Originally posted by J_R
Does this sound familiar? If not, I have a hard time making the case for compensated training. If you have, maybe it's the best reason for compensated training.
The newbie brings his completed pride and joy to the field. He's really proud of the craftsmanship that he has displayed during the building process. Invariably, the THING is virtually unflyable. The control linkages are wrong and binding. The engine is not installed correctly and even if it is, it needs to be broken in. The rudder is crooked, the control surfaces are hanging by a thread and the gaps are way too big, or way too tight, epoxy is everywhere. The landing gear has tow-out and is pointed in a tight circle. Of course the ailerons are reversed.
The club member closest to the newbie takes one look and runs. He looks for the two guys that might help a newbie. They draw
straws and the loser is pushed toward the newbie. He loser can see three hours just to make the plane flyable. Another hour to get the engine to run.The newbie does not have any of the parts or tools to make the repairs, so... the new found best-friend instructor is up and down the pits rounding up the needed items.. and the newbie waits. The new found best friend-instructor then has to chase down a buddy box for the brand of radio the newbie has, then find a trainer cord that will work (there is a rule somewhere that the newbie will never have the same brand radio as his new best friend-instructor owns).
By now the batteries are down. The new best-friend instructor tries to find someone with a field charger with the same leads that the THING has, and the newbie wiats... and waits. Finally, the plane is ready. The new best-friend instructor takes it off. After determining that it has a warp in the wing and putting in huge amounts of trim, he continues with the trim flight. He debates himself as to whether the plane is flyable for a newbie. Finally the instructor lands.
The new best-friend instructor now decides it is time to fly his own plane. The newbie sits and watches, and... waits, and.. waits... and.. waits.
Now it's time to adjust the linkages and the newbie waits. Finally, another flight is attempted. The newbie is on the sticks about 50% of the 10 minute flight.
Now the sun is setting. The newbie is told to come back next week. His new best-friend instructor is making plans to be somewhere else, anywhere else.
You now have two very frustrated people. The newbie thinks no one wants to help, he only got 5 minutes of stick time all day. The new best-friend instructor is talking to himself about taking up golf.
Thus begins the oddessy of learning to fly.
JR
LOL!
Have YOU been at my field watching? That is one of the extra added benefits I get as I am one of only 4 people in my club flying Airtronics radios. Most LHS owners sell Futaba or JR!
Now the question is fairly simple, exactly what would having a paid (commercial) instructor change in your odyssey? I suspect the correct answer is NOTHING if you think about it.
Horrace does not like my position and that is fine because I am committed to the HOBBY rather than the pass through flyer's who pay for the Muncie improvements. Those guys get as much of my time and efforts as they are willing to EARN.
Earning my attention and my efforts in their behalf involves little things, like making the corrections I have pointed out without abusing my F*R*E*E* time. If the beginner comes up with a buddy box and cord, I already have a known measure of the commitment and am much more willing to go out of MY way spending MY free time helping. Yes, I will LEND some things (tools and a very little equipment I have BOUGHT for my personal use), but not very much as the last muffler I lent out had disappeared as has the last crankshaft weight and several ounces of Prather lead segments and countless glow plugs.
No, I think having the AMA support commercial operations will simply transfer the cash flow from the AMA and chartered clubs provided by the checkbook modeler to the business operations we all will take on as needy step brothers. Your observations about the club being involved in litigation are accurate, but the rate of legal involvement goes up when a business operation is the source of an incident rather than a hobbyist.
Sorry, maybe it is selfish but I think we have it right now and do not need to change that rule.