>From: "Derek Ruddock" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >What you are overlooking Mike, is that the club scene provides the facility >to fly to those of us who neither have the finances, nor the time nor the >inclination to spend a very substantial amount of money on a pastime. For >those fortunate individuals who are able to buy their own aircraft, the >above scenario would probably fit the bill perfectly, but for the rest of >us, I'm afraid it's the club, or nothing.
More than that, Derek, Mike wouldn't even be able to start with his "...drive to their local airport.." without the GFA and its clubs. I can't think of anywhere in the Sydney basin that would be available for soaring without SX and its fellow clubs and predecessors who have kept Camden open to soaring against very strong pressures at times. A '...few people who own gliders...' wouldn't have stood a chance. Richmond is very controlled and the RAAF, of course, won't deal with individuals. The alternative at Mangrove Mountain is entirely a co-operative effort with countless 'personhours' of picking stones, rolling, weeding and planting before the first glider left the ground. As a field where the Council has banned power operations, it still needs the work of about 6 people to get 1 glider airborne. If Mike seriously wants gliding to have a future, he could start by giving some thought to the fact that there is no such thing as a Saturday morning drive to a local airport (at which gliding is permitted) for 80% of the population of Australia. Graeme Cant >There is nothing to stop you and some like minded individuals from >operating in the above manner is there? Operate a club with fees of 50 >cents per year, find a tuggie & off you go. >Judging by the amount of complaints about their system on >rec.aviation.soaring from our american cousins, I would say our system on >the surface would seem preferable to me, warts & all. >They can't even change the type of radio or vario without getting >documentation and approval from the FAA fields inspectors FFS... > > > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 14/12/01 16:06:47 >>> > >...snip.. > >Now let me share with you my vision of what soaring is about: > >A few people who own gliders in a given location drive to their local >airport on Saturday morning, help each other rig out of the parked trailers >and move the gliders to the runway. Fred, who happens to own an aircraft >suitable as a tug and needs an excuse to fly turns up, launches the >gliders(the ones that don't self launch), which go cross country. Some >hours later the guys finish their final glides land and help each other >derig. They then retire to a local pub for a couple of beers and a sandwich >and go home. Tomorrow looks good so they do it again. All concerned have >PPL's. No club, no clubhouse, no piecart, no club structure with its man >hour overheads, no instructors, no hierarchical system, no GFA (at least as >it is now - see Pincus). They learned to fly at a GA or ultralight school >and got a glider rating at a commercial school. > >.snip > >Mike Borgelt > > >This communication, including any attachments, is confidential and may be >subject to legal professional privilege. If you are not the intended >recipient, you should not read it - please contact me immediately, destroy >it, and do not copy, forward or use any part of this communication or >disclose anything about it. Thank you. > > >-- > * You are subscribed to the aus-soaring mailing list. > * To Unsubscribe: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > * with "unsubscribe aus-soaring" in the body of the message > * or with "help" in the body of the message for more information. > ------------------------------------------------------------ Graeme Cant ------------------------------------------------------------ _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com -- * You are subscribed to the aus-soaring mailing list. * To Unsubscribe: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] * with "unsubscribe aus-soaring" in the body of the message * or with "help" in the body of the message for more information.
