On Apr 13, 10:26*pm, T wrote:
On Apr 13, 7:37*pm, Fred Blair wrote:

What are the minimum experience levels required at your club before a
member is allowed to get out of gliding distance back to the home
gliderport, i.e. go cross country?

Thanks,
Fred
Houston, TX

Defining x-c as "outside of gliding distance" back to the club airport
or "more than one thermal away".
We ask our students to stay close, we make sure they have good
thermaling techniques before we encourage them to go farther. Our
mandate is that they don't leave the valley, which keeps them 7 to 10
miles around the airport.
We have 2 dry lakes within 5 miles, this encourages them to "travel"
keeping those lakes within glide, wet/dry lake permitting. We will
aero retrieve from those lakes for the same charge as a tow from the
home airport.

Students don't leave the valley, but they can get away because of the
dry lakes as a safety net. Around here the only place to safely land
is the club airport or the dry lakes. After their check ride, we work
on going to the next valley.

T

Bronze is good.

One of our students (a few years ago), with CFI-G approval and crew,
flew a 100k Kolstad Century flight which helped get her a Kolstad
College Scholarship. (She took the check ride three days later).

This year the Kolstad Scholarship is $5000. 14-20 years old to
qualify. Deadline September 30th.

More at http://www.ssa.org/myhome.asp?mbr=75...w=blog&id=2390

Suggested Schedule for Preparation of the Application:

JUNE

Collect REFERENCES, names and addresses of THREE who have
known the applicant for a reasonably long time.
Gather LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION from soaring acquaintances
(THREE is good).

JULY/AUGUST

STATEMENT by applicant to include:

INVOLVEMENT in SOARING CLUB, SCHOOL, COMMUNITY
Present PLANS for further EDUCATION and eventual VOCATION
SOARING ACHIEVEMENTS
SAILPLANES FLOWN, AWARDS WON, SSA BADGES, FAI, FAA LICENSES

SEPTEMBER

REVIEW and SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

Get those fledglings flying.