At 12:26 PM 20/12/01 +1030, you wrote:
>It is so nice to see you all arguing the merits of operation of your own
>sailplane however spare a thought for those of us who cannot afford to even
>join the hopeless GFA I personally refuse to consider rejoining (when I am
>financial) until the GFA puts AG back as it always was they need to start
>listening to members on this subject but I am not holding my breath!
David,
I completely agree with you re the magazine but the people who make these
decisions won't listen to the membership as they aren't responsible to the
membership becuase they don't stand for election.
>
>As to abinitio training in my opinion it is fine to do it in a glider-the
>idea of a jabiru seems ridiculous to me I started gliding to fly MOTORLESS
>aircraft not to get some sort of pseudo PPL if that s what you want do a PPL
>course.after all how many ordinary people can afford a motor glider?
My thoughts on ab initio training are offered in the interests of
efficiently and inexpensively learning to fly gliders . Add up all the
driving time, the standing around time, the cost of aerotows and glider
hire for relatively short flights and the cost is about the same as
learning to fly GA even though the instruction is "free". There are
exceptions if you have a convenient ridge and a winch like the Adelaide Uni
Club.
The FACT is only a small percentage of people ever finish current gliding
training and become competent cross country glider pilots. It looks like
gliding is cheaper in terms of money paid to the club because it is spread
out and few ever finish.
Gliding is a sport for PILOTS. You need to learn to fly to do it.
Some people take up flying training because they want to fly F18's or 747's
but they all start in suitable trainers.
It's OK to learn to fly in gliders as long you as you have the ground
handling infrastructure - read a bunch of people standing around doing
nothing while you fly and you standing around while they fly. All well and
good if you've nothing better to do and value your and their time at $0 per
hour.
>
>In my opinion gliding is a dying sport due to the narrow-minded and old
>fashioned methods used in both training and general operations.
I agree. I've made my suggestions. What are yours?
It has now
>reached a point where only a rich elite can afford to fly why not address
>this sort of issue than arguing amongst yourselves about what is best for
>the individual operator,come on guys!!!!!Remember Nero fiddled whilst Rome
>burnt.
Part of the problem here is the promotion that the GFA and clubs have done
in the past claiming that gliding is a) safe, b) cheap c) Anyone can do it.
In reality it is none of these.
Pitching it at the wrong economic demographic group is a waste of time for
all concerned. The first thing to realise about aviation is that it costs
more!
>
>Finally I do not think a PPL pilot is as well qualified and tested as a
>glider pilot.Example:How many PPL pilots have ever done a full spin,or a
>real outlaanding in a strange field.Don't bring our standards down to the
>PPL level bring PPL up this will require ppl owners to remove head from you
>know where!
When you've done your GFPT and also unrestricted PPL test I'll listen to
you on this topic. You so obviously haven't got a clue.
A full spin demonstration in gliders where lots of time is spent a few
knots from the stall in turbulent air is a good idea. Power planes are
operated differently.
In both cases the aim is not to spin inadvertently. If you are a glider
pilot who regularly spins inadvertently please continue all the way to the
ground next time. That way you will cease to be a menace to those below you
in thermals.
As for the outlanding, I know of a club that did this by selecting a
kilometer square paddock about 15 km from base and parking the tug in the
corner pointed into wind while "outlanding checks" were done. Any competent
cross country glider pilot could teach you far more in one hour in a Jabiru
or a motor glider.
Mike Borgelt
Borgelt Instruments - manufacturers of quality soaring instruments
ABN 75532924542
Box 7474 Toowoomba M.C.
Queensland 4352
Australia
Tel 0746 355 784
mob 0428 355 784
0429 355 784
fax 0746 358 796
International
phone: int'l+ 61 7 46 355 784
Cellphone:int'l +61 4 28 355 784
int'l +61 4 29 355 784
fax : int'l+ 61 7 46 358 796
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
website:www.ozemail.com.au/~mborgelt
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