Currently my club has a very enviable, great, GROWING "PROBLEM" - How do we train and certify all the new guys coming into the hobby and club? While we have plenty of qualified pilots and some that have even been "named" as instructors we don't have a formal training / sign off program in place or any rules that would make completion of such a program mandatory. "Shame on us" you might be saying and would be correct in doing so. Generally in the past we've been able to intercept newcomers when they set their plane up on the bench for the first time and need help starting their motors-we can then recognize them as new pilots and get them on a buddy cord. That's how I came in and first got trained. However, my own experience is that I "graduated" myself from the buddy box too soon, crashed too many airplanes and almost quit. I really wish now that I'd had a detailed list of things to accomplish and someone else's approval before that first solo flight (and crash).

A case in point-Two brothers came up to field last fall with a Kadet Senior. I don't know who had the good sense to buy that particular plane but it was the only smart thing about the story. They had talked to the LHS and knew about Buddy boxes so they had two radios tied together on a buddy box. They fired up their motor, went to the flight line and took off. Neither had ever flown before!! Halfway through the flight they switched radios!!!

A second problem is the guys that have some experience with park flyers or what's worse, flight simulators, and decide to move up to glow. Because of their "experience" they don't feel like they need a buddy box or certainly not for long. They take one or two flights with an instructor taking off and landing, make a turn or two and think they're ready to solo. They come up the next day when nobody from the day before is at the field and try to solo. Maybe they survive, maybe they don't but they shouldn't be trying to begin with.

Again, we understand the fault is ours, what do we do about it? I've looked at Dist of Columbia's site, N Virginia's site and Palo's ...does anyone else have anything. I think its interesting that Mentor Area RC supposedly had a good check off program but now their website is down and their discussion group has apparently died. Could it be that they regulated themselves into the ground?

Sorry this was so long winded .... HELP please