How to Get A Flying Day Going

All,

We all want to have a flying day that matches up with our desires. This is not always possible and I can understand your (and my) frustration when your email about flying on a certain day is greeted with silence or no commitments.

This has mostly to do with Sky Soaring being a club run by you and me (busy volunteers) and not a commercial (i.e. money making) operation waiting breathlessly to provide you with their services.  We, every one of us, provide the services of our club.  To paraphrase a Mandalorian, “This is the way – of  glider clubs and unlike general aviation”.  Everyone needs to help breath life into a glider club – but life can get in the way.

Here are a few ideas to possibly help you getting a flying day going;

Weekend Operations – Skip the email and just come on out.  There is a high probability of an operation of one sort or another on these days even if the weather is not optimal.  If you arrive and there is lacking the critical players, tow pilot and wing runner (with options on an instructor) then the best advice is to get on the phone and call/text some of each.  I have done this multiple times with great success.  Tow pilot’s (and instructor’s) names are listed in the roster found on our web site.  Unfortunately, an email doesn’t generally get noticed for hours.

Weekday Operations – This is more difficult to get set up.  Start with an email a day or two beforehand with a subject line matching the day/date/time you want to fly.   Try the same approach as above of calling/texting the needed critical players … but expect less uptake … some people work for a living!

This all assumes flyable weather.  Marginal weather?  Then come on out anyway.  There is always something to do in a volunteer organization like ours.  Mow.  Clean the hangar.  Wash an aircraft.  Trim a bush.  Etc.  Etc.  Etc.

Off Season – Weekends are typically when maintenance is done, especially on Saturdays.  There may be an email saying so but just show up and you may find yourself doing rewarding work you’ve never done before.

Thanks to every volunteer out there.  Soaring is a social event.  Enjoy the fun.

John DeRosa, President, Sky Soaring Board of Directors