Soaring on weekdays has a couple of big advantages. The chance of getting good weather is 3 times better than if you just fly weekends, and you can usually keep the club glider all day (or as long as you can keep it up).
However, there is a difference in the way operations should be run on weekdays. On weekends there is a dedicate tow pilot and he/she is there to fulfill your towing desires. You want a tow at 12:00 no problem, 2:00 no problem, 4:30 no problem... On weekdays your tow pilot(s) also wants to soar and he may want to go on a long XC. If its a booming day the tow pilot may want to transform into a soaring pilot by noon or 1:00. So in consideration of your tow pilot(s) make sure you're ready to tow early, make sure everyone else is ready to tow early (team work is important because its a small team on weekdays) and take as early a tow as practical. Don't show up at 2:00 expecting a tow (you'd probably get one anyway). Don't let your tow pilot miss out on the next booming day!
Last year (I don't know if we did it this year) we had a day or two when we had 5-6 club members in the air and no one on the ground. That was super cool! I don't think any other club in the country (world?) does that!
Call in sick...give weekday slacking a try.
Tim
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4 comments:
I forgot to mention the "slacker tow-er". He is not a "slacker tow pilot" because he tows slackers on his lunch hour and therefore is not a "slacker" himself. Don't make him wait to tow you because he won't have time to eat his sandwich and he gets cranky.
Tim
and if you are hauling the golf cart out to the field-
check gasoline-
so someone doesn't run dry in mid ground-tow needing a car tow to the pump for refreshments.
Guilty.
I just assumed God kept the tank full. it always seemed a miracle that I've never seen anyone fill the golf cart.
As soon as you become a towpilot, you're perspective changes, doesn't it, Tim?
Thanks.
Rick,
You are so right. When you are in the glider the towplane is pulling you. When you are in the towplane the glider is pushing you. Totally different perspective.
Tim
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