If you ever read Phil Boyer's (AOPA guy) article about the problem
with too much airplane traffic, he wrote:

"It's more runways, stupid."

I laughed my ass off when I read that. So in the same vein, I'll
say US soaring has plenty of gliders, plenty of instructors, plenty
of tugs, plenty of gliderports...

What we need is more PILOTS!

I've noticed as we are slowly getting more pilots at Avenal,
instructors are slowly emerging from the woodwork. As I've
harped soaring, three of my friends have become towpilots at
Hollister, and all have soloed or licensed. Two of these
are eager to become SP glider instructors. Heck, the FAA
glider guy in our area has become one of the more supportive
boosters in our area. One of my other friends with a 182
is eying a schweizer towhook I bought.

So we are definitely ready for any huge influxes of pilots.

But where are they?

Steve Hill wrote:
Bill Daniels wrote: Without enthusiastic instructors, there is no sport of
soaring.

I guess my only two cents to that comment Bill...is that I have yet to hear
of many clubs where "soaring" is taught. Perhaps in Europe, but not in the
U.S. Here is seems that CFIG's have their hands full teaching people to
operate the basic training glider ie 2-33 or Blanik to their version of
passing the Practical Test Standards. For virtually anyone wanting to fly
sailplanes, it is far more time efficient to simply become an ASEL private
pilot and then transition to gliders, than it is to just pursue a Private
Glider license, I believe.

Depends. If you live 100 miles from a gliderport, and count in the commute
time, this is perhaps true. If you live 20 miles from a gliderport,
and you offer to pay the CFIG the same rate as you'd pay the ASEL CFI,
you'll get a glider rating in a jiffy. Oh, and offer to pay the FBO
the same hourly rate as you would for an airplane, too. You'll see the
owner snap to attention. Free donuts even.

You certainly can schedule time much more easily and there are far more
places to participate and get trained.

Absolutely. ASEL vs. glider instructors is 30:1. And GA airports are
all around. 300 in calif. (I've been to 250). There are about 30
gliderports.

And really ...honestly...without
meaning to offend all the CFIG's, don't you sorta think we learn the art of
"soaring" by more of an osmosis type approach...??

Soaring, yes. Gliding, no. Soaring is heavily about weather.
And learning soaring weather is like eating an elephant: it looks
easy from a distance, but up close it gets messy, and takes a long time.

I think we teach people
the basics, but in most clubs I think you'd be hard to pressed to find an
instructor with a Gold Badge under his belt...

Hahaha...I've done a 300km flight. But on a predeclared course with a
OO and a logger that worked? No way! C'mon, figuring out how to
get a Gold badge should be a license in itself! Lots of black magic
involved. Who was the instructor who had dozens of 300km flights
and then found a 1-34 lying around with a logger and finally said
"What the heck?" The badge rules are utter spaghetti crap.

or one who loves cross country
flying...I know there are places where those traits are more common, but I'm
not sure if just having enthusiastic instructors is enough...

First you get the money, then you get the power, THEN you
get the weather Enthusiasm and skills are good, fantastic weather
is better. You either live near it, or you travel to it. Ahhhh...
travelling to it, there's a rub...

I've thought
for some time now, that for the sport to flourish in any way, what we really
need is more of a two stepped teaching program. One in which the basic PTS
is taught and tested to....and then more of an advanced instructor for
taking people into cross country soaring and then into racing if they so
desire...

True. I liked the Hollister Mad Dash idea. The longest flight gets
a free retrieve. I think this (local) award really pushed Hollister soaring
to an amazing level. It went from a pretty local flying gig to coordinates
of known "elevators", landout charts, graphics of flight paths, some wave
off the back of peaks, the Panoche remote landout, etc. It was like watching
a group chart out and conquer the North Pole. I mean REALLY sophisticated
stuff, and a very lively and energetic bunch. Between HGC for
license, and BASA for soaring, Hollister really turned it up a notch.

This despite being 50%-80% more expensive than Avenal. The difference?
20 miles from a huge million plus population vs. 100 miles away.

as it is, we basically teach ourselves and learn from those above
us who are generous enough to act as mentors...Eric Greenwell, Rudy Alleman,
Gary Boggs all those sort up here in Washington and Oregon who patiently
answer all my dumb questions and encourage me to try...the ones who share
their knowledge...that's what we need more of...

I'm astounded by how much study is rewarded in soaring. It
really appeals to the engineering side of me. And the librarians
are also often the authors. I'm trying to remember how many links I've
been pointed to.

I always get a little existential about soaring, but I think if it's going
to change, that Instructors have to become the Life Blood of the
SPORT....

Broaden your mind, grasshopper. There's Instructors, and then theres
instructors. FAA shmeffaaa. Many of my mentors didn't have
no stinkin' license or badges...

not just the Practical Test Standards side of things...but active
involved members of the sport of soaring. the Sport of Cross Country Soaring
and the Sport of Sailplane Racing...

License, X-C, and racing are increasing capabilities. But be real he
each requires a more demanding level of endurance. And I mean not
only physically and mentally, but financially and with free time.
It's not easy for the (non-retired) average pilot to get the time
to go soaring. We all know how most soaring pilot sick days get used...

I guess for the first time in a long while I better suit up with the "Flame
Suit" Mark Jame s Boyd always carries with him....but still...it is a point
worth discussing.

Hahaha...I just paint my body with asbestos and let 'er rip! I love
stirring a little poopoo once in a while to get the guys in the group to
set out some stronger opinions. Am I a troll? Perhaps...
Even Lennie (God bless him) is important,
because he's just like one of the guys at YOUR gliderport (you know who).

Be Gentle...it's my first negative comment.

More pilots. Period.

As Dr. Fankenstein said: "Raw materials. I need MORE raw materials!!!"

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Mark J. Boyd