Finbar wrote:

My experience may be a little different.

A Volkslogger came with the glider. I fly, I take the VL home, I
download the flights into SeeYou, it's fun to look at what I got up
to.

Unless I want to submit for a badge. Then, it's far too late to
download the flights when I get home - no, I have to download them on
the field in front of an Official Observer. To do that, I have to buy
a laptop, because if I download the files at home I might cheat. Buy
a laptop? Ouch.

There is at least one alternative: the OO keeps the logger until there
is an opportunity to download the file; e.g., at home that evening, or
the next day, or whenever it's convenient.

You probably don't even need a laptop, either: a cheap iPaq or Palm PDA
can probably do the job for much less money and hassle, and it can also
be used with the logger for navigation while you fly.

Or borrow a laptop or PDA. Lots of your buds have them, and would be
glad to bring one to the field if they knew what you were up to. I
would! Actually, I bring a PDA to the field all time in my glider, and
have used it to download people's flights. Easy. Also, I'm going to
bring a laptop in the future, so we can look at our flights while
drinking a beer.


And even that isn't enough: I can never seem to get the rules straight
(the FARs seem to be much easier reading than the badge rules) but it
seems like I'm supposed to have someone certify before takeoff that my
logger is in the glider, and have them certify that the same one is
still in there (sealed in there?) after landing.

Yes, the OO (whether using a flight recorder or cameras/barograph) is
supposed to actually observe the flight! If so, no sealing to the glider
is required. Witnesses may used in some circumstances, generally with
sealing. I find this the easiest method.

Okay, that's making
quite a fuss about documenting a fairly unremarkable Silver Altitude
flight. I mean, most of the guys at the field where I fly seem to get
Silver Altitude and Distance almost EVERY weekend! Now, I'm no
big-shot pilot, so for me Silver Distance will be a notable, if not
huge achievement. But do I really want to demand people at the
airport drop their day to help me document it?

It shoudn't take a day. A quick check just before launch, and then one
on landing. For Silver distance, you won't be gone that long!

For what? My friends
will believe me, if I trouble them with the bragging. The FAA
believes me when I make entries in my logbook and sign it. If I do a
cool flight I can post it on OLC. But for a Silver badge, I need to
do paperwork as if I were going for a world record.

You'll know how wrong that is when you apply for a world record! After
the first couple of tries, it will seem much easier. You are learning
the system on a fairly easy badge, which be useful when you go to the
higher badges. You wouldn't want to make a mistake when you finally
accomplish your diamond distance, would you?

Way too much trouble. Ah, heck with it.

Revisit the situation. Think about how hard soaring seemed in the very
beginning. You can do it, and you can do it easily after some practice.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA