Belgische Federatie voor Luchtvaart
Federation Belge d'Avitation
Belgian Aviation Federation
Our mission
Since its foundation in 1931, there has been a common thread running through the association's objectives:
* combining the efforts/forces of the various aviation groups for tourism;
* speaking with the government for these tourism aviation groups;
* the establishment and development of aviation groups for tourism;
* allocating materials and funds according to needs;
* act in all circumstances when this would be desirable.
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On October 21, 1970, the objective sounds a bit different, but a good reader will notice that in essence this objective is not fundamentally different from the previous one. The objectives were described in more detail and cryptically. With the amendment of the articles of association on December 7, 2004 as a result of the amendments to the non-profit association law of 2002, the objectives of October 21, 1970 are fully and identically adopted, the same phenomenon is repeated with the amendment of the articles of association during the special general meeting of 2016 on May 18:
* coordinate, represent and defend before any agency or government, whether public or private, the legitimate interests of any owner or possessor of any propelled vehicle used or used in any manner whatsoever until the air navigation or to air sports activities;
* to promote the foundation and development of any activity which is fundamentally in accordance with the principles listed above and which emanates from individuals or from bodies, associations, groups, public or private legal entities;
* to divide the credits, subsidies, gifts, bequests or in general any material or moral help or advantage that would accrue to it from whatever cause, judiciously and equitably among its members, according to their necessity and with a view to their sporting activities activities;
* to allocate, manage or assign any material that would be made available to it;
* to act in every circumstance, in the interest of its members, where an intervention on its part would be desirable.
The new law of companies and associations requires almost all companies and associations to amend their statutes. An opportune moment for our federation to rewrite its objectives and object:
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a. Forming an umbrella association for aviation, in particular recreational aviation, of federations/associations with headquarters in the different regions of Belgium.
b. To coordinate, represent and defend, before any agency or authority, public or private, the legitimate interests of any owner or user of motor aircraft, helicopters, gyrocopters, etc., which are or may be used in any manner whatsoever, to air navigation, recreational or air sports activities;
c. Promote the foundation and development of any activity fundamentally in accordance with the above principles and emanating from individuals, organizations, associations, groups, public or private legal entities;
d. In any circumstance, to act in the interest of its members, where an intervention on its part would be desirable.
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The object, i.e. the concrete activities with which the non-profit organization will achieve its objectives,
include:
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a. Establish working groups to represent the interests of its members in national ministries, authorities and national administrations, international organizations, etc., which are relevant to aviation;
b. Become a member of these national and/or international organizations that provide added value to the interests of the members of FBA-BFL, in particular the interests of aviation;
c. To divide the credits, subsidies, gifts, bequests or, in general, any material or moral help or advantage that would accrue to it for whatever reason, judiciously and equitably among its members, according to their necessities and with a view to their sporting activities;
d. to allocate, manage or entrust any material that may be made available to it;
e. arranging of aviation events, excursions, fairs, museums, sports competitions. In addition, the non-profit association can develop all activities that contribute directly or indirectly to the realization of its purpose, including commercial and profitable activities, the proceeds of which will always be fully allocated to the realization of its purpose.
Our vision
* All Belgian flying clubs non-profit organizations will continue to unite in the national federation. Additionally, commercial flight schools & affiliation of aviation companies in accordance with the statutes;
* Developing and maintaining relationships with international aviation organizations, governments, associations, companies. In other words, represent aviation interests of/for Belgium where and if necessary;
* FBA-BFL will be an organizational administrative center for the management of the national (federal) files in the interest of light aviation, motor aviation, the pilots, the flying clubs and the various aviation federations/associations if necessary. A summary without being complete
or would be restrictive:
- files at the federal ministry of mobility,
- files at the Directorate-General for Aviation (DGLV),
- files related to federal law;
* Treating future visions for recreational aviation;
* Promote equivalence of all types of powered aircraft, especially recreational powered aircraft;
* Provide/search information for our member associations;
* Taking sustainability in aviation to heart;
* Take specific questions from pilots to heart;
* If necessary, discuss federal aviation files with all air sports federations through a light aviation task force;
* FBA-BFL will perform internationally for all Belgian flying clubs & aviation enthusiasts. To this end, FBA-BFL will enter into membership with international aviation companies and/or dyeings and/or governments and services. A list without being exhaustive or limiting:
- membership to AOPA USA and AOPA Europe.
Our history
We write May 13, 1931, to be read in the appendix to the official gazette of June 6, 1931. A count, two viscounts, a baron, a lawyer and six industrialists set up the 'Fédération des Clubs Belges d'Aviation de Tourisme'. The board of directors consists of these 11 gentlemen, of which Count Arnold de Looz Corswarem from Brussels is appointed as the first chairman.
For the time being, we still have to find out which Clubs Belges were part of this federation and what exactly was meant by the term 'Tourism'. Given the time of its founding, in the middle of the interwar period and just over two years after the great stock market crash of October 24, 1929 (only in 1954 did share prices return to pre-crash levels), we may reasonably assume that flying and joining a Club Belge and the federation was a privilege rather than simply applying for membership by Jan with the cap.
