[Gary Maker]

AT our meeting of the Flying Tigers, on Wednesday November 3, I announced that the Training Program was officially over for this year. However should we get a good weekend, students were encouraged to come out and continue for as long as we can. Hopefully we'll get a couple of nice weekend days yet this year!

WE had a total of 10 student pilots this year for the whole summer! 5 of those received their wings for fixed wing planes and 1 received his Heli wings! The other 4 continue to make excellant progress and had we gotten just a few more good days of flying weather, the wings count would have been pretty much complete for this year.

HAVING buddy boxes available for the first time and having a club trainer, contributed to the success of the wings program. I would like to once again thank all those who contributed towards both these projects. Most of the buddy boxes with cords and almost the whole club trainer were gotten as donations from kind folks all around Southwestern Ontario. Many many heart felt thanks to all of you. You know who you are!

ALSO my sincere thanks for all the time and energy of the instructors in our club who came out and did what they could on behalf of the club in this way! Without you, we wouldn't have had the success we did!!

AS each student comes to me with thanks for the help they received in getting their wings and the good time they had, I only have one comment that I always make. I say: "Your welcome, but remember one thing.....I had a great time too so...thank you!"

I feel so proud of each of you students every time I am privileged to award a set of wings. What an accomplishment you have made! And what enjoyment this will continue to be in your lives. And as you continue to progress in this wonderful hobby, its up to you to "Pay it forward!" Help others to do what you've been helped to accomplish and the club will continue to grow and to prosper!

I would very much enjoy, as I'm sure others would, hearing how other clubs did this year! What changes did you impliment if any? Any stories you'd like to contribute about your Novice program or the students you taught? Any special comments you'd like to make about your club's training program etc! Please, lets hear it fellows!!

[Bent]

Gary
Considering the weather we had, the student program at the Humber Valley club in Toronto went well this year. We cleared 7 pilots total and there are 2 that are close. Everyone that showed up regularly for the Tuesday and Thursday evening sessions cleared. I think the most significant change to our student flying in general was the addition of a white painted flight line 500 ft long. It's a great reference for learning to use rudder and is a clear marker for the no fly zone. More instructors would be nice, 2 of us did most of the work this season. We have a couple of weekday sport flyers that help out with the better students. Hopefully they'll be regular instructors next season. Biggest student session of the year was the Big Brothers event...20 kids and 20 adults. There were 5 GREEN students going at once all afternoon!

[Gary Maker]

Thanks Bent.

This is the kind of input I am looking for. Some clubs have unique ways of conducting their training and we are always looking for avenues where we can do things just a little bit better next year.

Hopefully many more will respond to this post with suggestions and ideas so that perhaps we all can see an area we we can improve. I like your way of marking the flight line boundry etc. Your event with the Big Brothers is another great idea and it sounds like an enjoyable thing to do and was a great success! Thanks for contributing Bent!

[britbrat]

The Algonquin Aeromodellers had 10 students in the program & we had two graduates, plus one very close to graduating, by season end.

The poor weather, combined with sporadic attendance by the majority of students, were significant factors in the modest success rate. Several of our students belong to the armed forces, & their jobs kept them from regular attendance. Additionally, two are young people who depend upon parent's support to get to, & from the field, which limited their access.

Hopefully, next year will be better.

[Fodder]

At the Ajax Club, we run from mid April? to labour day typically with extended time if instructors are available for students that are close. Our training is on Wednesday nite from 6 till you can no longer safely fly and on Saturdays 9am - 1pm. These are students only time. We typically have around 20 students, but I don't remember the numbers for this year.