-----Original
Message-----
From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Arie
Sent: Monday, 20 February 2006 7:24
PM
To: 'Discussion of issues relating to
Soaring in Australia.'
Subject: RE: [Aus-soaring] Soaring
training
Hi
All,
I would like to say David has hit part of the drop out problem on the
head.
I fly at a club were x/c is not possible unless very experience and careful so
the only x/c we do is at camps at other sites, but having said that the club
(Central Coast Soaring Club at Mangrove Mountain NSW) has been in going since
1978 and is still going strong. Sure we loss some members due to the lack of
x/c but they have just moved to other clubs further from home (some are very
well know as well).
We also still have
some of the original members flying with us as well as quite few myself
included who have been with the club 15+ years. We all enjoy have a nice day
with friends and having a bit of fun and most take a soaring flight each week
as a bonus and only expect to get away once a month ( a 1200 – 1400 foot winch
launch 20km from the coast makes it game of luck and skill) (I get a far
ribbing at times for taking 3 launches to get away).
As far as soaring
training our instructors take any opportunity they get
to teach soaring to the students no matter what stage and some of us
experience pilots (instructors and non instructors) also take less experience
pilots for flights in the 2 seaters(club and private) just so they can watch
and learn.
regards,
From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Lawley
Sent: Monday, 20 February 2006 12:17
PM
To: 'Discussion of issues
relating to Soaring in Australia.'
Subject: RE: [Aus-soaring] Soaring
training
Hi All,
All the reasons for dropouts
are coming thru loud and clear on this list: ATTITUDE
The present badge system post C
certificate, is aimed only at x/c flying so has virtually no relevance to the
fun flyer. As we ignore their preferences they leave.
There seems to be in Gliding a
distinct domination by those who prefer contest/x/c flying-particularly
in the management structure.
I suspect there are probaby
lots of people who WOULD simply enjoy the challenge of staying up and
floating around near the airfield and sight seeing
These people I suspect leave
after solo when the mentally taxing and stressful nature of x/c flying is
presented to them as the only option and they are made to feel
inadequate (In a subtle manner)if they do not start down that
path.
Some just may not feel that 4-5
hours in a cramped, hot and often uncomfortable cockpit, with a very high
concentration level not exactly relaxing and fun, strange really
eh?
I have often said that I
only enjoy x/c after the flight is over myself, frequently, much to my
surprise, finding others feel the same way.
There is a constant subtle
pressure that one is expected to perform x/c after solo, and that one is a
lesser pilot if one does not see x/c as the be all and end all of a glider
pilot. I have seen this happen at my own club recently a fellow pilot, who is
not interested in going away from the airfield, is frequently encouraged
to so, despite his clearly stated lack of interest.
As I personally have not seen the
kind of student of which Emilis writes in my 3 phases of flight training at 3
clubs with many different other students, I wonder if there is not some
portion of the pilots whom he talks about who are justified in their
statements. This is a recurring theme in Emilis writing and only
Emilis's over the years, that makes me wonder if it is the student or the
instructor that is the issue. I personally could not wait to get out of the
old clapped out , 30 year old 2 seater and into an pleasant aircraft to fly.
And what is wrong with wanting to
go solo as soon as possible, if safe? Learning thermalling by
myself after solo gave me an excellent feeling of an accomplishment of my
own, defining part of my flying as my own, as did going cross country the
first time and developing my own method.
Another point, more applicable to
SA is the fact that the 2 main aerotow clubs have old nearly hour
expired trainers that are NOT pleasant to fly.(Twin Atirs with 10000+
hours!). I wonder if the dropouts happen after the first single seat flight or
before?
In all honesty, out of
probably 20 instructors I have had only 20% who managed to make me feel
relaxed, and enjoy the process of training subsequently, this alone is
probably part of the issue. Some have damaged my confidence so much in one
flight it has taken several weeks to return to its normal level. How
many never come back?
If we do not get rid of the
X/C is everything attitude, gliding will continue in its decline and
eventually die. My 16 yo son put it best I reckon, he said to me that by the
sound of things gliding has been "Flying straight in sink for more than
20 years", and if it doesn't change course soon there will be a final
outlanding.
The most telling post
is Leigh's rant comparing cardboard wine etc to peoples attitude to
gliding. He talks of peolpe sampling then moving on, well yes of course, the
point being that if the sample does not deliver the goods then they will move
on. Most interesting is the denigration of those who do not make the same
expensive choices as the poster "Readers Digest Life" indeed!(Sorry Leigh).
Personally I like the immersive approach to gliding but that does not mean I
expect everyone to want or need such a large time
commitment..
I suspect that an immersive involvement has a 5 to
1 ratio of flying to actual atendance time, ie 5 hours on site for one hours
flying.(Try adding up your own figuer for this!)
To sum up I feel that unless we
can accept that some folks want different goals than x/c we will continue to
lose these precious trainees.
What is often overlooked is that
at a later date some peolple will, and do return when their
lifestyle/financial position improves. Perhaps we should concentrate more
resources on getting some of the departed back, rather than getting more new
recruits.
As a list member has often said of
people, " You can tell 'em, but you can't give 'em the f.....g brains to think
with."
How appropriate!
PS I have had 6 goes at writing
this and still am not totally convinced I have made clear what im trying to
say, but I had to post this as is because of time
constraints.
Computer Manager
Elizabeth Primary
School
Elizabeth East Prinary
School
From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Emilis
Prelgauskas
Sent: Saturday,
18 February 2006 9:22 AM
To: [email protected];
'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.';
[email protected]; 'Tom Wilksch'
Subject: RE: [Aus-soaring] Soaring
training
On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 19:04:27
+1100, Matthew Gage wrote:
>Does it really matter if
someone takes 2 hours longer to get solo
>than they could have if it
means they have experienced more of what
>is available in the process
?
There is indeed a portion of the
customer base who do wish to solo as quickly as
possible
and accuse the instructors of
all sorts of personal agendas when they don't.
Their goal is to get away from a
2 seater as quickly as possible and permanently.
These people just know
everything about the sport, and their inability to soar is put down to the
inadequacies of committee, site, club, fleet, launch,
weather...
On the other end of the
spectrum, there is scope to introduce low hour pilots to the real payoffs in
having the experience, skill, will to squeeze all the potential out of the
available list above.
The tension between the two is
to find the right level for the individual
pilot.
