Cross Country the main focus of soaring?

Thanks for all of the good responses to my original quesiton on Cross
Country... unfortunately the board members have decided to eject me from the
club if I partipate any more in this discussion online.

Please send me personal emails in future.

-mat

I changed the wording to "past" threshhold .
We have no fence only a irrigation ditch and a
little used road so effectively landing area is longer.
In the northern area of the North Island of New Zealand
most flatter land is used for dairy production so most
suitable landing paddocks are 40-60 meters wide
by 120-150 meters long.
Where I fly if you cannot consistantly bring your glider
to a halt within a space of 100 meters from the fence
with a clear approach for finals then crosscountry may
not be a good idea.
In our club we have a Twin Astir and a PW6, both go regularly
xcountry with younger pilots. On our Instructors panel are 2 who
have rated in the top 10 in the worlds and a number of other senior
pilots who have been in the top 20 at the worlds and a few
ex National champions most of them happy to fly in the 2seaters
xcountry. It is not uncommon to meet up with a club glider
100 kms or more from home base.
All first single seater xcountries are usually done in a PW5 or single Astir
both easy gliders to land and very tolerant of errors.
This "culture" of xcountry helps a lot .

so
"Z Goudie" wrote in message
...
At 09:18 14 October 2004, Goneill wrote:
Our club has a white marker post at 100 meters from
threshhold
the target is to stop before that.

How many finish up in the fence?

Hi,

unfortunately the board members have decided to eject me from the
club if I partipate any more in this discussion online.

My suggestion would be a different club. If at all possible.

Ciao, MM
--
Marian Aldenhövel, Rosenhain 23, 53123 Bonn.
Fon +49 228 624013, Fax +49 228 624031.
http://www.marian-aldenhoevel.de
"FOUR MORE BEERS!"

The idea of the blue marker was the opposite of the white marker.
The blue marker was a "virtual threshold"--the idea being to provide plenty
of clearance over the ships lining up on the grid.


"Bert Willing" wrote in
message ...
That obviously depends on the area in front of the threshold...

--
Bert Willing

ASW20 "TW"


"Michael" a écrit dans le message de
news: ...
"goneill" wrote
Our club has a white marker post at 100 meters from threshhold
the target is to stop before that.

I used to belong to a club that had a blue marker about 200 meters
from threshold. If you landed short of it (never mind stopped), you
were supposed to fly with an instructor before taking a club ship
solo.

Michael

Another consequence of the PATRIOT ACT?

"mat Redsell" wrote in message
news:Zaybd.63$7h.61@trnddc07...
Thanks for all of the good responses to my original quesiton on Cross
Country... unfortunately the board members have decided to eject me from
the
club if I partipate any more in this discussion online.

Please send me personal emails in future.

-mat

mat Redsell wrote:
unfortunately the board members have decided to eject me from the
club if I partipate any more in this discussion online.

Amazing!

Thanks for all of the good responses to my original quesiton on Cross
Country... unfortunately the board members have decided to eject me from the
club if I partipate any more in this discussion online.

Tragic. I don't recall seeing you around the field Mat..how long have you been
flying here?

Jim Vincent
N483SZ
illspam

I have had experiences very similar to Uli' and Mat's and I know of many
others. The following comments apply only to USA glider clubs since I am
not familiar with clubs outside the US but I have the impression that non-US
clubs have far better governance.

The pattern I have noticed is that soaring clubs are not infrequently 'taken
over' by non-aviators or, at least, pilots without any current significant
achievements. Lacking these accomplishments, their attempts at club
management are, to say the least, counterproductive. At worst, they drive
away new members and glider pilots who could make a significant contribution
to the organization if allowed to do so. This starts a downward spiral
where bad pilots drive away good ones and attract the bad ones.

There is a group of people who see their mission as simply running things.
They see no need to be actually involved with soaring beyond one or two
flights a year wherein they scare themselves silly. This flight 'checks the
box' and provides them with a topic for discussion over beers at a local
dive for the subsequent 12 months.

With the view that the best clubs are governed by active XC glider pilots
with advanced ratings, badges and contest standings, I propose that any new
clubs still writing their bylaws and those in a position to re-write theirs
consider setting minimum competency requirements for club officers and board
members.

For example:

1. Keep the dead wood cleared by requiring that every officer and board
member will have flown every glider as in the club fleet solo within the
preceding 12 months. Failure to do so will be considered a letter of
resignation. (This, at least, proves they CAN fly. It also requires that
an instructor certify them competent in the club fleet.)

2. In a shift from a pure democracy to a semi-meritocracy, handicap
candidates for club office with reference to their achievements as pilots.
For example an instructor with a Diamond badge and current contest ranking
would outrank a student pilot. This instructor would have his vote total
multiplied by a factor of say, 2. Appropriate multipliers for lesser
achievements would also apply.

