PatternPilot

My Feedback: (58)

Hi All,

How does your club handle a new person to the area arriving at your field as a guest or new member wanting to fly and no one knows the ability level ?

Do you do some sort of proficient check etc. ?

Looking forward to how you all handle this.

Scott

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

A new guy to our club has to demonstrate to one of our instructors that he can fly competently before he is allowed to fly on his own. Of course he also needs to be an AMA member and would have to join the club. Once he is signed off by an instructor, off he goes.

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

Ehh....you forgot the bit where he has to explain why he doesn't build scale, fly only on the wing, and only use NiCd batteries.

But other than that, yeah...that's about how it works at our place.

AmishWarlord

My Feedback: (5)

Yet another problem with ARF's. In the olden days we could take one look at the plane and it would tell everything you needed to know about the pilot.

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

And the chair thing too!

STUKA BARRY

Same here, but then the new guy has to be voted in the club at the next monthly meeting. He can fly as a guest for three flying days, then he must join. Warbird guys are always welcome, especially Giant Scale.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Proficient check??? Now that's Subjective isn't it

You ask him.
Do you have current AMA? Have you Solo-ed? How long have you been flying?

What else do you need to know?
If he has insurance and says he can fly,, Let him fly,, you ask fewer questions when guys show up for Official Club Events I bet
I'll bet a dollar they don't get proficient checked

DadsToysBG

My Feedback: (35)

We just sit under the trees and wait to see what happens. Scale is right during a event no one goes a check flight first. Why then would you do one for a new member? A few polite questions will tell you everything. Dennis

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

Flying at a public field, we get all kinds. We can't stop anyone from flying, but we can help people who both need and want it. A little friendliness and chatting goes a long way to telling you what you want to know. For us, it's mostly a concern of whether somebody is going to pose a threat to themselves or others. If they need help but don't want it, you just let nature take its course in as safe a way as possible. Those folks usually aren't back again.

STUKA BARRY

Asking questions is fine and shows they can talk the talk, but put an xmitter in their hands and see if they can walk the walk. Proof is in the pudding. We dont belittle anyone, just show us what you know. If they can fly, then have at it. If they cant, well, thats what we're looking for.

scottrc

Hand em a shovel, the weedeater and then point him towards the lawnmower.

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

+1.........it's kind of like when I hire a new employee. I'll ask a few questions about the job but once I'm done with that, and if they are still interested, I'll tell them straight up that anyone can go to the library and read enough to make them sound like they iknow what they are doing. What they do once they hit that hangar floor is what I want to see. Same thing when a new guy shows up at the field.

As far as I'm concerned, if they know what they are doing when they fly, they won't have a problem taking a little check spin. It's all in the name of safety, for everyone.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

And how exactly does a guy showing up to fly as a guest do a "Check Spin"?
He has to bring a trainer with a buddy box with him before you'll let him fly as a guest?

You guys won't give a guy who looks like he knows what he's doing the benefit of the doubt, but you'll take $10-$15 for any Tom, Dick or Harry at a fun fly and let him have at it.

The logic there escapes me.

If a guy can or can't "Walk the Walk" you'll know in seconds

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

So let me ask you..........if a guy shows up at the field and says "hey you............I know how to fly. Can I use your plane"..........your gonna say "sure" right?

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

There's a world of difference between someone flying their own plane and someone flying someone else's. They're not at all the same thing. Unless you fly at a club where any member can borrow anyone else's plane, why would you ask that?

It's not usually tough to figure out if someone has a minimum level of competency. Have them take their plane up for a few laps around the field. Explain any rules and such beforehand, and make sure they follow them. It's not any harder than that.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

What does that have to do with the price of Tea in China??

I don't let guys I know can fly,, fly my planes

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

So let me ask you this, you are a guest and some guy says " let me take your plane up so you can show me you know how to fly" your gonna say "sure"? If I bring my Sopwith Camel out as a guest I am not going to trust the "local expert" to take it up with a buddy box just so I can prove I can fly it. Like said before it is usually evident after just a few questions if they know what they are doing, and how many local pilots crash after "proving themselves?"

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

To begin with, the OP didn't say anything about the guy showing up with a plane. I assumed that he didn't. Assuming that's the case, what else would he do if he wanted to fly??

Secondly, I'm the one that said our club has the guy go up for a flight. Exactly what you just said. What difference does it make if it's with one of the instructors? If the guy does bring his own plane, I didn't say he HAS to go up on a buddy box. I just said that he had to demonstrate he has the ability to fly it.

