Retrospective

The 2024 wave camp was our first wave camp in several years.  Because of this, I treated this wave camp like a soft-launch, to see how well we could manage with a small crowd.  Many restaurants open for the first time like this, with discounts, no advertising, apologies up-front about service that might need to be streamlined.  Now that we have this experience, let's go through some brainstorming about how to improve this for the next time. Here are my thoughts about how well the camp went, and how we can improve, in no particular order: 

• Tow Planes:

  • Tow planes should be scheduled to be available well in advance of wave camp, with backup tow planes on stand by in the event that something becomes unavailable. 

    • Skyline's Husky was available, even though it didn't look like it was going to be available. 

    • Skyline's Pawnee was not available, due to an annual inspection that was too close to the wave camp event. 

    • Other tow planes weren't available because of winter maintenance schedules. Line up potential tow planes based on the number of gliders that will be participating.  

      • The problem with this is that there is probably not enough hangar space for as many gliders as we would like. 

      • Tying down gliders outside when the cold front is passing through and wind gusts in excess of 50 knots is problematic. 

      • I'll have to consider some solutions for this.  Maybe limit the participant numbers so that everybody can fit into the hangars. 

• Oxygen Improvements:

  • Many gliders and pilots showed up with lacking or ancient oxygen systems.  We should really enforce having oxygen systems ready to go on the first day of operations.  On the day of the wave activity, there was too much running around trying to get oxygen tanks filled, masks sorted, etc. 

  • One pilot allegedly showed up with a busted mask, where the vent holes were missing the covers.   Consider bringing extra masks to be purchased at-cost to participants.  

    • A participation fee can help pay for future events oxygen systems. 

    • Maybe we can have oxygen systems to rent for future wave camps. 

  • I should have done a better job of policing oxygen tank levels of the participants.  Have the participants tell me ahead of time when they had their last hydrostatic test done. 

  • I spent too much time getting the oxygen system ready for the ASK-21, and nobody even bothered to fly it on the wave day. 

• Badge Flying Improvements:

  • Many gliders showed up with feature-lacking or downright ancient flight loggers.  We should come up with a way to have a bunch of spare loggers for these people. 

    • Maybe we can have flight loggers to rent for future wave camps.

    • Include emphasis on website that you should know how to use your logger before showing up. I hate being tech support. 

  • Too many pilots never had their calibration sheet for their flight loggers. 

    • Consider adding this to the list of things that pilots must bring to wave camp. 

      • ✅DONE: Added to the "Applying for Badges" page on this website. 

      • Add this to the application for 2025, get the applicant to admit their flight logger ahead of time. 

  • Too many pilots didn't do the "notch the barograph" after releasing from the tow plane. Thus, their badge flight isn't going to be able to be claimed. 

    • Consider having this item added to the morning briefing and reading material beforehand. 

    • For the record, "notching the barograph" consists of a 360 degree turn, and/or diving to descend.  Do this immediately after releasing from the tow plane.  Establish your low point so it's obvious from the flight trace that you're off tow, and starting your climb. 

      • ✅DONE: Added to the "Applying for Badges" page on this website. 

• Timing: 

  • It's really unfortunate that this wave camp was at the same time as the wave camp being hosted in North Carolina.  I would have liked to participate in that one, but I was running this one.

  • See if it's possible to line up WoWC with some of the spring breaks for universities.  This will make it more likely that younger participants can join wave camp, and be volunteers for manpower. 

• LOA/MOU improvements: 

  • The phone number for ATC went straight to voicemail. There was anxiety about getting somebody to answer the phone when it came time to open the wave window. 

    • Consider updating next year's LOA/MOU to have a phone number that actually works. 

  • We need to have a way to prove that we have clearance for the day.  Maybe some sort of password of waiver number, once the wave window is opened.  Just hearing somebody's voice on the other end doesn't feel like enough.  Maybe I should get him to say "Approved" and have a recording of it or something. 

  • Remove transponder requirement. The whole point of a wave window is to waive the 91.135 requirements, which is a transponder, isn't it? 

    • This is impossible, but I'll list it as a far-off wish. 

• Communication Improvements: 

  • The email list was nice, but we should have a rapid response message system like Telegram for urgent messages. 

    • Slack works great, and we should consider setting up a slack channel just for wave camp. 

    • The email list worked great, too, so don't get rid of that. 

    • We have a bunch of people who really like their SMS messages, even though I personally can't stand SMS. 

