Mike Borgelt wrote:
As you well know there are such things as self launching motor gliders. Why
should these not be operated the same as an RAAus member operates?
Well - they can be - but not whilst on the GFA registry. I have been
interested in the latest two seat motor gliders (in particular the
Pipistrel Taurus) but as that is not JAR22 certified. The GFA has been
'looking at' non-JAR 22 certified gliders for some time (measured in
years) and there is still no ruling. I can purchase a non-JAR 22 glider
and register it as an ultralight but I then cannot fly it as a glider,
train glider pilots in it or fly it in gliding compeitions. All of which
makes purchasing it a bit pointless as far as a glider pilot is concerned.
Clubs are quite sensibly saying they won't be responsible for operations by
individuals away from the home field although that is a joke really as
their members disappear over the horizon on cross countries.
That is not the same and you know it. However, it is relevant to the
'duty instructor' issue and I feel that the current system where the
level 2 on duty is 'responsible' for all activity that start and/or ends
at 'his/her' airfield is no longer appropriate. For people based
permanently away from the club, there has to be another solution which
does not leave the club in the legal firing line if things go seriously
wrong.
For that matter why should anyone with a current PPL need to be a member of
anything? Provided you have the appropriate "design feature" endorsement in
your logbook ("no engine") you should be able to fly. A PPL holder can pile
as many people as fit in the plane and takeoff for Perth on only his own
say so. Why does a glider pilot need constant supervision?
They don't. However, gliding operates in a paternalistic environment
which assumes we are all children that won't do the right thing unless
checked up on all the time.
There may be people who form gliding clubs to buy better gliders than they
can afford for themselves, others may form a club just to buy a launch
means, others may simply form an informal group and organise a launch or
simply self launch. Other clubs may exist to provide gliding training.
There may be commercial operations to do the same. Forming any kind of
formal club invokes serious administrative overheads which may simply be a
waste of time and effort in many cases.
Unfortunately at present GFA requires every club to be a training and
supervisory organisation. Some clubs have gone out of business as a result
of this when the numbers dropped or the ONE instructor left town.
Good point - and one that is based firmly in the history of the GFA in
the growth phase of gliding when every club was a training organisation.
--
Robert Hart [EMAIL PROTECTED]
+61 (0)438 385 533 http://www.hart.wattle.id.au
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