When all positions of power are filled with accomplished, competent people,
bureaucratic obstacles to cross country, advanced training, winch launch
etc.. are likely to vanish.

I would further propose that any club without a clear pro-growth mission
statement and evidence of performance in the form of actual new members be
denied the annual SSA dues rebate and suffer any other sanctions as are
possible such as ineligibility for SSA insurance discounts.

Bill Daniels



"Marian Aldenhövel" wrote in message
...
Hi,

unfortunately the board members have decided to eject me from the
club if I partipate any more in this discussion online.

My suggestion would be a different club. If at all possible.

Ciao, MM
--
Marian Aldenhövel, Rosenhain 23, 53123 Bonn.
Fon +49 228 624013, Fax +49 228 624031.
http://www.marian-aldenhoevel.de
"FOUR MORE BEERS!"

Bill,

I like and understand your concept, but will add my
two-cent's.

We do have members on our club's Board who don't fly
much if at all, but contribute mightily to the club's
wellfare.

I think our club has also recruited at least one of
the younger (age and low flying time) members to run
for Board Member. We want to hear 'their' voice too,
not just the voices from the crusty old-timers.

What IS amazing (probably not really) is that on club
meetings, held once every two months, the same crowd
shows up and not the younger group. It would be interesting
to talk to ALL members about opportunities to fly cross-country,
attend contests or fun-fly's with a club ship, or safety
issues, etc. with more than the same old choir, but
folks don't seem to show for the meetings.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA
LS1-d 'W8'

At 19:36 14 October 2004, Bill Daniels wrote:
I have had experiences very similar to Uli' and Mat's
and I know of many
others. The following comments apply only to USA glider
clubs since I am
not familiar with clubs outside the US but I have the
impression that non-US
clubs have far better governance.

The pattern I have noticed is that soaring clubs are
not infrequently 'taken
over' by non-aviators or, at least, pilots without
any current significant
achievements. Lacking these accomplishments, their
attempts at club
management are, to say the least, counterproductive.
At worst, they drive
away new members and glider pilots who could make a
significant contribution
to the organization if allowed to do so. This starts
a downward spiral
where bad pilots drive away good ones and attract the
bad ones.

There is a group of people who see their mission as
simply running things.
They see no need to be actually involved with soaring
beyond one or two
flights a year wherein they scare themselves silly.
This flight 'checks the
box' and provides them with a topic for discussion
over beers at a local
dive for the subsequent 12 months.

With the view that the best clubs are governed by active
XC glider pilots
with advanced ratings, badges and contest standings,
I propose that any new
clubs still writing their bylaws and those in a position
to re-write theirs
consider setting minimum competency requirements for
club officers and board
members.

For example:

1. Keep the dead wood cleared by requiring that every
officer and board
member will have flown every glider as in the club
fleet solo within the
preceding 12 months. Failure to do so will be considered
a letter of
resignation. (This, at least, proves they CAN fly.
It also requires that
an instructor certify them competent in the club fleet.)

2. In a shift from a pure democracy to a semi-meritocracy,
handicap
candidates for club office with reference to their
achievements as pilots.
For example an instructor with a Diamond badge and
current contest ranking
would outrank a student pilot. This instructor would
have his vote total
multiplied by a factor of say, 2. Appropriate multipliers
for lesser
achievements would also apply.

When all positions of power are filled with accomplished,
competent people,
bureaucratic obstacles to cross country, advanced training,
winch launch
etc.. are likely to vanish.

I would further propose that any club without a clear
pro-growth mission
statement and evidence of performance in the form of
actual new members be
denied the annual SSA dues rebate and suffer any other
sanctions as are
possible such as ineligibility for SSA insurance discounts.

Bill Daniels



'Marian Aldenhövel' wrote in message
...
Hi,

unfortunately the board members have decided to eject
me from the
club if I partipate any more in this discussion online.

My suggestion would be a different club. If at all
possible.

Ciao, MM
--
Marian Aldenhövel, Rosenhain 23, 53123 Bonn.
Fon +49 228 624013, Fax +49 228 624031.
http://www.marian-aldenhoevel.de
'FOUR MORE BEERS!'

Bill Daniels wrote:

The pattern I have noticed is that soaring clubs are not infrequently 'taken
over' by non-aviators or, at least, pilots without any current significant
achievements. Lacking these accomplishments, their attempts at club
management are, to say the least, counterproductive. At worst, they drive
away new members and glider pilots who could make a significant contribution
to the organization if allowed to do so. This starts a downward spiral
where bad pilots drive away good ones and attract the bad ones.

There is a group of people who see their mission as simply running things.
They see no need to be actually involved with soaring beyond one or two
flights a year wherein they scare themselves silly. This flight 'checks the
box' and provides them with a topic for discussion over beers at a local
dive for the subsequent 12 months.


This is a vivid description of things i have personnally seen ...



--

Michel TALON