Future Aviation Pty. Ltd. wrote:
*1) How is your club handling the issue of soaring training? *
Students are introduced to soaring as soon as possible - predominantly
on their first and/or second flight. During the pre-solo stage,
instructors will use opportunities in the pre-solo syllabus to further
soaring training - for example during training covering turning,
acquiring adequate stick/rudder coordination, stalling/spinning
demonstrations and training etc.. When 'circuit bashing' it is also
frequently useful to give a student a break by going soaring for a while.
The post solo syllabus also presents many opportunities to cover soaring
as an 'add on' to other exercises.
Whilst all this is going on, students see club and private gliders
leaving on XC flights on every day XC flying is possible (non XC days
are a rarity on the Darling Downs, even in winter). They see club and
private gliders participating in the monthly mini competition and
departing for state and other competitions. They are encouraged to
participate in the mini comps in a two seater from the moment they join
the club (we've had people a long way from solo experiencing XC this way).
DDSC has a club XC rating system (restricted and open). To obtain each
of these a dual XC with an XC rated instructor (most, but not all
instructors are on the XC panel) is required. This provides people with
a 'step up' into XC and makes leaving the airfield a bit easier. These
ratings test ground preparation, out field landings, paddock selection,
navigation, radio, rules of the air, soaring and also provide an
excellent opportunity for more advanced soaring training during the flights.
We now have two level 1 coaches at DDSC and run the Glidefast coaching
program across weekends. We are also using this to mentor pilots and
provide theory lectures during week long programs (including visiting
pilots).
**
*2) Roughly what percentage of new recruits are leaving without ever
**enjoying *
* a cross-country flight** or seeing the full potential **of** our
marvellous sport?*
I would like to say none - but I expect that there has been the
occasional person who drops out before they experience XC flying.
**
*3) Do members of this newsgroup** think that we can lift the
retention rate by *
* providing** better pre-solo soaring **training**?*
Better training might help - but what is really needed is better
articulation of post solo training into the pre-solo syllabus. By this I
mean that from the very outset, students need to be aware that 'going
solo' is NOT the end point of training. This requires that the right
messages are given from the very beginning of a persons /ab initio/
training and they have a clearly laid out path that leads to the
acquisition of their open XC rating (or whatever a particular club
requires before a pilot is allowed to XC anywhere in range of the club's
home site).
--
Robert Hart [EMAIL PROTECTED]
+61 (0)438 385 533 http://www.hart.wattle.id.au
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