On Tue, 24 Mar 2020 16:32:43 -0700, dtarmichael wrote:

There is some merit to the "nest egg" comment. Follow me here. The
sucessful clubs in the world (almost all European) have enjoyed decades
of equity growth in both equipment and experience. These are true clubs
that pool their resources and have a significantly greater experience to
offer members and prospective members. Conversely in the USA we share
almost nothing financially or in knowledge.
A new member must be willing to pay through the nose to train in a
P.O.S. with an "instructor" who's never left the pattern. IF they earn
their certificate they need to bootstrap a cross country program on
their own or retake the same check ride twice and spend their days in
the back of a 2-33 as an "instructor" themselves. The system doesn't
work. Save your stories about how if you did it anyone can do it. The
general public isn't buying it, so I'm not either.
On the bright side there is enough experience to tap into, the proper
aircraft exist. What is needed is people giving back. I see the
entitlement issue differently. Recently a friend claimed to "play in his
own sand box" meaning he had his own glider and was insulated from the
problems soaring faced. That is the entitlement! "I got mine, ****
everyone else!" Until we pool our resources and give back our FAILED
sport will continue to circle the drain in the USA.

Well put, sir!

I'm well aware that I gave myself a good start by joining one of the
larger UK clubs, which had then, and still has, an all-glass fleet and a
large airfield. The two additional things that I didn't know enough to
even consider are that the club has always had a very strong XC culture
and that all our instructors were then, and are now, all XC pilots
themselves. So, its assumed that when you solo, you'll convert to a
single seater almost immediately, will join one of the duty rosters in
return for all the free instruction you've been given, and will have your
beady eyes fixed on getting Bronze and Silver badges as the rite of
passage into becoming a regular XC pilot.

I have some awareness of the differences between clubs on the two sides
of the pond: I've flown at Front Royal, Avenal, Williams, Minden and
Boulder. Of these, Avenal felt most familiar.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org