Search for SAFA Members
You can search for SAFA members by Full Name or partial SAFA# in order to check their membership and qualifications. If a member does not appear, it means they are not a financial member. If a qualification does not appear it probably means it has expired. This app will check for a new database version once per day and update as required when there is an internet connection. If your device has a camera and you have a membership card with a QR code on the back you can scan it to retrieve the details.
Enter at least 4 digits of the SAFA# or the Full Name of the member.
Scan a QR Code
Upload a Document
You can upload attachments and documents to the SAFA, these will be processed by the office.
You can also use the camera in your phone to scan documents to an A4 PDF for submitting to the office.
Position the document you want to send within the rectangle in the camera preview below.
Ensure that you are in a well lit environment and try to have a darker background behind the document. Don't hold it up if front of a window!
Click the Start Camera button below to activate your camera.
Next activate the scanner template to help you get the best result from your camera. Place your document inside the red template and make sure it touches the edges.
Then click the Snapshot button to take a photo. You can keep taking photos until you are happy with the result.
Finally when you have an image you are happy with, add your message and click send to send it to the SAFA office.
Qualifications not displayed may have expired.
Your Logbook
You can add a new logbook entry by filling in the details below and clicking submit. If you are connected to the internet it will be immediately added to your logbook. If you are offline it will be cached and uploaded the next time there is internet access.
GPS & Vario
I recommend that if you are planning to use a phone to generate a tracklog that you use the excellent program called XCTrack for Android. When coupled with a device with a built in barometer and GPS it gives you a very accurate vario. For example the Sony Z3 Compact can be purchased on Ebay for just $80AUD including delivery to Australia. The built in battery will last for about 6 hours. With a small external powerbank (5000mAh $20) it will last for 18hrs. If you get a phone with an OLED screen like the Samsung Galaxy range you can expect 8-15hrs from the internal battery. I use a second hand Galaxy S7 Edge I got for $140 from ebay and it uses 8% battery per hour at full volume and brightness.
Using the GPS in your device you can record your tracklog. This depends on the GPS in your device working well. This will require a clear view of the sky for a good signal. Vario devices usually use barometric pressure sensors which are much more accurate and sensitive that the GPS in your device. This is in Beta, don't use it as your primary GPS!.
Choose how often to record GPS data points, from 1 Second to 30 seconds.
Start Recording Stop Recording Show Track Logs
If when you Download a track log the file has no name, call it something.gpx and save it where you want it. The file naming seems to be buggy in some browsers.
Authentication
In order to allow you to upload to your logbook and submit documents you must be authenticated with the SAFA server. When this happens a secure token is passed to this device allowing it access for the next 30 days.
Each time you use this APP within a 30 day period the token is refreshed. If you do not use this app within 30 days you will have to re-authenticate by entering your details below.
Once you have authenticated with this APP anyone who uses it will be using your credentials so be careful.
Authenticate with the SAFA server:
Your Username: (This is your Email address)
Your Password: (The same password you use for members.safa.asn.au). Your password is NOT stored on this device.
You can issue a new Student licence here. Students who are not claimed by any school and who hold a valid SAFA membership can be selected.
You must have a working internet connection for this to function.
Add a New Student
Just start typing the student name or membership number...
1: Find & Select the student in the box above, Click Go!.
2: The QUAL is issued today. You can select the discipline if required.
No paperwork! Only Current members who are not already students will appear in the list above. If you can't find the person they are either not a financial member, or they have registered with another Instructor. If they are registered with another Instructor you must contact the office and ask them to move the student over from the old Instructor.
If you are authorised to carry out TIFs this application form will appear here. You can complete the form together with your student prior to your flight. If you have no internet connection the form will be saved until it can be automatically uploaded.
Buy 10x eTIF Credits
You have no forms waiting to be sent
Help and Feedback
APP Version
?
This app is designed to work on any HTML5 compliant device. However there are many different devices. These tips here will help you get the best from this app.
General Advice
Make sure you are running the latest version of this App. Hold down shift and click refresh on a desktop computer to get the latest version. Due to parts of the App being cached incorrectly it can be difficult to refresh on some devices and so you may need to uninstall/reinstall it or clear your site/browser cache.
Clicking this button will attempt to force the App to update to the latest version.
Make sure you are running the latest version of your system software.
Make sure you are running the latest version of your browser.
Different versions of browsers have different bugs! If something does not work in Chrome, try using Firefox
Safari used to be a great browser, sadly it has fallen way behind in the last couple of years, use Chrome or Firefox instead.
This app will try to update the SAFA Database once every day, only when you use it. If you are offline it will continue to work.
If you try to send something to the SAFA and you are offline, it will be saved and will auto send then the internet connection returns.
Member Search
Enter any members surname or full name or at least 4 digits of an SAFA membership number.
