M B wrote:
Is it my understanding that the winch drivers
at these operations make NOTHING? No money at all?

Hmmm...in the USA, even the clubs where the
aerotow pilots do it for free, there is still SOME
benefit. Either they are building time, or they get
to
rent the towplane for cheap on non-soaring days,
or they get free training to be towpilots (which they
can then use to prove experience at a for-profit operation).

I would think that at least SOME of the winch operations
pay SOMETHING. Even $1 or $2 a launch...

If not, I'm not surprised it is unpopular duty. Do
they
get a free BBQ dinner or something at least?



We don't pay for instruction, tractor driving, making meals, fixing
gliders, mowing the runways, retrieving gliders etc - why should we pay
the winch driver. All these duties are part of the smooth running of
the club and if somebody does not want to do his part - then he will
not fit into the club atmosphere.

All members are expected to go solo on the winch just after going solo
on the glider. The result is that there are plenty of experienced winch
drivers so nobody ends up spending the whole day on the winch. We
prefer to train on the winch only after the student has gone solo on
the glider because we wish the winch driver to have a fair knowledge of
what is going through the pilot's mind at each stage of the launch.

We pay the equivalent of US$3.33 per launch - so there is no spare
money to pay somebody to drive the winch without putting the costs up
for everybody. The result is the best glider fleet in Africa and
probably the cheapest rates in the world. Where else can you fly an ASW
20 at US$0.15/minute.

Clinton
LAK 12
www.ggc.co.za