Tow pilots for junior XC academy

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brian...@hartcraft.com

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May 30, 2024, 3:33:41 PMMay 30
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At this point, Jonathan is the only tow pilot signed up to tow June 23 – 29 for the Region 8 contest and the following week July 1 – 6 at the junior XC academy. Is there anyone else out there willing to tow either or both of those weeks? There are a couple of ways this can work:

 

  • Jonathan will be ferrying the HRS Pawnee up to Ephrata for those two weeks, so an SGC-qualified pilot would be able to fly the SGC Pawnee.
  • Or, vice versa, if an HRS tow pilot wants to sign up, Jonathan can fly the SGC Pawnee, and the other HRS tow pilot can fly the HRS Pawnee.

 

We definitely need two tow planes & pilots at a minimum for each event, and we absolutely need three for the contest and maybe even for the junior XC academy.

 

Thanks!

Brian Hart, Sr.
HartCraft
(360) 772-0613

 

jim mcneil

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May 31, 2024, 2:25:03 AMMay 31
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Jim Dobb

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Jun 1, 2024, 5:47:53 PMJun 1
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Hi Brian, et al, 

I can tow for kost of the junior encampment, but it will need to be in the SGC towplane, 78P.

Thanks,
Jim Dobberfuhl 


On May 30, 2024, at 23:25, jim mcneil <jmac5...@gmail.com> wrote:



Ron Bellamy

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Jun 1, 2024, 5:56:18 PMJun 1
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That’s awesome!  Thanks Jim. Let David Reusch know as well. He and Tony are keeping track. 
Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 1, 2024, at 2:47 PM, Jim Dobb <jim....@gmail.com> wrote:



Dave Reusch

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Jun 2, 2024, 8:51:49 PMJun 2
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Ron,  You mentioned Tony. I don’t think he is involved in scheduling tow pilots. Doug Hornal is the Evergreen Towplane Manager but he isn’t doing any scheduling. In short, Evergreen relies on tow pilots to self schedule and probably don’t have anyone for the contest or Junior week

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On Jun 1, 2024, at 2:56 PM, Ron Bellamy <rwbe...@gmail.com> wrote:

That’s awesome!  Thanks Jim. Let David Reusch know as well. He and Tony are keeping track. 

ton...@comcast.net

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Jun 3, 2024, 2:14:13 PMJun 3
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Other than drumming up interest among Evergreen members for all the events at SGC, I am not involved with the organization of any of them. As Dave said, Doug is the Evergreen chief tow pilot. He has sent out appeals repeatedly for tow pilots. At this stage,  that both chief tow pilots should be calling tow pilots individually if they haven't already done so.

Please note that there will not be any towing in KEPH from 15 June through 23 June due to lack of tow planes. ALL tow planes will be at Methow State.

Tony P
Ops Guy
Evergreen

Douglas Hornal

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Jun 3, 2024, 5:20:03 PMJun 3
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I’m sorry Tony but I have to respectfully disagree!
 it is up to the event organizer to find the required help.There is nothing in my job description that mentions organizing tow pilots for events.
Brad Patterson for example wrangles the tow pilots he needs for the Methow event. I don’t know how SGC’s chief tow pilots job description is worded but organizing tow pilots is not in Evergreens chief tow pilots description. That said I help where I can but there are limits.
I’m going to call this the Phil Anderson Effect, Folks got used to Phil spending a month or more tirelessly towing every year but that is over.
Doug


brian...@hartcraft.com

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Jun 3, 2024, 7:21:23 PMJun 3
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We have two things overlapping here:

 

  • We already have two tow pilots for the junior camp June 30 – July 7 (tow days July 1-6): Jim Dobberfuhl in the SGC Pawnee, and Jonathan in the HRS Pawnee. I am the CD and responsible to find tow pilots. My question was just whether there was any plan for an Evergreen tow plane to be at Ephrata that week, and if so, if a little creative shuffling might allow Jonathan to fly that one while another HRS pilot flies the HRS Pawnee. If there is no plan for an Evergreen tow plane to be there, it is a moot point. I think we can do with the two we have, but if we have 10 adults show up without signing up to be there, they will have to take last priority behind the juniors. Note that there is a slot for an Evergreen tow pilot on SignUp Genius for this week, and I will have Jonathan take that slot and offer the HRS tow pilot slot to someone else—so long as we do not find out that the Evergreen Pawnee will not actuall be there. I cannot see why there would be a SignUp Genius slot for an Evergreen Towpilot if there will be no tow plane for him to fly.
  • I was just putting in a good word on Noel’s behalf in his role as CD for Region 8. Jonathan will be there with the HRS Pawnee; I am not sure who else, if anyone, is signed up. And the same creative shuffling means that if there is an Evergreen or SGC tow pilot, Jonathan can fly the other one, and I think I can dig up another HRS tow pilot to fly the HRS Pawnee.

 

So we technically have our junior camp tow needs met, but if we end up with more adult glider pilots, we might need a third tow pilot. And I am just trying to be helpful here on Noel’s behalf for the week before that—and I do not know where else to communicate about this. I do not want to go get an HRS tow pilot on the hook—and then have to cancel him. And since it is somewhat tricky to cancel a SignUp Genius entry, I figured I should ask here first before Jonathan signs up for the Evergreen tow pilot slot for the junior camp week.

 

Thanks!

Brian Hart, Sr.
HartCraft
(360) 772-0613

 

brian...@hartcraft.com

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Jun 3, 2024, 7:23:46 PMJun 3
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Agreed, Doug.

 

I am taking 100% responsibility for getting tow pilots for my junior camp; I am posting here just in case tow pilots may be monitoring this group and in case having Jonathan fly the Evergreen tow plane will work—thus opening a spot (that I will have filled) for another HRS tow pilot.

 

And—as noted—just trying to keep a bit of tow pilot search momentum going here in this discussion on Noel’s behalf (since I am the ops manager for that event, and the ground crew will be run even more ragged if we are short on tow pilots!).

 

Thanks!

Brian Hart, Sr.
HartCraft
(360) 772-0613

 

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