  • Too many people contacted me directly, when they should have sent an email to the mailing list. 

  • We need to have a drop-dead "this wave camp is canceled, don't drive to Petersburg" protocol. Situation: if there aren't enough volunteers to make this operation happen, if there aren't enough tow planes, tow pilots, etc.  Shit happens. We need to have a procedure for canceling ops without having people show up at the airport and wonder where the tow plane is.  

  • Set up two Zoom calls well ahead of time to review the LOA/MOU.  I let this go to the last minute.  Need a deadline on a calendar or I'm going to put it off until the last minute, like I always do.   Two zoom calls will  do the job to route around busy people's schedules. 

  • Send out a vCard to all of the participants of all of the wave camp participants.  That way, everybody has everybody's number and they won't contact me directly when they need to get a phone number of another wave camp participant. 

  • Sometimes people want to eat with me.  Instead of being a clique, I should pick a few nights where we all eat together.  Maybe a Cheeta B's night, where we give them enough warning that a big group is coming. 

• Flight Ops improvements: 

  • Gliders showing up late and assembling in the middle of flight ops on the one wave day was really disruptive. We should have a "you better have your plane ready to go before wave day" policy. 

  • When a helicopter air-taxied by on the ramp, the winds generated by the helicopter opened a glider's side-hinging "closed but not locked" canopy, and damaged the canopy.  We should reinforce the idea that there is no such thing as "closed canopy" only "closed and locked canopy" Include this in the morning briefing as reinforcement. 

  • Skyline: We really should encourage student pilots to show up, so we can have some flight ops on the "no wave days" .  Having students milling about allows us to have a workforce to push gliders around on the wave day. 

  • Skyline: Don't let "get-there-itis" drive the ferry flights of the tow plane and glider to W99.  If the weather isn't suitable for ferry flights, don't go.  Wait a day.  The gliders sitting at W99 can wait another day.  Reinforce this on the mailing list. 

  • Skyline: have the log sheet pre-filled out with all of the non-skyline participants, so the treasurer knows who they are, and the names pop up properly in the logsheet program. 

• Flight Fees: 

  • We should really collect money from non-skyline members ahead of time for three tows and 7 days of hangar rent.  If there are any refunds, we can send it after the wave camp. 

  • We should really include a participation fee as barrier of entry, ahead of time, so that we can have the tow plane ferry flights paid for ahead of time. 

  • In the participation fee, we could include a portion of it to purchase materials for rent for future wave camps. 

    • Now that we have this "soft launch" behind us, we can more accurately predict the future expenses of future wave camps. 

  • Have non-skyline participants send the flight fees directly to the treasurer before flight ops. 

  • Have the directors approve temporary memberships for non-skyline members for the wave camp. (will this require a change to the club's bylaws?)

• Website Improvements: 

  • We should have a rule where everybody who flies posts to OLC and/or WeGlide, so we can have a nice collection of flights to determine what to do for future wave camps. 

  • We should have a page with all the FlightAware gliders listed, so people at home can watch the gliders. Apparently, there was a watch party looking at FlightAware on our Thursday wave day.  

  • Include information about places people can get their oxygen tanks hydro-static tested ahead of time. 

  • Include shopping list of warm clothes that Piet recommends on the wave camp website. 

  • Have the MOU/LOA published well ahead of time on the website.  Find a way to redact the phone number on the PDF without having to HTMLize the PDF ahead of time. 

  • Come up with a marketing logo for Wave Camp, so we can have a consistent theme on the website. The QQ logo is cute, but probably should come up with something wavey, and campy.  Use AI if possible. 

  • Lots of people who attend wave camp are not familiar with the Petersburg area like I am. After all, I spent a week here in Petersburg every year for the past 5 years now.  Wave Camp participants probably would like to know where they should stay, where to eat. 

    • Include list of lodging around the area. 

    • Include list of restaurants that are "Piet Approved" in the area. 

  • Include links to "Piet approved" hardware for your glider, for the transponder. 

  • Include the participation application on this website. 

    • (this website didn't exist until way too close to the deadline for the wave camp. )

  • Include local terrain features for Petersburg in the website briefings. Where to find the lift.  Where to land out.  Where to use the house thermal.  How to identify the wave window.  Things like that. 

  • Have a hashtag for people to post their pictures.  It would be nice to collect all of the photos of wave camp in one place for future historical perspective.