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Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)



 
 
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  #21  
Old July 16th 20, 01:07 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
MNLou
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Default Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)

That changed a bit a couple of years ago Chris. Now, it's a $1500 "buy in" with $500 returned when you leave.

The $85 wet option on the Bird Dog is a nice benefit.

I wasn't criticizing. Just surprised that tow pilots are willing to pay for the privilege.

Lou
  #22  
Old July 16th 20, 11:22 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Chris
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Default Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)

Interesting discussion. I am paid for teaching in my professional life, and I am very good at it. I'd happily teach flying too if it didn't COST me money to do so... break-even would be fine by me.
  #23  
Old July 16th 20, 11:46 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
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Default Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)

On Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 3:22:18 PM UTC-7, Chris wrote:
Interesting discussion. I am paid for teaching in my professional life, and I am very good at it. I'd happily teach flying too if it didn't COST me money to do so... break-even would be fine by me.


I'm a CFIG who enjoys instructing, and I do it in my leisure time, so I don't charge. I also received my own training in a Club, where the instruction I received was free, and I like to pay that back. For a professional full-time CFIG who needs to make a living, of course payment is necessary, and they may feel resentful to CFIGs who don't charge.

  #24  
Old July 17th 20, 01:52 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
RR
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Default Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)

Our club offers free instruction to the membership but has a token credit per instruction for the CFIG. One of our CFIGs had an interesting theory, that we should charge something to the student, could be only $5 but charge something. He did not care if the charge went to him, or just the club, but his feeling was that with some charge there was more perceived value to the student.

RR
  #25  
Old July 17th 20, 02:15 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Bob Youngblood
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Default Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)

On Friday, July 17, 2020 at 8:52:11 AM UTC-4, RR wrote:
Our club offers free instruction to the membership but has a token credit per instruction for the CFIG. One of our CFIGs had an interesting theory, that we should charge something to the student, could be only $5 but charge something. He did not care if the charge went to him, or just the club, but his feeling was that with some charge there was more perceived value to the student.

RR


This is a very interesting thread, getting input and many different points of view. Ultimately clubs can decide how they handle the CFIG, Tow Pilot, Groundskeeper, Rest Room Cleaners, Hot Dog Griller Of The Day, and the list goes on and on. Always remember that the club affords the opportunity for all, not just a few. Tow Pilots and CFIG's can be replaced, but the club availability is limited, just look at the loss of clubs and soaring sites in the last few years.
Just last evening my phone rang and it was the young man that was mentioned earlier in this thread that got his CFIG, tail wheel endorsement and tow endorsement through our club. He called to inform me of the news that he was moving on next month for further expand his career in aviation, he will be flying charter cargo. After saying congratulations he informed me that the club was a great bright spot in his flying career and that he intends to stay connected with soaring wherever his journey takes him, I am just delighted that we made a difference. Bob
  #26  
Old July 19th 20, 11:30 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)

On Monday, July 13, 2020 at 10:27:22 AM UTC-7, Christopher Schrader wrote:
Volunteer Tow-pilots and CFIG wanted to join Sandhill Soaring Club, a 501(c)(3) not profit gliding club located in Gregory, Michigan, about 30 mins from Ann Arbor, Lansing, and western portions of Greater Metro Detroit.

Fleet: (1) SGS-233; (1) ASK-13; (2) Grob 103 Twin II; (1) DG-505; (1) Open Cirrus; (1) Std. Cirrus; (1) Scheibe SF-25C Motorglider; (1) Piper Pawnee towplane; (1) L-19 Bird Dog towplane (Cessna 305A); (1) Winch

Note About the Fleet: Competent pilot-members may rent club aircraft for use at camps, glider club fly-ins, and SSA Sanctioned Regional and National Contests.

Non-refundable Initiation Fee: $500
Monthly dues for CFIG and Tow-Pilot Specialist Members: $22.50/month

Standard Tow Rate (2,000' AGL): $22

Glider Rates vary from $20-50/hr; see: https://www.sandhillsoaring.org/dues-fees

Website: www.sandhillsoaring.org

For more information, Contact Chris Schrader at (612) 210-5524


  #27  
Old July 20th 20, 12:36 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Burt Compton - Marfa Gliders, west Texas
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Default Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)

On Friday, July 17, 2020 at 8:52:11 AM UTC-4, RR wrote:

(Regarding CFI's charging for instruction) . . . there is more perceived value to the student.

