I don't remember Observing any Hang 2s who got their rating in 2007. Were there any new Hang 2s in 2007???
Same goes for P2s.
Matthew
Hang 2s in 2007
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
H2s
I observed David Churchill and Chris Donahue in 2007. David got his Hang 2 at the end of 2006. Chris got his H2 a couple of years ago.
In 2006, I observed Mike Lee, Bob Peterman and Kathy Coleman. All had H2s prior to 2006.
Matthew
In 2006, I observed Mike Lee, Bob Peterman and Kathy Coleman. All had H2s prior to 2006.
Matthew
If the no-2007-IIs holds, at least for mountain flying, that would be
the first time that's happened since I started flying back in '94 or so.
And that would be very sobering indeed.
The numbers Lisa provided last night were also sobering. HG : 45%
PG : 55% . HG : in decline for years. PG: has apparently been at a
plateau for 3 years.
Yikes.
MarkC
the first time that's happened since I started flying back in '94 or so.
And that would be very sobering indeed.
The numbers Lisa provided last night were also sobering. HG : 45%
PG : 55% . HG : in decline for years. PG: has apparently been at a
plateau for 3 years.
Yikes.
MarkC
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hepcat1989
- Posts: 684
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:15 pm
Amen.
2 Foot launch schools and two tow parks and no H2's to observe in the mountains I think gives first clues as to where to look for attempts to improve the situation.
Is the Capital Club taking steps towards increasing the number of H2's? Is the club talking to the tow parks, MSHGA and Silverwings about this problem? Is the club aware that the average first day student has to spend thousands of dollars on lessons and 2 years on the training hill for a H2 rating? Does the club make any efforts towards advising students on how to approach HG training with regards to maximum efficiency?
The goal has to be to produce competent tow and foot launch pilots. Training hills are not the best places for a student to learn how to fly and land a HG. The tow park is not the right place for foot launching a glider. A H1 rating shouldn’t take more than 5 tandem flights at a tow park and a couple of weekends on the training hill. A H2 rating should not take more than 3 solo tows and the ability to safely launch and land a glider. All this could be accomplished in one season within a program that compartmentalizes and coordinates the training process. I'm onvinced it would benefit everybody. All the tools are there. They just need to be put together by someone who’s not competing for business.
I am willing to help.
2 Foot launch schools and two tow parks and no H2's to observe in the mountains I think gives first clues as to where to look for attempts to improve the situation.
Is the Capital Club taking steps towards increasing the number of H2's? Is the club talking to the tow parks, MSHGA and Silverwings about this problem? Is the club aware that the average first day student has to spend thousands of dollars on lessons and 2 years on the training hill for a H2 rating? Does the club make any efforts towards advising students on how to approach HG training with regards to maximum efficiency?
The goal has to be to produce competent tow and foot launch pilots. Training hills are not the best places for a student to learn how to fly and land a HG. The tow park is not the right place for foot launching a glider. A H1 rating shouldn’t take more than 5 tandem flights at a tow park and a couple of weekends on the training hill. A H2 rating should not take more than 3 solo tows and the ability to safely launch and land a glider. All this could be accomplished in one season within a program that compartmentalizes and coordinates the training process. I'm onvinced it would benefit everybody. All the tools are there. They just need to be put together by someone who’s not competing for business.
I am willing to help.
H2's
Come on gang ....
Let's be realistic here.
If you were trying to sell a house, would you just
sit there and wait for folks to come to you ?
We have an eclectic group of people in our
organization. All experts in their own right.
some technical, others with degrees, but none the
less intelligent. We need to market our HOUSE.....
This is plain and simple. if those prospects won't
come to us, we go to them....
There has got to be a way to advertise, invite,
prod, and/or coherse people to get in the sport...
or else the HOUSE doesn't get sold...
Let's try this , insted of backbiting, and acusing
each other. It will require everyones help...
even if it's word of mouth.... spread the word!
Tell a friend....
