I want my SSA

I don't think there is any future in joining or affilliating with either the
AOPA or the EAA. Now these are fine organizations to which I have belonged
but the culture is very different from the soaring community and I am sure
there would be issues that would not favor us. Associate yes, but remain
distinct.

Here's are three suggestions I think should be considered to revitalize the
SSA organization.

1. Convert Soaring Magazine to a webzine to save about $300,000 a year.
This would make the articles searchable thus creating a knowledge/culture
base for all of us. Make the webzine open to all.

2. Relocate the headquarters to a city easilly reachable by a significant
part of the membership. i.e. good airline connections with at least three
active local clubs. This would mean that at any moment a rank and file
member could walk in off the street creating a mindset in the paid staff
that, "It would be harder to get away with something." It would also mean
that a large number of vollunteers would be available if needed.

Hobbs is a fine community but it is very isolated from the membership at
large. I remember when the SSA headquarters was located in Santa Monica,
California with a dozen or more local clubs from which help was available.
It was, in my humble opinion, a much better organization then.

3. Create a study group of vollunteers to evaluate other national soaring
clubs like the BGA and DAeC to see if there are features of these
organizations that should be incorporated into a revitalized SSA.

We need an SSA for the 21st Century.

Bill Daniels

Let's all join the BGA - they seem to be thriving (relatively, of
course) and have a way better magazine and website.

Maybe we could qualify as long lost colonials....

They could teach us how to win at the WGC (something we apparently have
lost the knack for).

And they in turn could hold the UK nats at Uvalde. Or better yet, Ely!

It would be like Spain, with bigger cars and about the same proportion
of Spanish and English speakers. Well, probably fewer English speakers
in Ely than in Spain...

66

Seriously, good points.

I would think the Illinois/Indiana/Ohio area would be ideal - midway
between the coasts, lots (!) of club activity, OK summer soaring
weather, relatively close to lots of contest venues, and to Oshkosh...

But Hobbs? WTF?

Kirk
66

kirk.stant wrote:
Seriously, good points.

I would think the Illinois/Indiana/Ohio area would be ideal - midway
between the coasts, lots (!) of club activity, OK summer soaring
weather, relatively close to lots of contest venues, and to Oshkosh...

But Hobbs? WTF?


Indeed. Put it in St Louis -- fills all the squares.


Jack

kirk.stant wrote:
Seriously, good points.

I would think the Illinois/Indiana/Ohio area would be ideal - midway
between the coasts,
But Hobbs? WTF?

Kirk
66

It's quite "typical" of someone on the east coast to make a statement
like Ohio being "midway between the coasts". :-)
I'm only half way back to the east coast when I'm in mid Missouri
and I'm starting in New Mexico. :-)
...lew...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
ink.net...

I would think the Illinois/Indiana/Ohio area would be ideal - midway
between the coasts, But Hobbs? WTF?

Kirk
66

It's quite "typical" of someone on the east coast to make a statement
like Ohio being "midway between the coasts". :-)
I'm only half way back to the east coast when I'm in mid Missouri
and I'm starting in New Mexico. :-)
...lew...

About a week ago there was a discussion on the Yahoo hp-gliders news group
about having a Schreder sailplane reunion. Marfa was the fist suggestion
followed by Chilhowie. So where is the center of the US? I use to live in
Omaha, Nebraska and know that Omaha is closer to Washington, DC then it is
to Boise Idaho. So my guess is that it is somewhere in western Nebraska or
eastern Colorado.

It definitely isn't Illinois, Indiana or Ohio!

Wayne
HP-14 N990 "6F"
http://www.soaridaho.com/

The geographic center of the US is in Kansas.
http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/KS3129/

Wayne
HP-14 N990 "6F"
http://www.soaridaho.com/


"Wayne Paul" wrote in message
...
"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
ink.net...

I would think the Illinois/Indiana/Ohio area would be ideal - midway
between the coasts, But Hobbs? WTF?

Kirk
66

It's quite "typical" of someone on the east coast to make a statement
like Ohio being "midway between the coasts". :-)
I'm only half way back to the east coast when I'm in mid Missouri
and I'm starting in New Mexico. :-)
...lew...

About a week ago there was a discussion on the Yahoo hp-gliders news group
about having a Schreder sailplane reunion. Marfa was the fist suggestion
followed by Chilhowie. So where is the center of the US? I use to live
in Omaha, Nebraska and know that Omaha is closer to Washington, DC then it
is to Boise Idaho. So my guess is that it is somewhere in western
Nebraska or eastern Colorado.

It definitely isn't Illinois, Indiana or Ohio!

Wayne
HP-14 N990 "6F"
http://www.soaridaho.com/

Wayne Paul wrote:

So where is the center of the US? I use to live in
Omaha, Nebraska and know that Omaha is closer to Washington, DC then it is
to Boise Idaho. So my guess is that it is somewhere in western Nebraska or
eastern Colorado.

1) GEOGRAPHIC CENTER, Contiguous 48 States: near Lebanon KS
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php3?tip_AttractionNo==7032

2) MEAN CENTER OF POPULATION (1990 Census): in Crawford County,
Missouri http://tinyurl.com/rwpat

3) MEDIAN CENTER OF POPULATION: (38 deg 57' 55" N, 86 deg, 31' 53"
W), in Marshall township, Lawrence County, Indiana, about 14 miles
south of Bloomington, Kansas.

4) Center of soaring: ? -- the SSA may have info from which that could
be derived, but Kansas City is about half way between #1 and #2 above.


Jack




















City is about half way between the 48-State
Geographic center and the Mean Center of Population, so it can't be
far off.



Jack

Lew Hartswick wrote:
It's quite "typical" of someone on the east coast to make a statement
like Ohio being "midway between the coasts". :-)
I'm only half way back to the east coast when I'm in mid Missouri
and I'm starting in New Mexico. :-)

Actually I split my time between Phoenix and St Louis. Having lived on
all three coasts in the past, I have a vague idea of where most stuff
is...

A better way to judge the soaring "center" of the US would be chart of
pilots and/or clubs. Might make a big difference...Sure is a lot of
empty unlandable desert out west.

Anyway, Ohio crept in because of the great time I had at Region 6
(CCSC) recently - an easy drive from StL. Something you can't say
about Hobbs!

Kirk
66

Good ideas.

Mike Schumann

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
. ..
I don't think there is any future in joining or affilliating with either
the AOPA or the EAA. Now these are fine organizations to which I have
belonged but the culture is very different from the soaring community and I
am sure there would be issues that would not favor us. Associate yes, but
remain distinct.

Here's are three suggestions I think should be considered to revitalize
the SSA organization.

1. Convert Soaring Magazine to a webzine to save about $300,000 a year.
This would make the articles searchable thus creating a knowledge/culture
base for all of us. Make the webzine open to all.

2. Relocate the headquarters to a city easilly reachable by a significant
part of the membership. i.e. good airline connections with at least three
active local clubs. This would mean that at any moment a rank and file
member could walk in off the street creating a mindset in the paid staff
that, "It would be harder to get away with something." It would also mean
that a large number of vollunteers would be available if needed.

Hobbs is a fine community but it is very isolated from the membership at
large. I remember when the SSA headquarters was located in Santa Monica,
California with a dozen or more local clubs from which help was available.
It was, in my humble opinion, a much better organization then.

3. Create a study group of vollunteers to evaluate other national soaring
clubs like the BGA and DAeC to see if there are features of these
organizations that should be incorporated into a revitalized SSA.

We need an SSA for the 21st Century.

Bill Daniels