With other lurkers I have been tracking the thread of interest by Derek, Mike & others on how to get gliding. My reaction is that none of the options raised by each of the correspondents are mutually exclusive. And that each requires an individual decision by the individual pilot. The chat seems to cover 2 corners of the triangle, with the other corner (not surprisingly) not represented directly on this list. (Making it a triangular boxing ring?!:-)
In one corner the pilots who want to go flying. Characterised by private pilots prepared to go to the effort to secure their own site, launch facilities and fleet. (Sounds a bit like Emilis at Monarto). In the next corner pilots who want a traditional club environment; possibly because this supplies them with all the above without effort; or because it provides a different social environment to the above group; and the pay-in is personal effort in an inefficient environnment where that effort often is dissipated and wasted by people doing, undoing, crossdoing.... (still sounds like Emilis & friends at Monarto) In the third corner (alluded to in the thread but not directly represented) is the public customer. Who ring Emilis and ask 'tell me what deal you can offer me', or say 'if you give me a free introductory flight I'll consider becoming a club member', or usually start with 'my husband has always wanted to go gliding..... I suspect that is where the suggestions of commercial environment come in. These enquiries don't suit either private or club flying. The heat in the thread comes from the resources sucked out of the sport by the commercial customer who has been serviced by the amateur club; and has then gone away telling others how gliding doesn't achieve the 'acceptable standard', while having got the flying they wanted at a substantial discount, and having left behind an impoverished club with worn out club members. In this corner of the boxing ring there is a place for the glider pilot building their hours who doesn't mind wearing the blue slacks, tie and light blue shirt with epaulets. And the on-call winch driver. These fit at private gliding site, traditional club and commercial centre alongside the normal activities at each. That category of professional glider pilot can take the load off the gliding activities imposed by these 'members for the time being' (as the insurance policies call them) and let glider pilots get on with getting the gliding of their choice. For 2002 possibly, we should each in our own preferred sphere be actively identifying and giving room within our gliding operations to the professional glider pilot. -- Emilis Prelgauskas B.ARCH ARAIA [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- * 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.
