In June this year, one of RAAus’ most dedicated, passionate and long-serving team members called time on her exceptional career. Jill Bailey, Head of Flight Operations for more than a decade, has made an immeasurable impact on both RAAus and the recreational aviation community as a whole.
Jill started with RAAus in 2011, immediately making her mark. She came to the job with considerable experience, having previously worked as an instructor in Nowra and CFI at Temora Flight Training.
In her time as Head of Flight Operations, Jill oversaw the issuance of countless Recreational Pilot Certificates, Instructor Ratings and Senior Instructor Ratings in an era of blossoming membership for RAAus. She championed RAAus’ move to become a CASR Part 149 organisation, culminating in the issuance of RAAus’ Part 149 Certificate in March 2021. Jill then turned her attention to updating the Flight Operations Manual. Version 8 is set to be rolled out this year, a final testament to Jill’s hard work and dedication.
A passionate aviator, Jill became a staple at RAAus events and one of the most recognisable faces of the RAAus staff. Be it fly-ins, seminars or workshops, Jill has always been keen to lend a hand and have a chat with members of the RAAus community.
I personally got to work with Jill at the most recent Fly’n For Fun event at Parkes earlier this year. In that time two things left an impression on me; her encyclopaedic knowledge of RAAus flight standards, and her ever-present smile. It was clear Jill was passionate about her work.
Jill’s absence will be felt, as it always is when you lose someone so good at what they do. Thankfully though, her retirement plans include plenty of flying, so we’re bound to see her at a fly-in somewhere soon.
On behalf of the team at SportPilot and the wider RAAus community, we say farewell to Jill and wish her all the best on her future endeavours. Thank you for all your hard work in making this community what it is today. May your skies be clear and your tailwind strong!
