New CFI today..congratulations

Steve Sickle is a new CFI with Sundance Aviation, a huge asset to Ricks
outstanding operation.

Congrats to Steve! From line boy to CFIG in just 5 years. Well done!

Dan


On 5/4/2016 10:40 PM, Loye Hilton wrote:
Steve Sickle is a new CFI with Sundance Aviation, a huge asset to Ricks
outstanding operation.



--
Dan, 5J

On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 9:55:44 AM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
Congrats to Steve!* From line boy to CFIG in just 5 years. Well
done!

I had the pleasure of taking a field checkout at Harris Hill from (then) 18 year old CFI-G Noah Reitter last May.

I like the idea of developing young pilots into CPL 'glider ride' wage-earning pilots. That makes for a viable path forward for the young people and for the sport. Some old timer CPLs might turn over their positions to younger pilots. The young pilots will probably move to new locations as their lives unfold, but at least the next generation is established.

For similar reasons, I support developing young pilots into CFI-G and I think the glider community should start paying our CFI-Gs at clubs to make that a more viable path for young people. Take part of the lesson fee and fund flying stipends for line crew, so younger kids can continue to learn to fly at affordable rates. Older folks who want to take glider flying lessons, can pony up, maybe cut back on their potato chip expenditures to pay for lessons.

My club's line crew program and summer camps produce a steady stream of under-20 PPL-Glider pilots. Some club members have started talking about developing a couple of them into the next generation of CPLs and CFI-Gs. They will 'move away', so for this long term strategy to work, other clubs need to step up.

Think about it. How many of today's CFI-Gs are getting close to retiring? Where are their replacements?

Steve is a bald headed, white bearded, tattooed biker who's pushing 60
years old (if not already there). I like what you said about bringing
up the youngsters through the ranks but, this time, it was different.


On 5/5/2016 9:30 AM, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 9:55:44 AM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
Congrats to Steve! From line boy to CFIG in just 5 years. Well
done!
I had the pleasure of taking a field checkout at Harris Hill from (then) 18 year old CFI-G Noah Reitter last May.

I like the idea of developing young pilots into CPL 'glider ride' wage-earning pilots. That makes for a viable path forward for the young people and for the sport. Some old timer CPLs might turn over their positions to younger pilots. The young pilots will probably move to new locations as their lives unfold, but at least the next generation is established.

For similar reasons, I support developing young pilots into CFI-G and I think the glider community should start paying our CFI-Gs at clubs to make that a more viable path for young people. Take part of the lesson fee and fund flying stipends for line crew, so younger kids can continue to learn to fly at affordable rates. Older folks who want to take glider flying lessons, can pony up, maybe cut back on their potato chip expenditures to pay for lessons.

My club's line crew program and summer camps produce a steady stream of under-20 PPL-Glider pilots. Some club members have started talking about developing a couple of them into the next generation of CPLs and CFI-Gs. They will 'move away', so for this long term strategy to work, other clubs need to step up.

Think about it. How many of today's CFI-Gs are getting close to retiring? Where are their replacements?

--
Dan, 5J

On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 12:04:26 PM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
Steve is a bald headed, white bearded, tattooed biker who's
pushing 60 years old (if not already there).* I like what you said
about bringing up the youngsters through the ranks but, this time,
it was different.

So a 50+ year old 'line boy'?

On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 11:30:52 AM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:

Think about it. How many of today's CFI-Gs are getting close to retiring? Where are their replacements?

Five new CFI-Gs in my club in last 6 months.

-Evan

On Thu, 05 May 2016 11:05:56 -0700, son_of_flubber wrote:

On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 12:04:26 PM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
Steve is a bald headed, white bearded, tattooed biker who's
pushing 60 years old (if not already there).Â* I like what you
said about bringing up the youngsters through the ranks but, this
time, it was different.

So a 50+ year old 'line boy'?

What's unusual about that? At most UK clubs the ab initios are encouraged
to help out round the launch point regardless of how old or young they
are. The benefits in terms of launch rate, and hence more flying for
students, may be more apparent at a winching operation site: yes, the
winch driver *can* hop out of his cab, pull the cables out, drive back,
climb back in and launch the next two gliders (two drum winch), but even
one extra person driving the cable truck make a huge difference to the
launch rate, especially at times when there's a launch line and someone
is prepared to stay with the truck and chase the second glider up the
field until the line has been launched.

18 launches an hour is quite possible, and fun to achieve, with a
dedicated truck driver, and a good launch marshal. Add a couple more
people to help getting glider on line and running a golf cart or two to
collect landed gliders and you can keep this rate up as long as needed -
very useful for group trial flights evenings.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 12:05:57 PM UTC-6, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 12:04:26 PM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
Steve is a bald headed, white bearded, tattooed biker who's
pushing 60 years old (if not already there).* I like what you said
about bringing up the youngsters through the ranks but, this time,
it was different.

So a 50+ year old 'line boy'?

It is actually a fine inspirational story of desire and hard work to become a soaring pilot.

Steve got involved later in life, and ran the line and did other general duties for Rick in order to support and advance his soaring interests, while working another job.

Mike

On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 2:52:33 PM UTC-4, Martin Gregorie wrote:
On Thu, 05 May 2016 11:05:56 -0700, son_of_flubber wrote:

So a 50+ year old 'line boy'?

What's unusual about that?

Nothing. Calling Steve a 'Line boy' just made me think he was a young person. Confusion resolved.

Yup, and we love. I believe he'll be transitioning to our main duty
instructor in coming months and what a great upgrade it is for him!
BTW, the "boy" in line boy is a figure of speech. It's too bad that we
don't have any youngsters around, but that seems to be the nature of a
commercial operation. The young folks we see at the airport tend to go
to the ABQ Soaring Club, as they should.


On 5/5/2016 12:05 PM, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 12:04:26 PM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
Steve is a bald headed, white bearded, tattooed biker who's
pushing 60 years old (if not already there). I like what you said
about bringing up the youngsters through the ranks but, this time,
it was different.
So a 50+ year old 'line boy'?

--
Dan, 5J