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Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden



 
 
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  #21  
Old December 14th 19, 12:52 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden

Hi Jim
Don’t get me wrong, thanks for posting the info, and as I previously mentioned, for the guy who is gonna do a concentrated year of Minden xc flying that yearly deal IS a good one with the inclusion of the unlimited tow-homes. Its only the individual tow charges and the $25 ground help fee that are problematic to me. I think a better business model would be to provide unlimited ground help if needed at no charge and a standard rate for tows, teaching their tow pilots how to tow and get down with maximum efficiency. Thats where money is made and lossed.
My rants about the “good-ole-days” at Minden are just that, namely reminicence of days and attitudes long gone, at least as far as Minden is concerned. It changed from being a friendly/free relatively inexpensive place to fly into a restrictive rich man only playground many years back, long before the present commercial operators came to the scene. I was just hoping things would begin to chance back to more like it used to be, but I just don’t see that happening.
As for this next year, I will be going a much different route for great basin flying. I will be coming up there to fly out of various other locations using 2,000 ft of spectra for auto tows. There are dry lake/dirt road areas I know of which provide good high auto tow capability in locations more advantageous for early starts on long xc flights of low performance machines.
  #22  
Old December 14th 19, 02:04 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden

Namely, trying to break the present 1-26 straight out record. A flight of over 435 miles is needed.
  #23  
Old December 14th 19, 03:03 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden

I will be coming up there to fly out of various other locations using 2,000 ft of spectra for auto tows.

Be sure to try a GoPro on each end of the tow rope. Should make some great out back videos.
  #24  
Old December 14th 19, 03:14 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden

Stu, I’m flying a 1-26, and attempting to go far which with my handicap in performance means having to average over 50mph, I can’t have any extra drag! lol
  #25  
Old December 14th 19, 05:03 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Colten Coughlin
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Default Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden

agreed very expensive. my club (sunflower) charges $10 for every 1k. really cheap but makes that look really expensive.
  #26  
Old December 14th 19, 05:28 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden

Colten are you going to fly in the 1-26 championships this coming summer at Sunflower? It would be a great experience and you have some good coaching you can get from Tony, although he is used to flying that higher performance bird (cherokee) lol.
Dan
  #27  
Old December 14th 19, 05:30 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Nick Kennedy[_3_]
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Default Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden

I've got to say there's some real daydreamers on this thread with their head buried way deep in the sand.
I've operated a tow plane in Telluride Colorado.
I've paid the bills.
Capital costs.
Insurance.
Fuel.
Maintenance and inspections.
New tires.
General repairs.
Airport and tie down fees.
New engine when the old one got a oil leak and seized up.
Scheduled tow pilots.
Bought tow ropes and rings.
Etc
Etc
Etc
That $3750 early buy in price is a screaming deal if you ask me!
Include O2 fills and retrieves.
That is cheap! and its good for A Whole Year!
If I lived near Minden or planned on being there for any length of time I'd send in my check today with a big Thank You note attached.
Its SOO hard for a commercial operation to just break even much less take on the legal liability on top of No Money at the end of the year, we stopped doing it.
God Bless Soar Minden I say.
  #28  
Old December 14th 19, 05:53 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Craig Reinholt
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Default Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden

On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 8:30:53 AM UTC-8, Nick Kennedy wrote:
I've got to say there's some real daydreamers on this thread with their head buried way deep in the sand.
I've operated a tow plane in Telluride Colorado.
I've paid the bills.
Capital costs.
Insurance.
Fuel.
Maintenance and inspections.
New tires.
General repairs.
Airport and tie down fees.
New engine when the old one got a oil leak and seized up.
Scheduled tow pilots.
Bought tow ropes and rings.
Etc
Etc
Etc
That $3750 early buy in price is a screaming deal if you ask me!
Include O2 fills and retrieves.
That is cheap! and its good for A Whole Year!
If I lived near Minden or planned on being there for any length of time I'd send in my check today with a big Thank You note attached.
Its SOO hard for a commercial operation to just break even much less take on the legal liability on top of No Money at the end of the year, we stopped doing it.
God Bless Soar Minden I say.


