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Nationals - who cares?



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 24th 16, 02:21 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Chris
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Default Nationals - who cares?

A lot of people do. But we are worst enemy when it comes to promoting the sport. 3 classes compete at the highest level contest in the USA and there is not one single report on the SSA website. (the regional in ephrata was the same) If the organizer don't care to share some of the excitement and give the worldwide audience a chance to participate its no wonder that we can't grow this sport. A few glider pilots fly circles through the air in a place in the middle of nowhere. Forgotten tomorrow. I have to go on somebody's facebook page or look at a blog and read about junk and other tidbits. At the same time I see speeds in open class approaching 100mph and a particular type of glider dusting everything else. There must be a good story there....
is there? we will never know.
  #2  
Old June 25th 16, 01:48 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)
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Default Nationals - who cares?

And........the winner gets a trophy and recognition within the sport.
You want "fame & glory", look elsewhere.

Not slamming, just stating from someone that has been contest competing since the early 80's.

Yes, I LOVE some people giving the day by day stuff.
Yes, I have an issue "finding the whatever page" to get the day by stuff. I have commented on it before within RAS.
Then again, the "reporters" are volunteers, I won't crap on them for their efforts.

So, your point is????

  #3  
Old June 25th 16, 02:11 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
DaTruth
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Default Nationals - who cares?

Soaring is a niche freak sport. Yes it would be nice if the bizarre subset of humans that would enjoy soaring but haven't found their way to it could be shown the light. However there aren't enough freaks to fly the tugs, run the wings, and proselytize on street corners. Unless a retired/trustfunded soarfreak with a hankering to play reporter crawls out of the woods the reporting will continue to be variable. And as long as someone keeps the golfcarts running, that is OK, we will survive. Paragliding has this fellow(https://vimeo.com/user535765) he goes around filming and commenting on competitions. I don't think anyone except the people there, and the people that would be there but life got in the way, care.
  #4  
Old June 25th 16, 03:55 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
K m
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Posts: 78
Default Nationals - who cares?

On Friday, June 24, 2016 at 5:25:09 PM UTC-6, Chris wrote:
A lot of people do. But we are worst enemy when it comes to promoting the sport. 3 classes compete at the highest level contest in the USA and there is not one single report on the SSA website. (the regional in ephrata was the same) If the organizer don't care to share some of the excitement and give the worldwide audience a chance to participate its no wonder that we can't grow this sport. A few glider pilots fly circles through the air in a place in the middle of nowhere. Forgotten tomorrow. I have to go on somebody's facebook page or look at a blog and read about junk and other tidbits. At the same time I see speeds in open class approaching 100mph and a particular type of glider dusting everything else. There must be a good story there...
is there? we will never know.


Chris,
The organizer cares and even solicited material from competitors. Here is part of the problem. Many of us show up at 8am and start installing batteries O2 whipping down ballasting etc., then off to the pilot meeting and imediatly after gridding and programing. Then 5 hours in the cockpit and tow in tie down pull all the equipment sign in and submit your log and it is 8pm and you have spent 12 hours at the airport and have just enough energy to stumble into bed and do it again the next day. I doubt anybody, Volunteers included have any energy left to write up a report.
I can tell you (From a guy at his first Nats) it has been a rush! From coring up a thermal across from Concordia to watching the JS1C Jet do a flyby to tasking over some of the most spectacular scenery you can imagine.
I share your pain and judging from the calls and texts I am getting people who couldn't be here and want some play by play. I will bring this up to management tomorrow and we can see if anyone, possibly crew, could do a write up.
  #5  
Old June 25th 16, 05:58 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
SoaringXCellence
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Default Nationals - who cares?

As one of the contest "grunts" at Ephrata, I can tell you my day was pretty full even though I didn't get to compete as I had hoped. I served as the scorer and except for a few minutes between the last launch and the first completions, I worked from about 7 in the morning until 9 in the evening, even later if there were problems with IGC files or questions from pilots.

I actually wanted to do some reporting, but it was not clear how to post the material.

I can really admire anyone that has the jounalistic bent and the time to write even a short report, but we weren't blessed with such an individual at Ephrata.

Mike B.
  #6  
Old June 25th 16, 04:52 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Frank Whiteley
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Default Nationals - who cares?

On Friday, June 24, 2016 at 10:58:43 PM UTC-6, SoaringXCellence wrote:
As one of the contest "grunts" at Ephrata, I can tell you my day was pretty full even though I didn't get to compete as I had hoped. I served as the scorer and except for a few minutes between the last launch and the first completions, I worked from about 7 in the morning until 9 in the evening, even later if there were problems with IGC files or questions from pilots.

I actually wanted to do some reporting, but it was not clear how to post the material.

I can really admire anyone that has the jounalistic bent and the time to write even a short report, but we weren't blessed with such an individual at Ephrata.

Mike B.


