Cheapest Club (was Best Gliding Club Website)

U=BFytkownik Bob Lepp w wiadomooci do grup =
dyskusyjnych =
gle.com...
Wow! Janusz, what other income does the club have? Anything from
government or commercial sources? How can you offer free flying with
tow fees that likely don't cover the fuel costs alone?

Well, it's true that the club gets a good amount of funds every year =
from the mayor of Czestochowa, but the most of it's property has been =
inherited after the communism era (probably the only bright side of this =
dark system). In these days all the clubs in Poland were funded and =
backed by government. In return they were the kindergarten for the =
military pilots... One of it's symptoms was that the medical =
requirements for glider pilots were almost the same as for the MiG =
pilots. I remember that even after the communism fell, in 1994 when I =
was been trained for the first solo, for my ab-initio course, including =
theory and board (who wanted could sleep in the guesthouse at the afld) =
I had to pay the equivalent of 100US$. Now the course (including =
theory) which consists of some 50 flights costs some 900US$.

All the club gliders except for one PW-5 were bought by govt and then =
handed to the club. Now, we only operate them, and there are no =
prospects for new gliders coming to the club's hangar unless they are =
privately owned. The worst thing is that the wooden SZD gliders in =
Poland have to be inspected every 200h / 3 years which expires the =
first. Every inspection costs around 1000$ and there are at least 6-7 =
gliders which must be inspected every year.

Also, as You noted, the cost of fuel may be not covered by the fees. If =
the Wilga burns some 55l / h and the fuel price per litre is almost the =
same like the price for gallon in the US... In my opinion it's just =
eating away club's capital. :-/ I continuously appeal to look for a =
winch, which should dramatically lower the costs, but it seems there's =
noone listening. I feel it will end in a few years, and we'll be forced =
to take the western model with the privately owned gliders, maybe with =
one doubleseater owned by the club for training purposes and a winch, =
because using the towplane consumes heaps of dollars.

That's how it looks here... As long as the government / municipality =
helps, it works better or worse. When it ends, it will be the end of the =
club too.

Regards,


--=20
Janusz Kesik

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