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The second publication known to us in the appendix to the Belgian Official Gazette of 25 April 1953 mentions 9 directors of which Freddy Van Gheluwe from Mariakerke-Ghent was the chairman. It is striking that none of the 11 founders in 1931 are still active as directors in 1953. The first name change of the federation, which from then on will be called 'Fédération des Clubs Belges d'Aviation', took place at the extraordinary general meeting of March 30, 1955.
Meanwhile we arrive in 1970, Freddy Van Gheluwe is still chairman, during which the statutes are rewritten during an extraordinary general meeting on October 21 and these statutes are also published for the first time in Dutch in the annex to the Belgian Official Gazette of 25 February 1971. The objectives are formulated in more detail, but we cannot identify any real fundamental changes to the original objectives.
We make another leap in time, but not before saying that with the federalization of Belgium through a number of state reforms that started in 1970 and continued until 1993 with a 4th state reform (Saint Michael's Agreement), Belgium formally becomes a federal state in 1993 and the powers of the communities and regions are expanded. With the 5 th and 6 th state reforms, these powers of the communities and regions are once again expanded with some important consequences that will change the functioning of the federation.
During the statutory general meeting of March 22, 1994, the name of the federation was changed again, this time with a double name: Fédération Belge d'Aviation (FBA) – Belgian Aviation Federation (BFL). Meanwhile, the chairman is Victor Wieme from Brussels, but on June 16, 1994 during the board of directors, he made his position as chairman available and Victor was succeeded by Camille Goossens from Halle.
Since the non-profit association legislation changes on May 2, 2002, the statutes of the federation will be adapted to this by the extraordinary general meeting of December 7, 2004. During the statutory general meeting of 20 April 2011, the federation will have a new director, the legal entity 'Vereniging Vlaamse MotorVliegclubs vzw (VVMV)', represented by Marc Ghys. This means nothing more or less than a trend break with the past of FBA-BFL. At that time, VVMV only existed for 1 year (founded on March 27, 2010.) and VVMV represents the motor aviation interests of 16 Flemish non-profit motor racing clubs. During the board of directors on March 28, 2013, Camille resigned as chairman and Marc Ghys from Wiekevorst became chairman of the federation. Camille Goossens is unanimously appointed as honorary chairman by the board of directors.
Step by step, from the start of Marc's chairmanship, a number of decisions and preparations are made for reorganisations:
* For the first time in the history of the FBA-BFL, almost all motor racing clubs asbl/vzw in Belgium become members of this federation.
* VVMV becomes a member on 1 January 2012 of the sporting leisure organization VCL vzw, which is recognized and subsidized by the Flemish government. (Flemish Cluster of Air Sports)
* After KBAC (Royal Belgian Aeroclub) increases the membership fee for FBA-BFL year after year to more than 9,000 euros, it is decided not to keep a membership with KBAC for the time being.
* On March 5, 2017, the Walloon motor flying clubs decide to set up FFACM asbl (Fédération Francophone des aéroclubs moteur). This makes the organization of the association structure of motor flying clubs fully in line with the various state reforms of Belgium. Culture, which includes sport, falls under the competence of the communities and no longer from the federal government. To date, the FFACM has not been able to obtain recognition from ADEPS, the sports counterpart of Sport Vlaanderen.
* On January 1, 2020, the new law of companies and associations will come into effect. In 2021, work will be done on the amendment of the FBA-BFL statutes. The draft of these amendments to the articles of association, including internal regulations, will be approved by the board of directors on February 22, 2022 for submission to the general meeting.
* FBA-BFL will become a full member of AOPA from 2020, both in the USA and in Europe. It replaces the defunct non-profit organization AOPA-Belgium, which has never been a member of AOPA USA nor AOPA Europe.
* Following the COVID-19 / corona crisis, Marc Ghys and Paul Windey of the BULMF take the initiative together to set up a TFLL (Taskforce Light Aviation) with ALL light aviation / air sports representatives. This task force becomes active if problems / incidents or whatever arise that relate to the activities of all light aviation enthusiasts. A second action point of the TFLL is the tax on the embarkation of an aircraft of March 31, 2022, whereby in some situations passengers traveling with air athletes are asked to pay a tax by the government.
The minds are maturing more and more and from 2022-2023 this will mean some big changes for the future operation of FBA-BFL.:
* FBA-BFL will be the administrative manager of some national files within light aviation. This concerns the files within BCAA-DGTA and within the federal ministry of mobility. FBA-BFL will also represent light aviation internationally.
The various tasks will be performed by members' flying clubs.
* FBA-BFL will represent AOPA-Belgium internationally. An AOPA membership crew card will be offered for sale without obligation from 2022.
*Furthermore, FBA-BFL join if useful from valuable international organizations or associations.
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Sources:
- Belgian Official Gazette.
- Reports of general meetings and boards of directors (governing bodies), FBA-BFL, VVMV, FFACM and VCL.