On Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 11:15:55 AM UTC-4, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 7:21:59 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Monday, July 13, 2020 at 10:27:22 AM UTC-7, Christopher Schrader wrote:
Volunteer Tow-pilots and CFIG wanted to join Sandhill Soaring Club, a 501(c)(3) not profit gliding club located in Gregory, Michigan, about 30 mins from Ann Arbor, Lansing, and western portions of Greater Metro Detroit.

Fleet: (1) SGS-233; (1) ASK-13; (2) Grob 103 Twin II; (1) DG-505; (1) Open Cirrus; (1) Std. Cirrus; (1) Scheibe SF-25C Motorglider; (1) Piper Pawnee towplane; (1) L-19 Bird Dog towplane (Cessna 305A); (1) Winch

Note About the Fleet: Competent pilot-members may rent club aircraft for use at camps, glider club fly-ins, and SSA Sanctioned Regional and National Contests.

Non-refundable Initiation Fee: $500
Monthly dues for CFIG and Tow-Pilot Specialist Members: $22.50/month

Standard Tow Rate (2,000' AGL): $22

Glider Rates vary from $20-50/hr; see: https://www.sandhillsoaring.org/dues-fees

Website: www.sandhillsoaring.org



For more information, Contact Chris Schrader at (612) 210-5524

Professional Pilots SHOULD be paid to fly. It costs thousands of dollars to acquire ratings, many hours of flying and study time, plus time working to acquire the money for these ratings. The person you are $crewing is the new pilot, the classic young time builder, who simply cannot afford to fly for free, you know BILLS, maybe even loans to pay for those flying ratings. If you are so lucky to be able to do this for free, I suggest you donate the $ you make to a scholarship for a kid to learn to fly. But please do not work at a Commercial operation for free. It cheapen the whole industry. Jmnsho.


I would offer another scenario. I am a commercially rated pilot and I flew rides Sundays at my glider port as part of giving back. I am retired and while I did accept some dollars on my block time, I never looked at what was going in nor did I file all my ride tickets. I had fun and I thought I could help mentor some of the younger pilots. Most did not take me up on the mentoring offer. I even offered to help them study to pass their written tests. Most pilots that work there are paid and it is their only source of income. I was not taking one of those jobs away. Each operation is different. I got more out of my flying for the FOB on my airport than they got from me! Plus I flew those days I would never go to the airport, 26 knot quartering tailwind take offs.

I do believe that the big difference on being compensated or not is commercial operation vs club operation. Commercial operators have employees, clubs have members. Members contribute in many different ways, they all should have the success of the club as their main objective. Sure, we all have club members that somehow find ways to jump in a glider and go fly then get in the auto and drive away.
Recently I sent a member out the door because he refused to take a youth member for his earned lesson, telling the kid that he would not fly with him because he needed an evaluation on his progress. I informed this CFIG, 15 hour wonder that I would no longer tow him with my tow plane, now I wonder how he feels.