reincarnate

Our club has had an influx of new pilots this year. A great thing for our club, but it has caused a dilemma. Most, if not all, training is being done on Sunday, the most popular open flying day for our club. This creates a nerve racking atmosphere for the new pilots, and for the three instructors (yes, I'm one of the instructors). Also, the instructors get very little flying time on our own gear.

The question is do your fields/clubs have students fly with the group before they have soloed, or do you set aside training days on weeknights or off weekend days when the field is basically open?

Have to ask. We've never had so many students (6 right now) at once, most of whom are weekly visitors, (how great is that!) and it gets stressful in a hurry.

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

On Thursday evening at 4pm the field is shut down to all flying. We do this during the summer months. Usually we start right after the switch to Daylight Savings Time and train all summer until Daylight Savings Time is over in the fall. Last year it ended up being almost 8 months. Too much. All of us instructors and pit crew were exhausted and had enough by the end of the season. This year we didn't start until May and will probably run the program until about October. 5 months of EVERY SINGLE THURSDAY NIGHT is quite enough volunteer instructing for me and the rest of the guys involved. It's a major commitment for all of us.

The ONLY people allowed to fly on training nights, are students with instructors. New students MUST fly with instructors on Thursday evenings until one of us signs their Solo Certificate. Once the student is "signed-off" they must still fly with any club member or helper for the first 30 days. Just have a guy go out and stand with them for the first 30 days. Those rules are in place to keep it safe and fun for everyone.

It's a very nice program. The club offers instruction to all new members every year. We usually have between 5 and 10 instructors that actually buddy box and teach the flying. We have a large group of guys who come out to help in the pits. We have A&P guys to inspect airframes and help out with minor adjustments and repairs.

rcjon

>>Once the student is "signed-off" they must still fly with any club member or helper for the first 30 days. Just have a guy go out and stand with them for the first 30 days. Those rules are in place to keep it safe and fun for everyone.<<

It ain't that hard.

DadsToysBG

My Feedback: (35)

After a new pilot is on his own, we hide under the trees until we're sure he's going to be OK. Dennis

Roby

At our club we don't have any special days set up for instruction.

The club I belong to is fairly low key and is without designated
so called "instructors". (although a few seem to NEED that title)

For the most part it's just show up when a decent pilot is available
and is willing to help out. Sometimes I don't get to fly my stuff when I
get to the field but I remember when ,(many years ago) a few people
gave up their time for me. I look at it as it's my turn to put something back
into the well.



Regards,
Roby

carrellh

I chose "Seperate scheduled days" in the poll, but, it's sort of "Both."

We have Thursday afternoon/evening (during dalight saving time) designated as official training time. Anyone is allowed to fly, but, students have priority.

Our biggest regular flying day is Saturday. If students want to fly on Saturday it is OK, but, they have to ask their instructor in advance and the instructors are not obligated to say yes.

TakingFlight96

I checked the one "Seperate Scheduled Days" Although at my field, if you're new and your looking to train, you talk to one of the 3-4 trainers at the club meeting and you set a date (usually within that week) to bring the plane out to the field range test, run up, & overall conditions. The trainer will then usually give you their number and if its a nice, calm day, you'd call him up and let him know you'll be going out their and see if he can make it out, to begin training. It basically works as if you can get ahold of him or catch him out at the field, and the conditions are right - you may get to go up on the buddy box.


TF96