VGC News/Newsletters - Lakes Gliding Club

Liebe deutsche VGC - Mitglieder, viele deutsche Mitglieder
zah'len noch immer 35.-DM als Jahresbeitrag (wie es auch
falschlicherweise im Anmeldeformular del' VGC-NEWS
inuner noch gestanden hat). Das ist falsch, denn 19 englische
Pfund sind umgetauscht ca. 57.-DM. Das ist viel Geld. Ich
hatte tnich deswegen sehr genau bei unseren englischen Freunden
erkundigt und folgende Antwort erhalten:
Jede VGC-NEWS kostet etwa 12.-DM, was ich auch bei
del' relativ geringen Anzahl del' Exemplare und del' jetzt sehr
guten QualiHit glaube. Dann kommt hinzu, dass wir zur Verwaltung
unseres Klubs ein odeI' zwei Computer anschaffen
mussten und einen guten grossen Kopierer. Diesel' Kopierer
dient nicht zuletzt del' Aufgabe, die wir uns gestellt haben,
Plane alter Segelflugzeuge zu archivieren und zu vervielfiiltigen,
so dass diese Plane nicht nul' an einer Stelle vorhanden
sind.
Die Verwaltung eines ca 800 Mitglieder grossen Clubs
kostet natmtich auch etwas, das wird jeder einsehen.
Die Mitglieder, die es bis jetzt immer bei 35.- DM
belassen haben, soliten mit dem nachsten Beitrag einen Ausgleich
zahlen. Ich finde das nul' fair gegennber den Mitgliedem,
die immer brav ihre vollen Beitrage gezahlt haben.
Ich wiinsche Euch ein erfolgreiches schones Segelflugjahr.
Jorg
the International Representatives where there is not a national
vintage organisation.
I would like to hear members views on what services they
would like to see the VGC offering that will be of benefit to
them. I would Ibe particularly interested to hear from overseas
members as they are just as important as our UK members.
Nearly half of VGC members do not live in the UK so it is
very important that we offer services of value to aU members.
Similarly modellers are a significant group of members and I
would like to know what they would like to see.
Finally, if your address sheet for this issue of VGC
News was coloured yellow your subscription is now due. So
if you have not already sent it to the Treasurer, or your International
or your local representative please do so now. Good
flying in 1999, I will look forward to meeting some of you at
International or local events during the year.
Ion Dunkley
Imre Mitter has asked us to point out that he can provide
photos size l3x18 and not 9x 12 as in his original advert. He
can also send a list of all the aeroplanes for which he has
photos. He is at Rath Gyorgy u.17/B, H-1122 Budapest.
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY'S NOTES
Our membership is growing again and as you will see from the
list of International Representatives on the Application Form
pages we are really a world-wide organisation. We have past
the 700 mark last year and it is anticipated that this growth
will continue during 1999.
The majority of new membership enquiries are now
coming via e-mail from the Internet and we believe that this
will be a continuing trend. It will also become an important
way of communicating with our members and letting
members contact each other for help and advice. You will find
on your address sheet a form for you to return to us giving
your agreement to your name, address and glider details to go
on the Internet so members can contact you. Please return this
to me as soon as possible.
You will also see on the address sheet two other questions,
"Glider type" and "Club".
If you have not provided this information in the last two
years, would you please do so now. If you are a modeller, say
so and also give your club.
We have two gliding clubs, Stratford on Avon, and the
Dublin Gliding Club who lead the ratio of VGC members to
total member race, congratulations to them, but I want to make
sure that others try to beat them. How about all clubs having a
VGC recruiter Any vintage glider or model glider group that
does not have a web site of its own can have a page on our site
and details of how you can do this is given on the VGC site.
We want our site Ito be the first stop for international
vintage gliding and to provide links to all the overseas vintage
organisations and them to us. Peter Chamberlain's Glider
database, see an article in this issue, will soon be used to
recruit more owners of vintage and classic gliders to the VGc.
Initially we will be concentrating on UK registered gliders but
hope to extend this internationally soon in co-operation with
The Loudon Glider which was featured in VGC News No 94,
ready for take off. Photo from Johan Kiekens.
Glider database
For the last few months I have been setting up and creating a
computer database of all the gliders owned by Vintage Glider
Club members in order to gather together in one easily accessible
source a view of our club's collective wealth of aircraft.
This can be used in several ways by members. For instance
to look for fellow owners of a specific type in order to share
information or spare parts, or perhaps for the location of the
nearest example of a particular glider you have been trying to
build a model of but now need to inspect a little more closely
to finish. For several reasons I have concentrated on UK
gliders in the main but am now starting to include all other
countries as well.
Based on the forms completed by everyone when renewing
their annual membership I have attempted to fill in a few of
the gaps using information kindly supplied by the British
Gliding Association and, through fellow member Phil Butler,
Air Britain. Because of this you can see that UK based gliders
will have more details than ~hose of other countries.
I have 10 headings for the information on each machine
starting with the registration number, including year built,
constlfUction number, previous identities, colour scheme,
where it is normally flown, its airworthiness status, owners'
names and membership numbers and a small area for notes
and comments such as famous owners or interesting flights.
3