PeterNSteinmetz
Ejection Handle Pulled
Fun to watch.
New promo video for soaring from the SSA
- Thread starter PeterNSteinmetz
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Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe
Touchdown! Greaser!
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Light and Sporty Guy
AA5Bman
Line Up and Wait
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He who ironically no longer flies an AA5B
100%. If it's convenient to you, you should definitely do it. I've noticed it depends a bit on where you live and what the facilities/clubs are available.
Coinneach
Guest
SSA isn't exactly convenient, but it's only an hour and a half drive from home. I asked them once about flying in; they understandably weren't real thrilled with that idea.
AA5Bman
Line Up and Wait
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He who ironically no longer flies an AA5B
That's too bad. Back in the day I kinda sorta got involved with a club where a few of the members would fly their (powered) planes in to the glider field. Seemed like the perfect day to me, and would be an awesome way to go if they would support it.
I'd be curious to get others' experiences with clubs. My impression with soaring clubs is that the ratio of waiting around to actual flying is pretty low. Doable if you're retired or otherwise unencumbered. Not so doable if you have, for instance, two kids and a career and time away from the house is counted in minutes, not days. But, maybe I've misread it.
Seanaldinho
Pattern Altitude
Gliding is definitely a club type environment as you need some sort of ground crew and towing capability. I think it is some of the most fun flying you can do and will teach you different stick and rudder skills.
Every club has a different opinion on flying in, largely depending on where they are located. Some are on regular municipal airports.
Every club is also different on the flying to helping out ratio. Where I flew there were some diehards that would hang around all day and do the "labor" and others would show up, do their flying for an hour or two and then go home. Most clubs have some sort of expectation or requirement that you will volunteer to provide assistance one day every so often as wing walker or tow pilot or some clubs also have an instructor on "duty". Our club also had a compensation system, so for every 10 flights you served as the wing walker or tow pilot on, you got a free tow yourself.
Talk to the clubs convenient to you and go for a discovery flight. Odds are one of them is having a bbq or pancake breakfast in the near future too.
Every club has a different opinion on flying in, largely depending on where they are located. Some are on regular municipal airports.
Every club is also different on the flying to helping out ratio. Where I flew there were some diehards that would hang around all day and do the "labor" and others would show up, do their flying for an hour or two and then go home. Most clubs have some sort of expectation or requirement that you will volunteer to provide assistance one day every so often as wing walker or tow pilot or some clubs also have an instructor on "duty". Our club also had a compensation system, so for every 10 flights you served as the wing walker or tow pilot on, you got a free tow yourself.
Talk to the clubs convenient to you and go for a discovery flight. Odds are one of them is having a bbq or pancake breakfast in the near future too.
PeterNSteinmetz
Ejection Handle Pulled
A lot of times if you coordinate with them, for example landing before the gliders start being taken out in the AM, it can work fairly well. I drive about 45 mins to the Gliderport here in Phoenix.