Daily reporting of scores and a narrative are sanction requirements. It's an assigned role. Must be an SSA member to have access to the reporting area. Digital media is filled with shifting paradigms. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Vimeo are pretty useful. Facebook allows multiple editors for several page types. AFAIK, unless you purchase some form of business account, the others are limited to individuals. SSA FB has several editor. One was on the ground at Nephi, but her pilot withdrew and they've returned home. I did reach out to the Nephi organizers and they have a contest FB page. Many soaring pilots post to friends only, so can't be easily shared publicly. Some pilots do post their soaring exploits publicly and some of those are shared with the SSA FB page and the Let's Go Gliding FB page. Milestones are of great interest. Pictures are great, but those with a narrative are even better.

https://www.facebook.com/2016NephiNationals/?fref=ts

The SSA Facebook page serves to aggregate posts and links that might be of interest to SSA members and general interest, perhaps of a soaring event and article that may show how others are attracting interest.
https://www.facebook.com/SoaringSocietyofAmerica/
https://www.facebook.com/LetsGoGlidingSSA/

SSA FB posts and shares are embedded on the homepage of the SSA, www.ssa.org also, in case you don't do Facebook.

Even Facebook changes the way it handles posts, shares, and the user interface from time to time, causing temporary confusion and frustration until the new methods and techniques are discovered.

Original content starts at the grassroots, whether from an individual or contest or club/chapter or commercial operator. That's the challenge.

With regard to contests, yes, the SSA still wants daily narratives and images on the web site. It requires forward planning. It also requires good Internet service which may be lacking at some sites. I was told it would be available at Nephi, but whether it could support 50-100 users with one or more devices, that's another question.

Frank Whiteley
  #7  
Old June 26th 16, 12:10 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
JS
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Posts: 1,384
Default Nationals - who cares?

On Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 8:52:23 AM UTC-7, Frank Whiteley wrote:
On Friday, June 24, 2016 at 10:58:43 PM UTC-6, SoaringXCellence wrote:
As one of the contest "grunts" at Ephrata, I can tell you my day was pretty full even though I didn't get to compete as I had hoped. I served as the scorer and except for a few minutes between the last launch and the first completions, I worked from about 7 in the morning until 9 in the evening, even later if there were problems with IGC files or questions from pilots..

I actually wanted to do some reporting, but it was not clear how to post the material.

I can really admire anyone that has the jounalistic bent and the time to write even a short report, but we weren't blessed with such an individual at Ephrata.

Mike B.


Daily reporting of scores and a narrative are sanction requirements. It's an assigned role. Must be an SSA member to have access to the reporting area. Digital media is filled with shifting paradigms. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Vimeo are pretty useful. Facebook allows multiple editors for several page types. AFAIK, unless you purchase some form of business account, the others are limited to individuals. SSA FB has several editor. One was on the ground at Nephi, but her pilot withdrew and they've returned home. I did reach out to the Nephi organizers and they have a contest FB page. Many soaring pilots post to friends only, so can't be easily shared publicly. Some pilots do post their soaring exploits publicly and some of those are shared with the SSA FB page and the Let's Go Gliding FB page. Milestones are of great interest. Pictures are great, but those with a narrative are even better.

https://www.facebook.com/2016NephiNationals/?fref=ts

The SSA Facebook page serves to aggregate posts and links that might be of interest to SSA members and general interest, perhaps of a soaring event and article that may show how others are attracting interest.
https://www.facebook.com/SoaringSocietyofAmerica/
https://www.facebook.com/LetsGoGlidingSSA/

SSA FB posts and shares are embedded on the homepage of the SSA, www.ssa.org also, in case you don't do Facebook.

Even Facebook changes the way it handles posts, shares, and the user interface from time to time, causing temporary confusion and frustration until the new methods and techniques are discovered.

Original content starts at the grassroots, whether from an individual or contest or club/chapter or commercial operator. That's the challenge.

With regard to contests, yes, the SSA still wants daily narratives and images on the web site. It requires forward planning. It also requires good Internet service which may be lacking at some sites. I was told it would be available at Nephi, but whether it could support 50-100 users with one or more devices, that's another question.

Frank Whiteley


Bruno did get a brief report onto the SSA contest page.
Jim
  #8  
Old June 26th 16, 06:36 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
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Posts: 166
Default Nationals - who cares?

When it became clear that no reports were going to magically happen, I started yesterday. Don't expect much but I will do my best. The reality is, the best way to experience a nationals is to simply be there. Maybe some great journalists/contest managers exist out there, but when you find yourself running a big event like this, it is easy to run out of steam to share it adequately.

I guess that is my main point. What is happening in Nephi last week and the next week to come really is special and it was difficult to find someone willing and able to step up to the challenge to capture what is really happening. Unfortunately, you are all now stuck with me at 11pm after a full day. I will do my best, but again, it will be no where near like what it is really like here.

Thanks for your patience,
Bruno - B4
  #9  
Old June 27th 16, 01:28 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
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Default Nationals - who cares?

good thread - it got me thinking.

I have to believe somewhere there is a journalism program at a college or a student majoring in journalism / marketing that would find our sport a great topic for projects to get credit.

To take a topic few people know about, yet is so eye catching (you just have to look at any gliding photos) - is sort of a great excersis in journalisim - we just have to find it - so I am going to write a few collges close to our next contest in Sept - will let you know if it works

We did have a local paper come out to the airport a few weeks age at club class nationals.

WH
  #10  
Old June 27th 16, 04:15 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Clay[_4_]
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Default Nationals - who cares?

Bruno, my sentiments were similar to Chris' but I held my tongue thinking that you might have other things to attend to Your posts certainly bear that out. I find your posts to be excellent, BTW. Too bad some of the other pilots couldn't help you out. I've never been to Nephi, can't wait to fly there someday, good luck and thanks for your efforts.

Clay
 




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