It is sad, but easy to understand. 'If a dog is owned
in partnership, the dog will starve.' -- An old saying
that illustrates that every one wants someone else
to take responsibility. Club might not be insured.
The trailers might not be maintained. The license
plates for the trailers might not be up to date. The
members don't want the glider gone that long because
someone else wants a flight., etc.

We solved the problem, partially, by buying a PW-5
and encouraging its use for X/C with the normal time
limit of 1 hour excused for badge flights and X/C flights.
Another way is for 2-4 people to buy an old, cheap
glider together. It is not ideal, but at least you
can do the Silver and pursue Gold flights on occasion.
It is better to have a low performer and fly lots
than to have a super machine and be limited in the
amount of flying you can do.


Having instructors who do X/C is a must or it will
never really happen.

At 20:42 29 September 2004, Mat Redsell wrote:
I have been very concerned about our club, which discourages
cross country
in club gliders. My thought is that purpose of soaring
is cross country and
if one just concentrates on flying above the airport
then ones member ship
tends to end when you have your license.

We have many airports withing a 15 miles radius and
many flat fields with
always an option of landing in cut hay fields, harvested
bean and corn
fields etc. There is no lack of good landing fields
or airports.

Our board is composed of pilots who do not go cross
country and surprisingly
none of the instructors have flown cross country (
there may be an
exception.... but none I know of have gone recently).
And I am not allowed
to teach since I insist on wearing a parachute for
both student and
instructor. ( I have in the past provided a chute for
the student).

The thought at our club is that if you want to go
cross country you buy
your own ship... a rasther harsh reality for many pilots.

I have found surprisingly ( tonque in cheek here) that
if there is lift at
the airport we fly from there is usually lift 10 to
50 miles away but I have
no way of convincing our board members.

Can anyone give me some ideas.... and do other clubs
let their ships for
short cross country runs?

-mat
--
Marske Flying Wings
http://www.continuo.com/marske