Soaring Product Training at SSA Convention

Hi,

In 2005 the SSA setup the first "Soaring Software Academy" the day before
the SSA convention. It was a huge success with 100 to 200 guests at the
free training.

In 2006 we broadened the "Soaring Product Academy" training to include SN10
and LX7007 hardware training in addition to Soaring Pilot, SeeYou, StrePla
and WinPilot software products. However, the turnout was much less than in
2004. I believe that those that attended found it to be very useful. I
think the lower turnout was partly due to the repeat of the training from
the previous year, and less promotion by myself in the weeks preceding the
event. I wonder if a few posts on r.a.s. a week in advance would have
helped...?

The SSA has asked me if a room should be reserved for a day of training at
the 2007 Soaring Convention in Memphis, TN on Wednesday, Feb. 7th. I have
mixed feelings. I would be glad to do training, but due to the lower
turnout last year, I wonder if it may make sense to take a year off. I will
be there setting up my booth on that day in any event, so I'm willing, but
it is a lot of work on a very busy day. If people feel that the training is
valuable then I would be glad to participate. I imagine the previous
speakers would also be glad to do it, but I haven't asked them yet. I
imagine we could find some new speakers as well. Perhaps new topics on
popular products such as Cambridge 302 or LX Colibri training would bring
new students.

Important Note
Last year I offered to help the SSA schedule the speakers and the SSA
received several angry phone calls from a few of my competitors stating that
if I setup the event they feared that I would not be fair to them. Other
competitors stated that they appreciated that was trying to help and bending
over backwards to accommodate them. I passed the ball back to Gaynell
Temple at the SSA and that seemed to help things settle down. This year I
don't want to make that mistake. I am not planning to schedule the
speakers. Gaynell can do that. But I do want to help get the ball rolling.

Gaynell has asked me whether a room should be set aside for training again
this year. I thought it would make sense to poll r.a.s. readers to see if
they think the training should occur this time around, and ask for potential
topics of interest. I have asked Gaynell whether 2 rooms could be made
available this year, because some of the topics could go longer and we have
more topics than the time would allow in a single room.

The training day is intended as a day for product training, not marketing or
sales presentations. It is designed to help customers get the most out of
their soaring products. However, many past students have been using the day
to figure out which product they want to buy, which is fine of course.

Below are some topics I'd be glad to do if there is interest. I certainly
don't need to be the trainer for all of them. I think it makes sense to
pick topics that will get a sufficient number of students.

- LX Colibri training - This has never been covered in detail at this
event. It would cover uploading waypoints, airports, setting up tasks,
entering pilot data, task declarations, etc.

- Cambridge 302, 302A and 303 training - This has never been covered at
this event. It would cover using the 300 Utility on a PC and Pocket PC to
upload waypoints, task declarations, download flight logs, etc. 302
settings, using a 303 LCD navigation display. Using a 302 or 302A with a
PDA. Etc.

- Borgelt B500 training - This would also be a new topic. It would cover
setting up the B500, doing a firmware upgrade, creating a waypoint file and
sending it to the B500, and using the GCD display unit in flight.

- Glide Navigator II training

- StrePla (for PC) training

- pocket*StrePla training

- SeeYou Training - I'd love to do this one, but it would probably be done
by Roy McMaster and Andrej from SeeYou.

- SeeYou Mobile training (my SeeYou Mobile training CDs will be ready
before the convention) - I'd love to do this one, but it would probably be
done by Roy McMaster and Andrej from SeeYou.

- ILEC SN10 training - Creating waypoint and airspace files, entering and
flying a task, turn area tasks, etc.

Other topics that have been popular in the past.
- WinPilot
- WinPilot 3D
- Soaring Pilot software (for Palm Devices)

Please make a posting here on r.a.s. if you are interested in attending any
of these or any other topics. I will recommend them to Gaynell Temple and
she can work out who will speak and when.

Thank you,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com

This is a very valuable and worthwhile event that should be continued.

The "room next door" training option provided by Roy McMaster and
Andrej from SeeYou where they could address specific questions with
hands on hardware was outstanding.

Paul,

I would enjoy the chance to attend some of the sessions.
I would be interested in:

CAI 302
GN II
Volkslogger (I know it wasn't mentioned)
Borgelt B500
See You

Any possibility of holding the sessions on Friday or
Saturday?

Any possibility of attendees sending the presenters
questions that maybe they could provide answers for
during the presentation, or create a 'FAQ' list?

Thanks,
Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA

With "everything" going on at the SSA, is there even going to be a
convention in 2007?
RRR


Ray Lovinggood wrote:
Paul,

I would enjoy the chance to attend some of the sessions.
I would be interested in:

CAI 302
GN II
Volkslogger (I know it wasn't mentioned)
Borgelt B500
See You

Any possibility of holding the sessions on Friday or
Saturday?

Any possibility of attendees sending the presenters
questions that maybe they could provide answers for
during the presentation, or create a 'FAQ' list?

Thanks,
Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA

wrote:
With "everything" going on at the SSA, is there even going to be a
convention in 2007?

Given the sizable non-refundable deposits required for convention
facilities, it is cheaper at this point to have the convention, than to
not have it...

Please note that instructors attending the re-validation
clinic never get to take advantage of this event.

At 16:12 11 September 2006, Jke wrote:

This is a very valuable and worthwhile event that should
be continued.

The 'room next door' training option provided by Roy
McMaster and
Andrej from SeeYou where they could address specific
questions with
hands on hardware was outstanding.

Hi Ray,

Saturday and Sunday training will be impossible for me because I'll be very
busy in my tradeshow booth.

Feel free to send specific questions to the presenters and I'm sure they
will come prepared to answer the questions or demostrate the desired
process.

Paul Remde

"Ray Lovinggood" wrote in
message ...
Paul,

I would enjoy the chance to attend some of the sessions.
I would be interested in:

CAI 302
GN II
Volkslogger (I know it wasn't mentioned)
Borgelt B500
See You

Any possibility of holding the sessions on Friday or
Saturday?

Any possibility of attendees sending the presenters
questions that maybe they could provide answers for
during the presentation, or create a 'FAQ' list?

Thanks,
Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA

Hi,

It is my opinion and desire that the SSA will survive and the convention
will go on. Time will tell.

Paul Remde

wrote in message
oups.com...
With "everything" going on at the SSA, is there even going to be a
convention in 2007?
RRR


Ray Lovinggood wrote:
Paul,

I would enjoy the chance to attend some of the sessions.
I would be interested in:

CAI 302
GN II
Volkslogger (I know it wasn't mentioned)
Borgelt B500
See You

Any possibility of holding the sessions on Friday or
Saturday?

Any possibility of attendees sending the presenters
questions that maybe they could provide answers for
during the presentation, or create a 'FAQ' list?

Thanks,
Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA

Hi Nyal,

I wish I had a good solution for that. But I already have my plane ticket,
so changing the timing of the event would be expensive for me.

Paul Remde


"Nyal Williams" wrote in message
...
Please note that instructors attending the re-validation
clinic never get to take advantage of this event.

At 16:12 11 September 2006, Jke wrote:

This is a very valuable and worthwhile event that should
be continued.

The 'room next door' training option provided by Roy
McMaster and
Andrej from SeeYou where they could address specific
questions with
hands on hardware was outstanding.

In 2006 we broadened the "Soaring Product Academy" training to include
......

snip...

What? No training in the software that has been used at each and every
sanctioned soaring contest in the US since the year 2000?