Greetings from a new BOD Member

Hello Soaring pilots, family and friends! I wanted to introduce myself to those of you who I haven’t met yet. As a member of Sugarbush Soaring for the last several years, I have been observing how things work. The more I think I have learned, the more I realize how much I still need to learn. One thing is certain………….we have an excellent staff, and a core group of members who do 90% of the day to day operation of the Gliderport. As I become more familiar with these operations, I have new-found respect for these individuals.

At the same time, I have learned of a rather disturbing situation where the Club seems to be divided culturally into what is termed the “Great White Fleet”, Pilots who rent Club Ships, and Instructional Operations(including rides, which is critical to the Club’s financial survival). One of my goals is to try to bring these different groups of people together, and increase the FUN level. We all love to Fly, and our fellow pilots are an incredible bunch of people. At the same time, the Gliderport needs to be an enjoyable place for family and friends to come and spend time while we enjoy our flying.

I am also a member of NESA (Nice bunch of people out of Springfield, Vt), and The Blue Ridge Soaring Society (BRSS) in New Castle, Va. After attending a couple events at New Castle, I just had to join their club. The people are wonderfully friendly, honest, and their Southern hospitality is second to none. They have the formula figured out, and it relies heavily on volunteerism, and the concept that the people on the ground have to have fun too!

Maybe emulating BRSS is too lofty a goal, but if we don’t set our sights high, we may end up very low, with no place to land.

During the coming flying season, think about what you can do to improve our Club.
Please let me or the other BOD members know if you have any concerns. If you don’t let us know, we can’t try to fix it. I’m not advocating change for the sake of change, but I’m sure most will agree there is room for improvement. We have a wonderful place to fly here at Sugarbush, perhaps one of the best places on the planet. Let’s all work together to make it more fun when we’re on the ground.

Looking forward to meeting more of you, and serving your needs on the BOD.

Sincerely,

Tim Donovan X8

P.S. I fly an LS-6B, and love to fly cross-country. I guess that would put me in the “Great White Fleet”. But wait…..I like hanging around with everybody, and going up in the 2 place ships with friends.