Puh-lease, can we just drop the silly forum/group debate?

[markc]

There's no single "official" CHGPA forum/site/group/list/what-have-you.

If some pilots want to have a private space for "PG-only" discussion... Or *any* sort of discussion for that matter... Well, so what??? It must be serving a purpose, otherwise no-one would participate. It's a big 'net out there, and people can (and should) do what they want. Get over it!!!!

Personally, I'm just happy that we see lots of PG pilots at CHGPA meetings, and that we have PG pilots on the board, and that we have some coordinated site-improvement plans that involve the club, and HG pilots, and PG pilots. It wasn't all that long ago that *NONE* of this was the case.

Would I like to see more PG participation in the forums?

Sure, absolutely! It can be kind of frustrating not to know where pilots might be, or hear how the day went, or see photos of great flights. But OTOH, there's at least an attempt to cross-post by some within the PG community. If you want to see more of that, then I encourage you to talk with your PG friends and ask them to do more.

MarkC

PS : The forum certainly could have a "read-only" PG section, open to posting only by PG pilots, managed by an appropriate person(s). And that might be a way for more people to be in-the-loop with PG flying plans. We could set that up... But to be honest, I'd rather see more PG participation with what's already in place. Maybe, with time, that will come to pass. Have patience. And be welcoming/respectful/inquisitive in the meantime.

[Ward Odenwald]

With all due respect markc when one group shares information about CHGPA flying sites and safety conditions (as discussed on other threads) exclusively with only a subset of CHGPA members, that's not good and its CERTAINLY NOT A SILLY DEBATE. Ward

[Dan T]

I'm tentatively planning on flying Dickies today. I'll need to confirm that at least a couple of other PG pilots will be there as well. It would be great to have some HG company. If you are an H3 and have a permit come on out. If you've never seen Dickies I encourage you to come out and have a look before considering purchasing a permit for next year. It's a long hike in and a very technical launch site.

Dan T

[markc]

Sorry Ward, I didn't mean to imply that your goal (more participation by PG pilots within the forums) was "silly". Far from it, I'd love to see much more!

So lemme try again: People are people, they're going to do what they're going to do, and "It's a free country", ya know? Clearly, there is some level of need among PG pilots for a forum/listserv/google-group/whatever, otherwise no-one would be participating in it.

Right?

If that's so, then shaking a finger and saying "Things should be different" is hardly likely to change a darn thing!

Right?

So, in my opinion (just *one* opinion), a more constructive approach might be start a forum topic along the lines of : "How do we encourage more PG participation within the forums?" And then suggest some really cool ideas for how to change the current dynamic.

When I hear of great flights, I try to email or PM pilots and ask that they post a description, tracklog, photos, etc. Not as often as I should, but hey, what can ya do?

And maybe the upcoming IT-Committee meeting will yield some ideas that will make the forums more interesting and engaging, for all pilots. Anything that might help, ya know?

I'm not sure if you had re-connected with the club back in the days of the rename (CHGA -> CHGPA), but if not, I gotta tell ya : There was nearly *zero* PG participation back then. On the board. At meetings. On the listserv. In the forums. At fly-ins. So from my perspective, things are actually 100% better than they used to be.

And maybe they'll get even better, if people actively and positively engage/encourage/solicit even more participation.

That's where I'm coming from....

MarkC

[Ward Odenwald]

“That's where I'm coming from....”

MarkC, you’re not only coming from the right place, you’ve repeatedly reached out trying to drag most of us to “that place” - please keep trying!

If its possible to merge two forums where one can interact actively with one group (depending on their wing) and passively read the other forum, I believe that no one would miss important information and maybe, just maybe cross communication would flourish via one group talking to the other “over the electronic wall” and then - maybe, just maybe the wall could come down. Ward

[bowen.tim]

I was not going to weigh on this topic but I thought I would make a few points. There is a Ford Fusion commercial out on TV that says what’s better, nuts or bolts, or nuts and bolts. Another says sweet or sour, or sweet and sour.

My point here is that this organization is the Capital Hang Gliding AND Paragliding Association. As an organization, everyone should work together to a common goal….flying, safety, camaraderie, etc. When you have a divided house, there will always be a division. Just look at the US House and Senate.

As a HG pilot, I always wondered why I rarely saw stories about paragliding exploits. I never saw a live paragliding flight until I flew Bill’s Hill and Dan Tomlinson flew. What’s the best way to advertise your sport but by writing about your adventures and letting us know when and where you are flying. Unfortunately, I hardly ever see them.

Take this for what it is worth. This is just my humble opinion.