Culture change works by means of advocacy. Often times a single
individual can make the difference. It can be an effective way of
dealing with procedural issues and establishing best (or at least
better) practices. Towing, signals, checklists (multiple), oxygen
systems, electrical systems, parachutes, radio procedures, patterns
and suchlike are examples of areas in which best practices and
advocacy of same can be a huge benefit to safe operation. All of
these areas have all been the subject of articles in Soaring Mag,
etc. Plenty of resources. Add will power and advocacy, stir well.

I picked out an issue with my club last year that was so appalling I
can't bear to repeat it here. I mentioned it to a couple of "wheels"
and got zero traction, so I appointed myself the advocate and charged
ahead. People whined: I was asking them to spend money on stuff they
didn't think they needed. Less than $200 a head, I might add. But
mostly they gave in and bought the stuff they needed and those that
did later commented along the lines of "you know, that was smart, it
worked". So this year, I have some help and I expect the advocacy to
become self perpetuating.

I've got my next issue picked out. I'm not going to act on that one
until I am certain that the first is well and truly fixed. Only so
much "political capital" to spend, y'know.

But at best, this is a partial solution. As Kirk points out, we have
a pretty serious safety culture in contest soaring, and it mostly
works at preventing what can be prevented by good procedures. It's
been a long time since we had a take off crash due to improper
rigging. We've fiddled the rules semi-endlessly to try to reduce
hazards associated with starts, finishes and turnpoints and it's
pretty much worked as expected. We still have way too many crashes,
but they seem related to judgement, not to crappy procedure. Can my
supposed good judgement keep me safe? I'm not as certain as I used to
be. I have two dead friends *this month* that seemed to me to have
been serious, safety conscious, conservative pilots, arguably better
examples of safety mindedness than myself. One spins in from pattern
altitude over the airport, the other hits trees on final to what
should have been a routine off field landing in what looks (from
satellite pics and terrain map) to be the friendliest, easiest, most
landable task area in North America. The only semi-unusual factor in
both cases happens to be high wind (25 - 30 kts). These are serious
WTF moments for me. And my family. I'd really like to figure this
out.

-Evan Ludeman / T8