A reasonable charge for instructing and perceived value . . . that a might be a fact, not a theory.

Decades ago in Miami (1990's), I was charging $99 for a "mile high" tourist ride.
Tied up my towplane for over 30 minutes, making a relatively slow descent after release.
Some non-pilot tourists suffered through the relatively long tow for the first 10 minutes or so.
No gliders launched back on the ground until my towplane returned.
So I raised the price to $199 figuring that might discourage requests for mile high rides, especially on busy days.

Well, that resulted in increased demand for MORE mile high rides as the perceived value by customers was to book "the best ride" for more money.

Probably shouldn't offer mile high rides now in Marfa in far southwest Texas with our 5,000' msl airport elevation. Towing to over 10,000' would be a very long tow, including other considerations. Maybe I should offer 1/2 mile high flights and advertise as 777 meter rides.

Coincidentally, as I recall, Tom Knauff in Pennsylvania increased his price for a mile high ride around the same time as I did and saw the same result of more demand.

  #28  
Old July 20th 20, 05:37 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
F Gump
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Default Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)

On Sunday, July 19, 2020 at 4:36:31 PM UTC-7, Burt Compton - Marfa Gliders, west Texas wrote:
On Friday, July 17, 2020 at 8:52:11 AM UTC-4, RR wrote:

(Regarding CFI's charging for instruction) . . . there is more perceived value to the student.

A reasonable charge for instructing and perceived value . . . that a might be a fact, not a theory.

Decades ago in Miami (1990's), I was charging $99 for a "mile high" tourist ride.
Tied up my towplane for over 30 minutes, making a relatively slow descent after release.
Some non-pilot tourists suffered through the relatively long tow for the first 10 minutes or so.
No gliders launched back on the ground until my towplane returned.
So I raised the price to $199 figuring that might discourage requests for mile high rides, especially on busy days.

Well, that resulted in increased demand for MORE mile high rides as the perceived value by customers was to book "the best ride" for more money.

Probably shouldn't offer mile high rides now in Marfa in far southwest Texas with our 5,000' msl airport elevation. Towing to over 10,000' would be a very long tow, including other considerations. Maybe I should offer 1/2 mile high flights and advertise as 777 meter rides.

Coincidentally, as I recall, Tom Knauff in Pennsylvania increased his price for a mile high ride around the same time as I did and saw the same result of more demand.


  #29  
Old July 20th 20, 10:10 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Martin Gregorie[_6_]
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Default Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)

On Sun, 19 Jul 2020 16:36:29 -0700, Burt Compton - Marfa Gliders, west
Texas wrote:

Well, that resulted in increased demand for MORE mile high rides as the
perceived value by customers was to book "the best ride" for more money.

That effect seems to be present in a lot of leasure and business
situations and has done for quite some time.

Back in the mid 80s one of our senior people was getting overloaded with
consultancy requests, so after some head scratching his daily fee was put
up by a large amount and, to everybody's surprise, the queue size for his
services immediately doubled.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

  #30  
Old July 20th 20, 12:55 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
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Default Tow Pilots and CFIG Wanted at Sandhill Soaring Club (Michigan)

At Soar Maui, Hi we towed from sea level to over the top of Haleakala at around 11,000 ft. Did it day out, day in. Increased pricing on all flights several times without a sniffle from the tourists.

On Monday, July 20, 2020 at 5:10:09 AM UTC-4, Martin Gregorie wrote:
On Sun, 19 Jul 2020 16:36:29 -0700, Burt Compton - Marfa Gliders, west
Texas wrote:

Well, that resulted in increased demand for MORE mile high rides as the
perceived value by customers was to book "the best ride" for more money.

That effect seems to be present in a lot of leasure and business
situations and has done for quite some time.

Back in the mid 80s one of our senior people was getting overloaded with
consultancy requests, so after some head scratching his daily fee was put
up by a large amount and, to everybody's surprise, the queue size for his
services immediately doubled.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

 




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