Ah, come on Jason, why go halfway with this? Let's get rid of ALL the paper.
What you really need is each club member to have a magnetically coded photo
ID card, a reader in each aircraft, an airswitch, GPS and a transponder
fitted. Then you can jump in the glider (or tug), wave your ID past the
reader, and at the end of the flight the glider/tug will transmit all the
details - time, launch height, duration and pilot - back to the Club
computer, update the necessary logs for yourself and the glider, and take
the cost of the flight from your bank account and credit it to the Club's
account. Wave your card past the reader again at the end of the flight and
it will update your flight currency and endorsement status.
If you try and fly a glider you're not qualified on, or you're out of
currency, or you are due for a check then an alarm and flashing light will
sound, and the tow hook will refuse to open and let you get a launch.
If you are approaching the balance of your bank account, a buzzer gives you
15 minutes warning and then the brakes deploy.
This system would also solve the Secretary's problem of collating annual
statistics for GFA - all automatically sorted and electronically
transmitted.
Gotta think outside the square...
Allan Armistead
Roads, Land Transport
(02) 6274 7315
"When once you have tasted flight, you will always walk with your eyes
turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will always be."
Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Boulter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Friday, 20 April 2001 10:03
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [aus-soaring] Computerised club flight log system
suitablefor pie-cart operations ?
The one I wrote for Camps is good for on the field. But it is not the app it
is the laptop,trg of users etc is the problem. Good old paper is as good as
anything sometimes.
/daveb
Derek Ruddock wrote:
> Actually Jason, the system we use was built specifically to replicate the
paper log system, and to enable use at the launch site if required.
> There would be no problem with using it at the launch site other than the
ones we decided were
> overwhelming, such as security & the lack of power.
>
> In addition, it does have the facility to produce reports such as
> Tug usage
> Instructors hours
> Accounts for members
> The fact that we choose not to avail ourselves of these facilities is
another issue.
>
> If we had 'office people' I daresay we would also have someone to enter
the logsheets at the end of each day: are you offering to volunteer? 8)
>
> >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 20/04/01 0:15:19 >>>
> Hi all
>
> Does anyone have any good ideas about any computerised club flight log
systems that would be suitable for pie-cart operations ?
>
> The basic criteria would have to be:
>
> A. Easy to use (especially in a large club where anyone could be called on
to "run the log")
> B. Low cost - obviously a $5000 notebook PC + $1000 of software loaded is
hardly an ideal solution
> C. Reliable - able to take some bouncing around from end-changes, long
battery life, line-by-line printout of transactions in case of system
failure (so that no data is lost)
> D. Maintainable - easy for the Club to change the membership list, a/c
hire rates, tug rates, etc.
> E. Portable - able to operate off solar charged 12VDC system or
re-chargeable battery that can be charged overnight using the mains in the
clubhouse
>
> My initial thoughts would be that
>
> (a) custom hardware is OUT
> (b) a PC of no more than 286 performance should be able to do the job (a
PC/104 style PC might be OK)
> (c) a laptop / notebook with LCD screen (even B/W) should be ample
> (d) laptop batteries generally last much less than an 8-10 hour flying
day, so connection to a solar charged pie cart 12V car/truck battery *might*
get by depending on the charge rate and current drawn by the PC
> (e) Windows is a CPU power hog and contains lots of features that are
"surplus to requirements", but it is widely available and easy to program -
a DOS-based system should suffice.
> (f) hard disks are a liability and flash ROM disks would be better (use a
daily 3.5 inch floppy drive or serial port for data xfer)
> (g) a simple dot matrix printer is sufficient for printing the journal of
the day's flying
>
> Our Club currently has an off-line flight log program written in MS-Access
which is used for entering data in after the flying day is over (and often
with several weeks lag behind the actual Club flying). Something simpler is
needed for on-field "live" logging and accounting.
>
> I know that GCV Benalla used to get their office people to enter tug and
glider log sheets in at the end of the day and produce lovely printouts of
your flying account, but I've not seen any other club with such a facility.
>
> Any ideas ? Do any clubs in Australia actually do on-field computerised
flight logging / accounting ?
>
> Regards
>
> Jason Armistead
> Club Membership Secretary & Webmaster
> Southern Cross Gliding Club
> Camden, NSW, Australia
> http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gliding/
>
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