End of Season Sunset Warning for SSA-OLC Participants

Stewart,

You missed the point. Enforcement is not the issue here -- consistency is.

If you insist on enforcing certain rules, then (a) state them clearly, and
(b) enforce them all the time and not just on a whim. Checking flights at
the time of claim and rejecting those in violation might be OK. Going back
and pulling flights retroactively is not OK. Going back and pulling flights
*selectively* -- some but not the others with similar "violations" -- is
....I am gasping for words here, and "disgusting" is the RC1 so far. I don't
want to even get close to the question how, when and why they decide to pull
any given flight and not the next one -- I am afraid that would undermine
the last of my respect for humanity .
--
Yuliy


"Stewart Kissel" wrote in
message ...
12. Airspace Violations
The OLC organizers have to assume that the participants
in the contest will not violate restricted airspace
during their flights. ATC clearances are necessary
to enter certain airspace. The OLC team will not check
if a pilot has obtained the necessary clearance to
enter airspace which needs ATC clearance. This is not
within our competences and responsibilities. However,
if we get to know that there has been an obvious violation
of airspace then we reserve the right to carry out
special actions against that pilot and his participation
in the OLC. Of course every pilot is allowed to contact
other pilots in case of a potential airspace violation.

What rules are they changing? Is busting FAR's okay
if they do not specify not to? Will your insurance
pay a claim if you get hit at FL200 or flying after
sunset? If we as a group knowingly allow cheating
to occur, are we liable as well? If pilots want to
fly illegally, they don't need to post logs for the
rest of us to see.

I wish pilots flew in accordance to the *privilege*
of the license...then this discussion would be moot.
Calling enforcement an issue is a weak argument.




At 01:06 07 September 2006, Yuliy Gerchikov wrote:
Doug,

May I make some suggestions? (1) Do not change OLC
rules mid-season. (2) If
you insist on checking all traces for certain violations,
do it at the time
of claim -- automatically -- and reject those that
do not pass, there and
then.

If only the SSA devoted a fraction of the effort they spend monitoring
their members, to monitoring their financial officers...


Yuliy Gerchikov wrote:
Stewart,

You missed the point. Enforcement is not the issue here -- consistency is.

If you insist on enforcing certain rules, then (a) state them clearly, and
(b) enforce them all the time and not just on a whim. Checking flights at
the time of claim and rejecting those in violation might be OK. Going back
and pulling flights retroactively is not OK. Going back and pulling flights
*selectively* -- some but not the others with similar "violations" -- is
...I am gasping for words here, and "disgusting" is the RC1 so far. I don't
want to even get close to the question how, when and why they decide to pull
any given flight and not the next one -- I am afraid that would undermine
the last of my respect for humanity .
--
Yuliy


"Stewart Kissel" wrote in
message ...
12. Airspace Violations
The OLC organizers have to assume that the participants
in the contest will not violate restricted airspace
during their flights. ATC clearances are necessary
to enter certain airspace. The OLC team will not check
if a pilot has obtained the necessary clearance to
enter airspace which needs ATC clearance. This is not
within our competences and responsibilities. However,
if we get to know that there has been an obvious violation
of airspace then we reserve the right to carry out
special actions against that pilot and his participation
in the OLC. Of course every pilot is allowed to contact
other pilots in case of a potential airspace violation.

What rules are they changing? Is busting FAR's okay
if they do not specify not to? Will your insurance
pay a claim if you get hit at FL200 or flying after
sunset? If we as a group knowingly allow cheating
to occur, are we liable as well? If pilots want to
fly illegally, they don't need to post logs for the
rest of us to see.

I wish pilots flew in accordance to the *privilege*
of the license...then this discussion would be moot.
Calling enforcement an issue is a weak argument.




At 01:06 07 September 2006, Yuliy Gerchikov wrote:
Doug,

May I make some suggestions? (1) Do not change OLC
rules mid-season. (2) If
you insist on checking all traces for certain violations,
do it at the time
of claim -- automatically -- and reject those that
do not pass, there and
then.

wrote:
If only the SSA devoted a fraction of the effort they spend monitoring
their members, to monitoring their financial officers...

"The SSA" is you, me, and all the other members. The OLC monitoring is
being done by volunteer effort aimed at making the OLC a fair and
balanced competition. This is not a staff position, and very little if
any of our dues go to supporting the OLC effort.

Are you volunteering to monitor our financial officers? If not, then
don't complain that there's nobody to watch them. We pay our dues to
hire a handful of employees to run our organization's most critical
areas. The rest is done by VOLUNTEERS.

Doug has decided to volunteer to manage the US portion of the OLC. He
did not volunteer to monitor the SSA's financial position. That is
being done by others in our organization. If it's not being done well,
then someone with the time and experience needs to step up and do it.
I doubt that such a volunteer would be turned back.

As for the OLC, it's now apparent that many sailplane pilots are not
aware of ALL the regulations they fly under. The OLC is uncovering
this "problem", and the managers are making a reasonable effort to
educate the individuals by asking them to withdraw or explain their
claims.


-Tom

I was told by Doug "the Board has directed us to look at Sunset and
Class-A" so it is indeed the board effort to monitor their members olc
flights instead of monitoring their financial officers...

5Z wrote:
wrote:
If only the SSA devoted a fraction of the effort they spend monitoring
their members, to monitoring their financial officers...

"The SSA" is you, me, and all the other members. The OLC monitoring is
being done by volunteer effort aimed at making the OLC a fair and
balanced competition. This is not a staff position, and very little if
any of our dues go to supporting the OLC effort.

Are you volunteering to monitor our financial officers? If not, then
don't complain that there's nobody to watch them. We pay our dues to
hire a handful of employees to run our organization's most critical
areas. The rest is done by VOLUNTEERS.

Doug has decided to volunteer to manage the US portion of the OLC. He
did not volunteer to monitor the SSA's financial position. That is
being done by others in our organization. If it's not being done well,
then someone with the time and experience needs to step up and do it.
I doubt that such a volunteer would be turned back.

As for the OLC, it's now apparent that many sailplane pilots are not
aware of ALL the regulations they fly under. The OLC is uncovering
this "problem", and the managers are making a reasonable effort to
educate the individuals by asking them to withdraw or explain their
claims.


-Tom

Ramy wrote:
I was told by Doug "the Board has directed us to look at Sunset and
Class-A" so it is indeed the board effort to monitor their members olc
flights instead of monitoring their financial officers...

come on, Ramy, it's not a like a platoon of auditors was pulled away
from watching the CFO and redirected to the OLC! One guy, who wasn't
watching the CFO to begin with, was directed to look at potential OLC
violations. The directors must attend to many things on their way to
promoting and fostering soaring.

--
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Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA

"Transponders in Sailplanes" on the Soaring Safety Foundation website
www.soaringsafety.org/prevention/articles.html

"A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org