Often I play videos for the guys at work...
that's a start... maybe photos, posters...
Any other Ideas ????
Let's put our heads together and get this
done right...What do you say ?
'Til then, Mike..........
304-279-3131
Let's be realistic here.
If you were trying to sell a house, would you just
sit there and wait for folks to come to you ?
We have an eclectic group of people in our
organization. All experts in their own right.
some technical, others with degrees, but none the
less intelligent. We need to market our HOUSE.....
This is plain and simple. if those prospects won't
come to us, we go to them....
There has got to be a way to advertise, invite,
prod, and/or coherse people to get in the sport...
or else the HOUSE doesn't get sold...
Let's try this , insted of backbiting, and acusing
each other. It will require everyones help...
even if it's word of mouth.... spread the word!
Tell a friend....
Often I play videos for the guys at work...
that's a start... maybe photos, posters...
Any other Ideas ????
Let's put our heads together and get this
done right...What do you say ?
'Til then, Mike..........
304-279-3131
Mike Lee
How 'Bout That
How 'Bout That
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hepcat1989
- Posts: 684
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:15 pm
If realistic is what we are being ,then let's be. I for one( I have said this before) am known by many to fly a glider. I have put my name and phone number in the newspaper year after year to get a hold of me and learn how to get started. I get many comments like, That has got to be awesome. NO TAKERS! I knew NOBODY when I started training. I did it alone. It's a burning desire that wells up in the individual to take flight and STICK WITH IT. You can lead a horse to water........ Marketing......, trying to sell people on the idea to put yourself in harms way...... Man, I don't know about all that. It's a national trend.... I'm not trying to be bleak, but I am trying to be real.When I started I was told that it's a safe sport, It's as safe as you make it. HORSESHIT! If you fly long enough you WILL get pinched one way or another. I weigh the risks and have come to the conclusion myself that it is well worth it. I F*#KING love the sport, but how can you instill all of that in ones mind. You can't.......
The individual must have a burning desire to fly..........
We are a dying breed.
So, pilots.... Hold your chin up.
We get to see and experience what so very few on this planet are willing to undertake. It's a long road to become a competent pilot.
It's a national trend. Let's be real.
Just my observations........
Peace, Shawn.
The individual must have a burning desire to fly..........
We are a dying breed.
So, pilots.... Hold your chin up.
We get to see and experience what so very few on this planet are willing to undertake. It's a long road to become a competent pilot.
It's a national trend. Let's be real.
Just my observations........
Peace, Shawn.
New Pilots
Maybe we haven't had as many H'2 because we lost the best mentor any club has ever known!
Sparky, I know you are having a blast out in Colorado, I am jealous.
I am willing to mentor any interested pilots.
Kev
Sparky, I know you are having a blast out in Colorado, I am jealous.
I am willing to mentor any interested pilots.
Kev
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bustedwing2
- Posts: 249
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:58 pm
- Location: McConnellsburg,Pa
whoopee
I don't see backbiting or finger pointing here,I see cold hard facts that reveal a problem.Like Shawn I didn't know anybody that flew,I decided I wanted to do it,looked on the web for a place that had it all in 2001 and ended up at Lookout.One week in march,blew out both knees on the last day,went back the end of april and added tows and trike lessons after the morning training hill sessions and left a brand new 2,with a lot yet to learn.It can easily be done in a summer with the new scooter and golfcart and aerotowstows that Highland and Blue Sky now have,and a little bit of training hill mentoring from the more experienced guys.Cost is a major problem for younger people,I could never have afforded it in my 20's or 30's,I didn't learn to fly until I was 50.For me I have found that short(weeks not years)intense saturation education/training works best.Perhaps one and two week vacation type packages that lead to a H1 and near H2 or H2 depending on the student could be developed.They won't come in the door without marketing,we are a relatively unknown sport.Tv adds are expensive but the visuals are captivating,radio is more affordable and adequate.Could the USHPA aid the local flight parks in this type of promotion?Getting ESPN or ABC's wide world of sports to provide coverage of one or two of the major competitions with lots of action shots would draw some interest.Nuff said,I need my 5 hours of sleep,gooodnight.RichB
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hepcat1989
- Posts: 684
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:15 pm
Re: New Pilots
heaviek wrote:Maybe we haven't had as many H'2 because we lost the best mentor any club has ever known!
