed good playing conditions at Golfclub Prenden, located just outside Berlin.
A great morning’s golf was had by all with a challenging tournament and educational clinic and the barbecue lunch, courtesy of sponsors Embraer and Flight Safety International, was enjoyed by all.
The winners who overcame stiff competition to take the trophies were:
Winning team
Stein Wilson
Martyn Holmes
Tony Whitty
Runner up team
Árni Gunnarsson
Stephane Lizotte
Ray Mosses
Longest drive, men
Tony Whitty
Longest drive, ladies
Annabel Love
Nearest to the pin, men
Tony Whitty
Nearest to the pin, ladies
Tanja Kononen
Those in search of a less energetic pass time chose to join the Berlin city tour in the afternoon which took in many of the city’s famous sights.
The first day of the conference also featured an ERA Group Meeting. The welcome and opening statement was given by Group chair, Juan Manuel Diaz Mayoral, Air Nostrum and vice-chair Adrian Young, To70.
Diaz Mayoral then delivered a well-received observation of the regulatory oversight of national aviation authorities and their subjective application of EASA regulations. This lead to an excellent discussion among delegates concerning their own experiences and the differences seen throughout Europe. The conclusion to this part of the meeting resulted in a suggestion by the Directorate that ERA would create a working group to promote common regulatory standards to EASA.
Young then briefed delegates on the findings of the Dutch Safety Report of Malaysian MH17 that was shot down over the Ukraine in 2014. This was particularly timely as the report was only released officially this afternoon in the Netherlands.
In the next session Marita Lintener, SESAR Deployment Manager, updated delegates on the work of the SESAR Deployment Manager, the upcoming INEA Call for CEF funding and the relevance of future ATM projects for ERA member operators.
Later in the day journalists attended a media briefing/drinks reception before the event’s official welcome reception which saw a packed cocktail reception launch the exhibition. Delegates enjoying canapés and cocktails, visiting exhibition stands, meeting up with established friends and colleagues and taking the opportunity to network and forge new business relationships.