Information for New Members
Printer-friendly versionCongratulations on your new membership in Evergreen Soaring! This is a summary of what you need to know to get on board quickly with the club’s operations. There’s a lot to get to know, but once you’re coming out to the field on a regular basis, you’ll have the chance to get a deeper understanding of what we do as you chat with other members. Be sure to introduce yourself as a new member or student and you’ll find lots of answers to your questions.
Most of what you need to know is on our website, and we encourage you to become familiar with its contents. Meanwhile, here’s an initial orientation to how we operate, and the expectations the club has of you.
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So, what happens next? In the next week or so you will get an invoice from our Treasurer so that you can pay your initiation fee and start with your monthly dues and glider fees. Everyone, including private glider owners, will pay the monthly dues. However, if you use any of the club’s gliders you also pay a per flight or monthly “rental fee” that allows access to any of the club’s gliders pending a checkout. You must choose between a per flight fee and a monthly glider fee when you first join. Once chosen, you can only change at the start of a calendar year.
You’ll also get web credentials so that you can log into the members area of the website to learn more about who we are and what we do.
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Learning about the club. The best place to start for an overview is our club website, http://evergreensoaring.info/. There’s a general section that is public, but after you get approved as a member and your initiation fee is paid you should receive an email containing your login credentials which open an additional members-only section. You’ll have access to the club roster and communication system, and you’ll start receiving club announcements via the email you specified. Also, this will give you access to the scheduling app, Signup Genius, which shows when we will have operations and who is coming. Just click on the link for either weekend or weekday operations and sign up for an account that will let you add yourself to the schedule.
Generally, we try to operate Saturday and Sunday every weekend, weather permitting, and occasionally with a mid-week cross country (XC) operation, usually for rated pilots, rarely for student training, however, anyone can organize a midweek flying event. The Signup Genius app will show the Field Manager of the day, tow pilot, instructor, students signed up and pilots requesting specific gliders. If you’re a student, feel free to sign up even if there isn’t an instructor signed up yet. We can’t guarantee one will be available, but sometimes instructors will be encouraged to sign up if there is someone who wants instruction. If you’re a brand-new student with no experience there are some steps you need to take to get your FAA credentials, so discuss this with an instructor beforehand.
Once you know that an operation is going to happen, the best thing to do is come out to the field and introduce yourself to the members as a new member. We usually start between 0900 and 1100 depending on weather, and you should get an email notification or you can check the schedule for the day. When you come to Arlington please park either near the main airport office or in the glider tie down area where the trailers are located. If you’re early, there’s a restaurant just north of the Airport Office, Ellie’s, where you can get some food or coffee while you wait. You’ll eventually see people starting to preflight the gliders. Watch how the operation unfolds, and when things seem to get less busy, ask to have a tour of the clubhouse and hangars. Ask around during the day to get a deeper explanation of the operation.
You’ll soon get trained as a Field Manager and take our Wing Runner course. Until then, just observe and ask questions – there’s a lot to know about before you pitch in. Be alert as well – this is an active airport and a lot is happening that can affect the safety of you and those around you. Also, although we always appreciate help, don’t pitch in and do anything independently until you are asked by a member and he or she supervises until you thoroughly know our procedures.
If the weather isn’t great in the early morning the operation may be either delayed or cancelled. Watch your email for a notification from the CFIG and/or Field Manager for that day. Sometimes, however, we will use the clubhouse Condor2 simulator instead, especially if there are primary students that day. The clubhouse is just south of the big tiedown area, at the north end of the second row of hangars. Look for the hangar with the large sliding glass door. Note that the Condor2 simulator needs a checkout, so, even if you’re familiar with Condor2 from home, please refrain from using until a CFIG gives the formal club checkout. You can learn more about the simulator from the website Primary Training Course (see below).
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Web and simulation resources. Whether you are a new student or a rated pilot, go to our website and check our training courses, the Primary Training Course and the XC Soaring Course. No matter what is your experience level you’ll find enough material here to keep you busy for several weeks. You can also preview the SSA Wing Runner course to get an idea of how you will function as a part of the ground team. Finally, the club instructors encourage the use of Condor2, a gliding simulator. We have a sophisticated “cockpit-like” set of controls in the clubhouse that uses this simulator, and you can buy your own home version for about the price of 2 tows. More information can be found in the online training courses on the website.
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Volunteering. Let’s start with the most important requirement. Our club is only able to operate cost-effectively by making sure everyone pitches in. If you are using the club gliders, we expect you to be a field manager (FM) for one full day each quarter (the FM runs the operation each day and you’ll get special training on how to do this safely and effectively). Also, there are multiple ways you can provide specific, important contributions, such as: 1) towing, rigging and derigging the gliders to and from encampments; 2) becoming a ship captain, responsible for the care of one of the gliders or trailers; 3) taking on a responsibility skill such as learning how to manage the tow ropes; 4) contributing a specific skill such as a tow pilot, A&P or instructor; 5) taking a primary or assistant role on the Evergreen Soaring board (e.g., operations director, secretary, treasurer); 6) managing the clubhouse, hangar or golf cart; 7) organizing club social events; 8) assisting with the website; 9) working on long-term financial development and advancement. Let us know if you have a specific skill that you think might be helpful.
So, we’re glad you’re now pumped up to contribute, but be sure you have been checked out in any task in the club (moving gliders, wing running, giving advice to visitors, etc.) before you start pitching in. Even if you have prior experience, let the FM guide you as you learn our specific ways of doing things. There are a lot of ways to get hurt, ding a glider or put someone else in harm’s way, so just follow the FM’s guidance. Most of these operations issues are covered in another document you’ll learn about soon.
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Finances. The official current numbers are at http://evergreensoaring.info/content/club-rates-fees.
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Flight Currency. It’s your responsibility to remain current as a pilot. Generally, this means the ability, at all times, to safely and competently fly the club gliders in which you are checked out. More specifically, this means a flight review within the prior 24 months, a current SSA membership (required for our insurance), a 6-month currency check with one of the instructors for flying club gliders and maintenance of your 90-day currency in type for carrying passengers. If we go to an encampment away from Arlington, you are also required to have a field check for the area of operation. Note that legal currency and functional competency are not the same, so you may be legally current by our standards but still a bit rusty if you haven’t flown recently. Never hesitate to consult an instructor if you have any concerns about your currency and competency.
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The Gift of Gracious Helpfulness. One of the most appreciated contributions is the occasion where we need a few members to help before beginning our flight operations. Infrequently, a glider needs to be reassembled, a trailer needs to be towed, or an urgent issue requires attention that could hamper our operations. Yes, members are assigned club responsibilities, but they may not be available or cannot do the task alone. We appreciate the efforts of all who can lend a hand. Only through the cooperative volunteer efforts of our club members can Evergreen Soaring provide a smooth, enjoyable, and safe flying operation.
Where is Everything: This link will bring you to an airport map that will show you where the club house and hangar are located. Our hangar numbers are 13 and 14. Lock code is 3140.
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