During
the winter of 1999, my friend Steven and I took part in an ice climbing seminar
called "Steep Ice for the Weak and Chicken Hearted". The instructor,
Don Mellor, is a well known guide, first ascentionist, and guidebook author of
climbs in New York's Adirondack mountains. During his lecture on how to improve,
Don advised his students to "throw out the dogma, be creative and feel free
to experiment. There is no wrong way as long as you're safe and enjoy yourselves".
At
that time ice climbing was undergoing a transformation. Mixed climbing, using
tools to climb a route featuring both rock and ice, was beginning to take hold.
Climbers began modifying ice tools and removing leashes (thought to be absolutely
necessary) so there was more freedom of movement. These innovative climbers were
scoffed at for challenging the establishment. The effect of their free thinking
was an explosion of activity. People put up new routes on cliffs considered all
tapped out. Late 1980s test pieces capable of being climbed by only a few of the
world's elite became milk runs for most accomplished climbers. Observations
not complaints
What might happen if the soaring community
adopted the same philosophy? Throw out the dogma and let's find new uses for our
old tools. I have a few opinions (what glider pilot does not?) based on my experiences
that relate to some cause and effect of modern gliding. These are meant to be
observations and not complaints about the current condition of our beloved sport.
There
is world-wide concern about the declining number of people who are taking up soaring
and sticking with it. Many believe the sport is too expensive. This is nonsense.
Skiing is becoming more popular then ever. New skis, boots, bindings, clothing
and accessories can cost well over $1000 and need to be updated every few years.
Lift tickets cost anywhere between $30 and $100 per day. It is very easy to spend
$1500 for the first year of skiing. It took me over three years of flying with
my club to spend 1500 bucks.
Take a look at motor sports. To run a full
season that closely coincides with the soaring season costs roughly $5000 at the
entry level. A round of golf costs more than a tow. Watching sporting activities
is also expensive. I can't take my family of four to any professional sporting
event for less then $200. Soaring at club level is not expensive compared to other
activities that are experiencing growth.
As we become more addicted
to soaring the expense does begin to creep upwards. Chasing badges becomes expensive
due to needing secure flight recorders. As a community we have accepted and adopted
GPS as a valid method of verifying a flight. In pre-GPS days, an official observer
(OO) was used to verify the integrity of the flight. The OO watched the pilot
enter and exit the aircraft, sealed the barograph and looked at photos to be sure
the flight was valid. Why can't we use a basic GPS unit to record the flight and
put our trust back into the integrity of the OO to be sure the pilot didn't cheat?
Become tedious and boring
I
have noticed that when pilots become accomplished enough to make a short cross-country
flig |
