I will also add that socializing is just another form of hangar flying.
Such exchanges with a few sage and safe pilots is an important part of
developing an attitude towards safety in your flying activities that will
serve you well into the future. Some may not share too much until you get
to know them a little better. There are some very interesting tales out
there that are rarely shared. Having fun and enjoyment along the way is
simply a plus. Some of the more difficult pilot attitudes seen over the
years wear an ATP like a shield. Clubs can be helpful or hurdles, true,
choose wisely.

When I was based in USA Region 11 there were few club options, so I flew
only from commercial operations. One I found very predatory and expensive.
Others were quite reasonable. The region has an umbrella organization
called PASCO, www.pacificsoaring.org, that conducted safety seminars, wave
camps, meetings, and provided a newsletter, Westwind, that filled that void
to a reasonable extent. There's nothing wrong with training at a commercial
operation if it better suits your temprement, time schedule, and so on. For
me, if there was no social compliment, I wouldn't be there. My own club
actually does schedule instructor/glider time and there's no delay in
student progress as long as they book in weekly or every two weeks. If
there's member interest, we ramp up course weeks April-September so that the
rating can be knocked off quite quickly.

Frank

"seagull" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 16:29:52 -0700, "F.L. Whiteley"
wrote:

You have a power ticket, good, we'll let you get the next round thank you
very much. Now
it's time to learn to soar and leave those limitations behind.

This is just the sort of culturally entrenched Neanderthalism to which
I refer, and you'll wish you'd avoid when you encounter it at the
field Oscar.

One of the many reasons paying a premium to train at Sportavia et al
is worth every 'penny'. Bypass the ******s & maximise your progress
instead of the bull****.

http://www.sportavia.com.au/