I didn't think it so.

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

You're the one that brought up the guest bringing his own plane not me. I was just asking what he was going to fly.

There was no mention about the guy showing up with a plane or not. I assumed that he didn't have one with him. If that's the case, and if he isn't flying one of your planes and he surely isn't flying one of mine, then it's really a none issue isn't it and the original question is not even a valid question.

The OP just asked what our club does. I told him. I can't help it if you disagree. I'm not about to defend what my club requirements are to you. No need. I have no issue with it and I haven't seen anyone come out as a guest or new member that takes issue with it either.

It's all good.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Well you know what happen when you ass,u,me

If a guy showed up with no plane and asked to fly one of mine,, I'd give him directions to the Hobby Shop.
Now If I just happend to have my kids trainer/ buddy box with me I'd take him up, but he isn't going to just free load off my nitro all day.

I think the more resonable assumtion of the OP is that a guy shows up with his own equiptment.

You still haven't explained how you're going to qualify someone, Via a "Check Spin" or what ever you want to call it without a plane going up with him at the controls. Are you going to take your plane up 3-4 mistakes high and hand him the Tx??

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

See there, we do agree. At least partly.

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

That's kind of weird.........I quoted your post and replied and when I posted my reply, there was more to your post.

Anyway, if the guy shows up with his own stuff, all he has to do at our club is fly with an instructor to show he knows how. He doesn't have to buddy box. We fly on private land that we lease. Right or wrong, there is a liability involved for the land owner so looking out for them is a priority. Personally I don't care if the guy knows what he's doing or not, I can sit in my truck for protection if need be.

exfed

Gordon, 'Care to tell us who you're talking about? Seriously, I am more than dissappointed to see how you feel about some/one of your fellow club members and that you would advertise such in a public forum. I think there's room in this hobby for everyone. In the mean time, take comfort in the fact that your concern is no longer valid. Tom

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

My apologies to the rest of the thread for the hijack. It certainly wasn't my intent, but I want to do this publicly.

Oh, come on, Tom. I didn't say anything up there I haven't said to anyone's face at the field...yours included.

I sincerely apologize if you thought anything up there was directed at you specifically, or somehow meant to be veiled. It was meant to be a wide out in the open shot at a random list of amusing personality traits posessed by any number of members at our club.

I mean, as long as we're on the subject....

The new pilot will also have to explain why he's twisting needles instead of changing glow plugs, why he's flying glow and not electric, why he's flying electric and not glow, why he's spinning a crappy Zinger prop, why he's flying one of those stupid helicopters, why he's not flying at all, why the wind bothers him, why on EARTH he chose DA over DLE,and foinally he should be prepared to give his insight as to whether flies do half rolls or half loops before landing on a celing.

========

You asked me if I'd care to tell you who I'm talking about. Sure.

You, me, Paul, Dunphy, Avery, Powers, LA, Dan, Doug, Day...want me to go on?

I'm talking about every single person out there who's there as much for the games as he is for the flying. We're not there because toy airplanes putter around the sky...we're there because we're aviation nerds. If it flies, we think it's cool, and if you think it's cool too, then we've got a basis to begin a friendship, and being the Type-A personalities most of us are, anything that remotely resembles a friendship is going to involve taking some shots at each other.

You know as well as I do that the majority of what we're out there for is the "giving each other ****", and the flying is only ammunition....more ammunition for some than others.

You also know...or should, anyway....that I consider you one of the most entertaining, valuable, and downright enjoyable aviation people I've ever encountered. You've forgotten more about aviation since 8am this morning than I'll ever know, your modeling rises to levels of craftsmanship I'll never hope to match, and you're always good for a game of "First liar don't stand a chance". I will, and I say this in all sincerity, consider it quite a loss if you remain "more than dissappointed" in me. Should you choose to do so, that is, of course, your perogative.

But really...it was an off-the-cuff comment at the fact that 90% of the people at the field on any given day are going to question why the newbie did _______ the way he did, and wasn't at all meant to single anyone out.

Besides...I've never once heard you insist that someone only fly NiCd.

PatternPilot

My Feedback: (58)

Okay... guys....

Here is the scoop... someone new to the club shows up with a plane, said he wanted to fly...so we want to find out how do find out if he really knows how to fly... yes agree talking to him is a start... but how about skills ???

anyhow... I know some have said a check flight with a instructor and signed off...

anyhow was just curious on how clubs handle this...