Glider Cross-country signoff & FARs

"Michael" wrote in message
om...
(Mark James Boyd) wrote

Clubs and XC operations make it difficult to go XC by making all sorts
of rules that sound reasonable on paper but add up to making it very
difficult or impossible to get permission. Making the XC required

C'mon Michael, the club req's were to have a bronze badge and call on a
Thursday night to reserve the ship for a day on the weekend.

The club currently has a very active bronze badge program and an XC training
and mentoring program.

Things sometimes change for the better.

303pilot brentUNDERSCOREsullivanATbmcDOTcom wrote:

"Michael" wrote in message
. com...
(Mark James Boyd) wrote

Clubs and XC operations make it difficult to go XC by making all sorts
of rules that sound reasonable on paper but add up to making it very
difficult or impossible to get permission. Making the XC required

C'mon Michael, the club req's were to have a bronze badge and call on a
Thursday night to reserve the ship for a day on the weekend.

Well, I still don't have a bronze badge, between a barograph that
broke after a flight and during calibration, lack of O/Os
during the end of my flights, the SSA not sending out
badge packets three months after getting a CFIG, and the shortness
of the silver badge distance flight, I have a Silver badge, but
no bronze badge (but I did take the quiz at least!).

Ask how many of your newbie pilots have flown two hours+ twice,
then how many have a bronze badge, then ask them why they don't.
Paperwork, cost/time/breakage of calibration, lack of equipment
(baro or logger) and lack of O/O's. Of course all of this is
solved by simply increasing the cost/hassle to the pilot...

"303pilot" brentUNDERSCOREsullivanATbmcDOTcom wrote
C'mon Michael, the club req's were to have a bronze badge and call on a
Thursday night to reserve the ship for a day on the weekend.

The club currently has a very active bronze badge program and an XC training
and mentoring program.

Things sometimes change for the better.

How many non-owner pilots are now flying XC?

How many have flown their Silver distance (with or without
documentation) without buying a ship?

If you're going to claim change, show me results.

Michael

My point is I don't think it's the club that's standing in the way of people
getting started going XC.
With the Bronzes earned last season and the winter XC training going on,
this coming season will tell the tale. I think the one other thing a club
would need to do to really encourage XC in club ships would be to have a
solid single seater fleet. The club recently placed an order for another
2-place. I think buying 2 good Libelles or 3 1-34's with the same amount of
$$ would have gone a long way towards really encouraging XC.

The problem with XC flying is that it gets in your blood. If you get the
bug, and then find that the club doesn't have a ship available when you want
to go, you end up being highly motivated to find a way to buy a ship.

Brent

"Michael" wrote in message
om...
"303pilot" brentUNDERSCOREsullivanATbmcDOTcom wrote
C'mon Michael, the club req's were to have a bronze badge and call on a
Thursday night to reserve the ship for a day on the weekend.

The club currently has a very active bronze badge program and an XC
training
and mentoring program.

Things sometimes change for the better.

How many non-owner pilots are now flying XC?

How many have flown their Silver distance (with or without
documentation) without buying a ship?

If you're going to claim change, show me results.

Michael

"303pilot" brentUNDERSCOREsullivanATbmcDOTcom wrote
My point is I don't think it's the club that's standing in the way of people
getting started going XC.
With the Bronzes earned last season and the winter XC training going on,
this coming season will tell the tale.

I seem to recall that I heard the same thing a year ago. Or was it two? Or three?

Michael