On Monday, November 2, 2020 at 9:16:04 AM UTC-5, Mginty wrote:
On Monday, November 2, 2020 at 8:00:34 AM UTC-6, Kenn Sebesta wrote:
On Friday, October 30, 2020 at 11:20:51 PM UTC-4, Patrick wrote:
Hello Gliders,



I wanted to make this post to see other pilots experiences at their local gliding clubs. My experience at my local gliding club is so-so, speaking as a young soon to be solo pilot, because of organisational management.



My friend and I have been quite frustrated due to extreme slowness of getting everything into play, from the briefing to bringing out the gliders. Only yesterday, we had the gliders out and ready to be towed to the glider strip at 9.30am, our first flight was at 11.15am... and it was a spectacular day for soaring.



Is this the norm?



I would love to hear your experiences! Thank you!
I understand how disappointing it can be to show up and not fly. During my first season (at a French club), I logged 8 hours at the airport for every 1 hour flown. This somewhat turned me off from gliding because the enjoyment vs. effort ratio was off kilter.

However, the cultural change you're after might not be appropriate for your club. Since clubs are run by volunteers, this means that there is a limit to what we can demand of our clubmates. No one is paid to be there, and so if volunteers aren't enjoying themselves and finding the activity rewarding then they will soon burn-out.

So on the one hand, the operations you describe could be the sign of a club in difficulty, where everyone is disappointed because things aren't gelling and so they aren't quick to get things done. Why should the tow-pilot rush to get there early if no one else has bothered to get out of bed?

On the other hand, it could be a club which has found its right level of engagement, where people have the right work-life balance. If you have young children at home, or you have a two hour drive to the field, it can be hard to get out the door in time to be there by 8AM.

I think it's very important to evaluate if you and the club are not simply good fits for each other-- in which case you might have no option than to find another club-- or if the club is in need of some leadership and might appreciate an energy shot to get things rolling again.

My advice would be to open a conversation with your club members about expectations. If everyone enters it with an open mind, then the results will be great. Either your club will start to turn a corner, or it will better understand that it's not a good fit for people like yourselves. It's important to accept that both are good outcomes, even if you obviously have a favorite horse in this race.
In my opinion your club is doing a good job launching you by 11:15 . If that is not good enough then im sure the old salts at your club would love to see you organize the start times more then once so they can do other tasks that nobody is doing. Most clubs love to see new enthusiasm you would probualy be amazed how much you can actually do instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you . You call tow pilots ,you haul all the gear to the field, you set up tow ropes, its all there just waiting for you . I always tell new students that first and foremost we are not a flight school , we are a club of volunteers and this is a volunteer operation , so when they have concerns such as yours they might be less dissapointed . Or join the Motorglider gang and be happily Aloof

Our club is a training club. Students are a very important part of our activity. We plan on being ready to operate shortly after 10:00 each day and have a tow pilot and instructor available.
Students that show up early get more flying. Those that sleep in and arrive at 1:00 on a busy Sunday afternoon will almost certainly get less flying.
We are an all volunteer organization.
This said, it is not uncommon for us to sit around waiting for students.
The surest way to lose enthusiastic new people is to waste their time by not being available to fly. They WILL go away.
UH