ORIGINAL: shag555

JR - Give me a break. Your concieted attitude is exactly why I, and many others prefer not to deal with people like you. If anything, it's club members like yourself who think the "new guy", or "the inexperienced flyer" owes THEM (meaning you) something.

When I started flying three years ago, I bought a used plane from a hobby shop, and had no one help me. I crashed the plane in less than 10 seconds. I rebuilt and recovered it with no help from others. Only people willing to SELL me the materials. I eventually had to PAY an instructor for three lousy flights, the last being that the carb screws came loose from my engine and he still charged me a full priced lesson. It was a take off, half round, land, pay me $25.

I went and bought a simulator from a different hobby shop after that. They (the different shop) offered lessons, but by then I was completely turned off to the "instructor" scene. After many hours on the simulator, I went and did my first solo, and had many others there after. I can't tell you how many good and bad flights I had, but I rebuilt that trainer at least three times, completely, and no thanks to a club, or a kind mentor.

I lived in Salt Lake City, now, do you think there were clubs there??? You're damn right there were, but no one offered to mention a meeting, and I did ask. Luckily for me, the salt flats on the outskirts of the city aren't familiar with who's in which club, etc.

Now times have changed. I moved to rural Ohio, and I've been fortunate enough to have a club less than three miles from me. Of course I joined. I fly at least twice a week. And I also participate in work as much as I can. Many of our members are older, retired guys. I'll tell you this much... If someone comes in to the club wanting training, you can bet that I'll offer to assist. In fact, most of our guys would jump right in to make sure his or her throws were correct, and not reversed. If it took more than one day to set the plane up, that's that it would take, and our club would help the person out no matter what. I fly pretty good... I've over 70 flights on my Rascal 40 with not one incident (knock on wood). I'm lucky enough to be in the aide of several of our club members guidence on aerobatics, and I'll need it, because I just finished a H-9 Extra 260.

It's guys like you that run your own clubs down. I don't know where you're from, but I hope you live in a city, because if you lived in an area like I do now, that kind of attitude would wind your club up in vanishment very quickly.

You're pathetic.

MPB