Sparky
Yeah, Sparky was alright I guess. No, seriously, I miss Spark and his energy. We still have a HUGE void in our club and the east coast as far as i'm concerned. Maybe he will surprise us one day and fly with us, or maybe we can go out and fly his new neck of the woods.
Shawn.
An observation and a suggestion to bring new pilots in
On the premise that there are roughly 5,000 active hang glider pilots in the country approximately one person in 50,000 flies hang gliders in a country with a population of 250 million or so. If we have 100 members in our club and each of us attempts to interest 50 people in the sport, collectively we reach about 5,000 people. We'd need the combined efforts of 10 clubs like ours to expect to pull one person off the street and into the sport. Is it any wonder that our efforts at the kite feitivals and fly ins have been for naught?
May I suggest that we refocus our efforts on enabling a person to learn to fly who already has an interest in the sport. We could do this by making a novice class glider and harness available to any student or H2 who wants to borrow one until they are ready to get their own equipment. This would cut their cost of entry approximately in half and give them the time to determine whether or not they want to continue in the sport. I have an old harness and a Sentek vario that I am willing to donate to the cause if the club finds this a suitable course of action. The harness fits a male 5'9 to 6'0.
Dan T
May I suggest that we refocus our efforts on enabling a person to learn to fly who already has an interest in the sport. We could do this by making a novice class glider and harness available to any student or H2 who wants to borrow one until they are ready to get their own equipment. This would cut their cost of entry approximately in half and give them the time to determine whether or not they want to continue in the sport. I have an old harness and a Sentek vario that I am willing to donate to the cause if the club finds this a suitable course of action. The harness fits a male 5'9 to 6'0.
Dan T
PS, just got back from the team challenge and Quest
Bruce E. and I met up with Mark Fink and two new friends, Edwin from Puerto Rica and Craig from Chicago, at the team challenge in Dunlap Tennessee. This was a fun meet with an emphasis on teaching more junior pilots how to fly XC. While I didn't do terribly well in the XC department I got to fly 10 times in 6 flyable days, got launch and landing instructions from Kevin Carter, met a lot of new people and had a very good time. If you go next year I encourage you to get a local on your team and if you can't do that pimp off of them anyway. They won't mind.
After the team challenge Bruce and I continued on the Groveland Floriday to deliver a glider to Paul Tjaden. We flew Quest for 3 days in the first flyable days they had in weeks. Paul and Lauren were most gracious and hosts and gave me a glimpse of the first alligator I've seen in the wild. It was swimming across the small lake off the end of their back yard.
While it's always fun to fly new sites with new people I had to note the fact that as pretty as the site is in Dunlap Tennessee, it's no prettier than our own Woodstock valley, and ours has a river running through it. Quest was wide open and nearly empty. It reminded me a bit of Ridgely Md, except that Ridgely has the friendliest and most helpful staff on the planet. We are blessed to live and fly here. There's no place like home!
Dan T.
After the team challenge Bruce and I continued on the Groveland Floriday to deliver a glider to Paul Tjaden. We flew Quest for 3 days in the first flyable days they had in weeks. Paul and Lauren were most gracious and hosts and gave me a glimpse of the first alligator I've seen in the wild. It was swimming across the small lake off the end of their back yard.
While it's always fun to fly new sites with new people I had to note the fact that as pretty as the site is in Dunlap Tennessee, it's no prettier than our own Woodstock valley, and ours has a river running through it. Quest was wide open and nearly empty. It reminded me a bit of Ridgely Md, except that Ridgely has the friendliest and most helpful staff on the planet. We are blessed to live and fly here. There's no place like home!
Dan T.