I agree with Nick. Just my 2 cents worth.
My suggestion for those that want club glider costs (volunteer - FREE - staff) at Minden should give it a go.
However, since Minden is a regional full service airport with expensive hangar space and a ½ mile haul to runway 30 launch area, you might want to remember what a commercial operation has to add. Said spendy hangar / office lease (you aren’t working out of a tent off the dirt road), paid CFIG’s / ride pilots, tow pilots, line boys, receptionist, accounting, along with advertising, soaring merchandise inventory, and insurance just to name a few items. And lest we forget, the operational folks get paid (reasonable living wages) for being on site whether a soaring pilot (or ride) shows up or not. Anybody that has worked a commercial operation knows how bad the number of “no shows” are. There are methods to reduce this number, but they don’t go to zero. Those wonderful no show “individuals” not only don’t pay for their reserved services, but block another pilot from that scheduled time slot. The operation loses.
But go ahead. Start your club operation, find unpaid staff that will be there 5-7 days per week, 9 am to dark, from early spring to late fall.
Good luck with that.
  #29  
Old December 14th 19, 06:34 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
3C
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Default Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden

Unlimited line service, O2 fills, tows & retrieves for $3750?Sounds like a great deal for a crew-less pilot like me. Might have to make an extended visit to Minden next season.
  #30  
Old December 14th 19, 06:54 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Nick Kennedy[_3_]
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Posts: 269
Default Season Passes available from Soaring NV in Minden

On Thursday, December 12, 2019 at 5:30:14 PM UTC-7, wrote:
https://soaringnv.com/

You can pay for tows on a per-tow basis, which will be billed on a per-minute basis, or you can purchase a VIP Season Tow Pass. Here are the details for both options:
Paying on a Per-Tow Basis
• Glider pilots are responsible for having their glider at the staging area, and for the hook-up and launch of their glider, unless line help is requested (see below). • A tow reservation is required ◦ A reservations will cost $25 ▪ Reservation is non-refundable ▪ Reservation cost DOES count toward the final cost of the tow ◦ Reservations can be made via e-mail: ◦ Reservations can be made via phone: 775-782-9595 ◦ Reservations can be rescheduled with sufficient advance notice • Line help can be requested, for an additional cost of $25. ◦ Please specify if you do or don’t want line help when you make your tow reservation. ◦ Line help covers transport of glider to the staging area for launch and from the staging area upon return, hook up, launch, and other staging activities. • Tows will be billed at a cost of $7.40 per minute ◦ Time starts when the tow plane and glider start rolling. ◦ Time stops as soon as the tow plane touch down for landing.
VIP Annual Tow Pass
• The VIP Annual Tow Pass is $4200 for the entire year. ◦ The pass can be purchased at any point during the year. ◦ If the pass is purchased in advance, during the months of November and December, for the coming year, the price will be discounted to $3750. • A tow reservation is required ◦ Season pass holders DO NOT pay a reservation fee
◦ Reservations can be made via e-mail:
◦ Reservations can be made via phone: 775-782-9595 ◦ Reservations can be rescheduled with sufficient advance notice • VIP Annual Tow Pass holders enjoy the following benefits at no additional cost: ◦ Unlimited tows ◦ Unlimited oxygen fills ◦ Unlimited land out retrievals ◦ Line service ◦ Wave Camp tickets
We aim to make your gliding experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible, and encourage any feedback. We’re here to help you soar, and we’re happiest when you’re soaring stress-free.


Want to Talk about the decline in Soaring?
Lets just look in my neighbor hood, Western Colorado, Utah, NV for instance..

Durango Soaring: Closed permanently
Salida Soaring: Closed Permanently
Hotchkiss Soaring: No Ops last year; looks like it over.
Telluride Soaring: Closed permanently

How about Parowan: No based tow plane- I hear this years ASA meet is going to be it, over. Got that from Dave Norwood, Paroair; Closed. no O2 nothing.

ElY NV? No based towplane anymore.

The common thread? All Commercial operations. As Charlie Romeo stated, good luck with getting a volunteer club up and running these days, Volunteers? Ferrgit about it. At the end of Telluride Soaring I couldn't get a towpilot at any price.
Its a sad situation and the SSA has put thousands of man hours in trying to change the decline, but at this point, AFAIK, No Joy. I have no suggestions.
Merry Christmas
Safe flying to all in 2020
 




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