If the member is not in the list it means they are not financial. Or the name/number does not match.
Your Logbook
Anything you add here will appear in your logbook in the SAFA members section.
Upload a Document to the SAFA
In order to work this requires a high quality camera in your device. It will be disabled if the resolution is not high enough.
The document you photo/scan will be encoded as a PDF and sent to the SAFA together with your details.
It's really easy to generate a bad result! It's much better to try a little bit harder and make a good result.
Ensure that the page you are sending is A4 in size. Make sure it is flat. Hold your camera parallel to the A4 page.
Ensure that you are in a well lit environment. Position the A4 document so that it's edges just touch the template.
You can take as many snapshots as you like so keep going until you get a good one.
Depending on your internet connection it might take up to a minute to send your file. You will get a notification when it is sent.
Record your Track
This uses the GPS in your device to record a track log.
To get the best results, ensure that your device has a good view of the sky. Leave the app running, but you can put it in the background and turn off your screen.
Accuracy depends entirely on the quality of the GPS signal to your device. Altitude is GPS altitude and so not as accurate as barometric.
Battery life should not be greatly affected, but you can reduce the accuracy to save battery. If your phone is your emergency contact device consider the battery.
You can download your track in GPX format or you can attach a track to a logbook entry.
All GPX track times are un UTC!
If you are using a mobile phone the GPS might be turned off even though it knows where you are! This is because your phone tracks your position in many ways.
Your phone can tell roughly where you are by triangulating signals from mobile phone towers. It can guess where you are based on where you usually are.
Finally, most phones these day are constantly listening for Bluetooth and wireless devices, even when you have these services turned off!
When you phone detects your home Wifi access point or your neighbours Solar Inverter it sends it's masters the info together with the last known GPS position.
If you are indoors GPS won't work, but now there is an entry in a database that has your WIFI and your neighbours solar and some coordinates.
This means the next time your phone needs to know it's location it can just say what it sees and the response will be a location or area.
Whilst this is great for battery life, as the GPS can be left off most of the time, if the GPS is off then your track log will be wildly inaccurate.
So when you use the Test your GPS button, if there is no altitude it probably means your GPS is off and you need to force it back on.
Settings
Using the same login and password that you use for the SAFA members site you can authenticate this app with the SAFA.
Once you are authenticated a secure encrypted token is stored on your device, this allows the SAFA to identify you so that you can connect.
Everything that leaves your device is encrypted during transit. Your password is not stored on this device.
Once you have authenticated this device as yourself, anyone else who uses it will be using your credentials unless you Deauthenticate.
TIF
When you send your application to the SAFA it is stored in the SAFA Database.
This section will only appear if you have the required Instructor Qualification and your SLI is paid up to date.
You need an internet connection to authenticate and activate this section, but it will then remain active for a period
If you run out of credits you will need an internet connection to buy more.
You can view your completed eTifs in the Instructor section of the members website.
All eTif credits purchased are owned by the FTF, not the Instructor. The CFI/Operator is required to monitor all activites.
Feedback
Hi, I'm Rolf the developer of this APP. I'm an SAFA member myself and I fly all disciplines. I'd love to hear from you about your experience with this app or the SAFA members section in general. This APP is the result of suggestions from members and I'm always looking for suggestions for ways to improve it. Fly Safe.
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SAFA Membership
SAFA membership is a required if you wish to fly aircraft that fall under SAFA auspices.
You can log into the SAFA members site here.
You will be required to enter your password each time you log in unless you check the box called Remember me on this Computer when you log in.
Click here to log into the SAFA members Zone.
In the SAFA members Zone you can:
- Renew your membership and buy items from the SAFA shop.
- View your Licence and Qualifications.
- Apply for your free FAI Sporting Licence.
- View and Manage your Logbook.
- Access the SAFA Document register.
- Access the SAFA Forums where you find COM Minutes and the Buy & Sell listings.
- Update your contact details.
- View any Aircraft you have registered.
- View and Submit Accident and Incident Reports.
- View a list of Visiting Pilots.
- Club Officials can manage their members and accept online payments.
- Instructors and SSOs have access to additional services.
Pilots visiting Australia from overseas must take out short term "Visiting Pilot Membership" to enable them to legally fly in Australia. Click Here to take out a Visiting Pilot Membership.
Persons wishing to learn how to fly must take out a Student Membership, prior to commencement of training:Click Here to take out a Student Membership.
Current SAFA members wishing to renew their membership must login to the Members Zone and follow the renewal process.Click here to log into the SAFA Members Zone.
If you need help with membership issues Click Here to contact the SAFA office via email.
SAFA Site guide
The Australian National Site Guide located at http://siteguide.org.au The site guide is not created by the maker of this App and any enquiries should be directed to webmaster@siteguide.org.au