Hi Andrew,
any chance of involving the family in your flying adventures? It
would probably mean sacrificing a little of your own flying and a
somewhat greater financial burden but it can pay off big time further
down the track. With 3 kids and a wife who gets airsick easily I know
what it's like, believe me. I was 39 when I (re)started gliding, my
oldest was 11. I made sure that every day I flew they also had at
least a flight, first with someone else and after I got my pax rating
with me. I was lucky that at the time there was another family with
young kids at our club and the kids could play and ride their bikes
together while I went on my early cross-country ventures. If they
hadn't had a flight when (if) I came back they got a flight if they
still wanted (which they usually did, especially my daughter who
couldn't get enough of the "roller-coaster").
Family holidays since then often involved gliding - but not
exclusively. If so the rule was there had to be fun for everyone. Most
gliding clubs and their surroundings have something to offer -
sometimes you just have to look a bit harder or be a little creative.
The rewards?
The unforgettable flights I have been able to share with my wife (who
initially was quite scared and still is challenged by motion sickness)
- flying in formation with a pair of wedgetail eagles who like us
enjoyed a spectacular sunset together in smooth ridge lift,
(out)landing at Wilpena airstrip in the Flinders Ranges, checking out
secluded Murray River beaches from the air and the next day swimming
and basking in the sun there, having our own scenic flight around a
winery and later sampling their reds and menu on a balmy summer night,
and and and...
Showing my daughter the towns and ranges of the Mid North of SA from
the air, flying with her to a neighbouring club for an ice cream and
then back home with a long final glide into the setting sun, showing
her St May Peak from above after we had enjoyed a great hike up there,
hearing her giggle with absolute glee when she pretended to tickle a
curious juvenile wedgetail eagle's belly (yes, it came in THAT
close)...
Watching the kids learn to fly themselves.
Coaching my boys in the leadup to JoeyGlide and watching them have
fun with likeminded youngsters at a few of these comps, team flying
with them from our home club and away somewhere (which invariably
turns into some sort of race - nowadays it's the only sport at which I
still seem to be able to beat them reliably), having fun in a twin
seater together, collecting outlanding/retrieve stories (my oldest
arguably has the family best of those to tell but don't let him know I
wrote that)...
Although I am personally more interested in flying "long" distance
(preferably with a few others as a team) rather than competitions I
whole-heartedly agree with what Rolf Buelter and Simon Holding wrote
about the competition scene.
There are so many ways to enjoy our sport/hobby, once your are at a
reasonable skill level, even without flying the latest and greatest
ship in World Comps. If you are thinking of dropping out - think of
what you'll be missing out on...
Ulrich Stauss
On Sat 28/08/10 17:53 , Andrew Hallam [email protected]
sent:
Hi Simon,
> Andrew, it really shits me when people say that it's hard to learn
to fly competitively in this country.
I didn't mean to imply that my perceptions were influenced by such
opinions. I'm just trying to look at the possibilities pragmatically,
given my personal circumstances. Let's see if I can give you a bit of
a sketch...
Spending time away from family is hard (wife, kids 11 and 14). The
family like to have holidays too, but finding something to do while I
fly isn't their idea of fun. I have a limited amount of money spend on
gliding. I live on the east coast (Wollongong) so there is significant
travel involved to "acclaimed" gliding locations. You know the drill.
I also have a personality type that wants to do things properly. If I
commit to something I like to be able to give it a reasonable go.
Therefore, my thinking is that 40-80 hours per year of flight time
would be ballpark, for me. I perceive that to be low given the stories
I've heard about not being able to fly certain types without 500+
hours logged (which would take me 6-12 years to attain). Perhaps I'm
misunderstanding the experience needed and the opportunities,
particularly in Club Class.
Sounds like I should be seeking coaching opportunities, and not
giving up on competition flying. Where do I find these coach
opportunities? (I've been flying out of Narromine, but it's almost as
easy to get to anywhere from SA to QLD.)
Thanks Rolf, Alan, Simon and Derek for the encouragement.
Andrew
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