One of the tools we used was the concept of a ‘balanced business’. While this is not necessarily a gliding ‘operations’ subject, please stay with me, as I believe it has relevance. Consider your gliding club.
Dave Boulter
Executive Manager Operations
In a previous chapter of my career, I had the privilege of serving in senior corporate management. One of the tools we used was the concept of a ‘balanced business’. While this is not necessarily a gliding ‘operations’ subject, please stay with me, as I believe it has relevance.
Consider your gliding club. It has various functions and areas of focus. Some of these are members, marketing, finances, airworthiness, safety, soaring development and operations. This can be represented the diagram above.
“The key to keeping your balance is knowing when you’ve lost it.”
It is normal for any club to prioritise one or two areas. If the club concentrates on Finances for example, the other areas generally have somewhat reduced focus and energy. The focus on Finances may be ‘increasing income’ or it may be ‘cost reduction’. It may be “how are we going to get the Pawnee airworthy again?” This can flow to or impact the other areas of the club.
Imagine if your club put all of its energy into Airworthiness. There would be little time left for flying. Although some members may be very happy working on Airworthiness, others may want to fly more often.
Conversely, if your club focuses strongly on Soaring Development with local Grand Prix competitions, and the pilots were mainly interested in long distance flights in their own gliders, the club may find itself short of Instructors to run day-to-day operations. Training may suffer and the club fleet gliders may need more attention in the Airworthiness area.
Everything is a balance
It can be worthwhile to devote resources to certain areas of the club for a short period of time. However, eventually the other areas will need attention as well. The solution is to regularly review where your club is positioned. If your club focus has been on one or two areas for a long time, reset. Step back and think about what needs to be done in other areas of your gliding club.
Ask yourself – what is your club making its priority at present?
GLIDER LESSONS VS LEARNING TO GLIDE
Scenario 1: “Hi, my name is Dave. I have a booking for a glider lesson with Ralph at 1pm.”
"Hi Dave, I am Ralph. We have your booking here. The glider is being prepped and will be at the launch point ready for your pre-flight checks. We have your training records here on our system. I see that you are now ready to do the flight exercises for GPC Unit 12. The prefight exam has confirmed that you understand the theory behind this unit.
“All I need to do is pre-charge your credit card for $500. If you engage with your Instructor at the launch point, for any reason, the charge will be $1 per minute. The flying time and launch actual values will be deducted from that amount after your lesson. Your lesson will be in the $400-$500 range. As per our terms and conditions we reserve the right to charge more than $500. We can provide you with your complimentary bottle of water or if you like you can purchase your Club Signatory Camel Back for $150."
The above description is an exaggeration, but is not far from the truth. When I lived in Silicon Valley, USA, I flew at Hollister. I went up for a 20 minute flight that cost me US$250, and then talked with the instructor afterwards about the differences between instructing in Australia and USA. It was casual conversation. US$20 was added to the bill for his time talking to me.
It could be argued that a gliding lesson is just that, a lesson. The delivery is totally professional. That may be what some pilots want. Have any of you completed your PPL in recent years? If so, you know the cost.
Let's turn this around
Scenario 2: "Hi, my name is Dave. I have arrived around 8:00am to help get the gliders ready for our day. I realise that I will learn many things about getting gliders out of hangars, doing the Daily Inspection and gaining experience on towing the glider, a very valuable piece of equipment, to the launch point. I will learn how to launch gliders, which is a big responsibility.
“I will also learn how to retrieve gliders after landing, bringing them back to the launch point in good condition. I will learn to listen to radio calls in the CTAF and build a mental picture of what is happening. One day I will be able to do that and have conversations with people around the Pie Cart or in the glider. I know I will gain that expertise.
I have studied my GPC Unit 12. If you could ask me a few questions to confirm that knowledge it would be great. If I need to study a bit more on that Unit, we can consolidate it with other GPC Units in our time together today.
Let’s get these Daily Inspections done and get down to the launch point."
It can be argued that a club environment can teach you more about gliding. You can receive ground training and airworthiness training, and learn leadership skills. You can pick up practical skills by ‘doing’. Clubs can encourage members to help during the day, to get involved. Some pilots enjoy that.
It boils down to what you want as a consumer and a club member. Educating members on what it takes to run a club is important. Getting members involved in day-to-day activities, as well as the more strategic areas of running the club, is vital.
At my club, Southern Cross Gliding Club, in Sydney, we are a club. But we have introduced some aspects of scenario one. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, members can engage an instructor, tow pilot and glider for their exclusive use. They pay extra for the privilege.
A professional organisation or a club, or maybe a hybrid? What suits your members? What suits your prospective members?
