White Waltham
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: down-route
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Three weeks ago some oiks came into the club and literally walked out with the club's large widescreen television. This may explain why the management at WW are keen to have someone checking memberships.
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: In a house
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Suggest they get somebody to check that people are not walking out with the Club's telly. Goodness there will be so many security guards in the clubhouse there will be no room for Members.
By the way you don't by any chance know where the remote was kept ?? Doh!!
By the way you don't by any chance know where the remote was kept ?? Doh!!
Join Date: May 2002
Location: In a nice house
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They do get a lot of "spotters" at WW. Unfortunately the club house is not really big enough to accommodate members (and their guests) as well as visitors and spotters. I think anyone genuinely looking to learn to fly, or to join the club would be welcomed with open arms, whereas spotters and oiks should be kept out. Why should members, who pay a lot of money each year, not be able to get in the clubhouse at weekends?
It did go through a phase a few years ago where you couldn't move at the weekends, there were kids and dogs everywhere. Members of WW like flying, and like the old fashioned "club" atmosphere. Most of them don't want it to become open to all - look what happened to The Red Baron over at Booker!!
It did go through a phase a few years ago where you couldn't move at the weekends, there were kids and dogs everywhere. Members of WW like flying, and like the old fashioned "club" atmosphere. Most of them don't want it to become open to all - look what happened to The Red Baron over at Booker!!
Join Date: Oct 2000
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As a previous member of the club (who will shortly) be rejoining... On parking up and walking past the the clubhouse. I got challenged about membership by lady with clipboard on more than one occasion. Perhaps I didn't have my flight bag with me on that day?? However hey ho, water off a ducks back and all that.
I'll echo what others have said -friendly club, nice atmosphere...
I'll echo what others have said -friendly club, nice atmosphere...
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: UK
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Some years ago I went there with a friend who is a training captain of Iceland Air. At the bar I was asked if I am a member, when answered with a 'no' I was told that i will not be served. Never went again.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
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Not necessarily so, at least in my experience. The owner of the aircraft I fly has told me never to take him there again; not that I would choose to go there again.
A little less conversation,
a little more aviation...
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Bracknell, UK
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Your opinions however, as the hired help, have no merit - you are simply someone else's bitch in that respect.
Unless, of course, you're bitter about the clubhouse Epaulette policy, and the ramifications thereof.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Eharding, why should I tell you the reasons? They were discussed with the relevant person at the time; we won't be going back.
I have no idea what you mean by the clubhouse epaulettes policy.
As for my opinions having no merit - an arrogant thing to say and who are you to say that?
I have no idea what you mean by the clubhouse epaulettes policy.
As for my opinions having no merit - an arrogant thing to say and who are you to say that?
Couldonlyaffordafiver
Join Date: Dec 2000
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I have no idea what you mean by the clubhouse epaulettes policy.
Hi-viz jackets tend to generate a few comments as well.
Your opinions however, as the hired help, have no merit -
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: W.London
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Perhaps a possible answer if WW (and any other similar club) wants to keep itself as a pure flying club rather than as a public facility is to simply say that visiting pilots and their passengers are welcome to use the facilities. Most of those would obviously be visiting by air but I doubt if the number of pilots turning up by road would be a problem. If it were then a caveat that pilots using the club regularly when not flying in should take out social membership would seem not unreasonable.
When I do visit WW it normally is by air but I have occasionally dropped in there for lunch when I've happened to be in the area and as I'm a member of another flying club- where our aircraft is based- haven't felt that I was abusing the club's hospitality.
When I do visit WW it normally is by air but I have occasionally dropped in there for lunch when I've happened to be in the area and as I'm a member of another flying club- where our aircraft is based- haven't felt that I was abusing the club's hospitality.
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Join Date: Nov 2000
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I think what eharding meant was that if you are operating for someone else in a commercial capacity, you go where you're told, whether you like it or not.
A little less conversation,
a little more aviation...
Join Date: Jun 2003
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On that basis, I'd assume you (and/or your owner) upset someone, and were cordially invited to sling your (and/or your owner's) hook(s).
The fact that you haven't returned is presumably a mutually agreeable arrangement. Long may it remain so.
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Burrow, N53:48:02 W1:48:57, The Tin Tent - EGBS, EGBO
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As I said previously, on both my visits I was made very welcome at WW. On my first visit there, purely as a matter of courtesy and from a fire safety point of view, I took myself to reception to let them know I was there to see "Fred" after which I purchased a cup of coffee to drink whilst I was waiting for him to appear. On the second occasion one of the two friends I was meeting there happened to arrive at the same time as myself.
I am not as fortunate as many of you as I do not have the financial resources to be able to do a lot of flying so many of my meetings with friends are, of necessity, made by road. I don't know what most of you feel about the standard of catering in roadside service stations but I feel it is overpriced to put it mildly. I would far sooner be able to drop in to an airfield I might be passing and eat there in the knowledge that I may have made some tiny contribution to funds which may help keep that particular airfield open for us to enjoy flying to. I do understand WW's concerns about having people who are unknown to them simply wandering about the place, perhaps production of pilot's licence and some form of photo identity might be an idea for anyone not arriving by air.
I am not as fortunate as many of you as I do not have the financial resources to be able to do a lot of flying so many of my meetings with friends are, of necessity, made by road. I don't know what most of you feel about the standard of catering in roadside service stations but I feel it is overpriced to put it mildly. I would far sooner be able to drop in to an airfield I might be passing and eat there in the knowledge that I may have made some tiny contribution to funds which may help keep that particular airfield open for us to enjoy flying to. I do understand WW's concerns about having people who are unknown to them simply wandering about the place, perhaps production of pilot's licence and some form of photo identity might be an idea for anyone not arriving by air.
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eharding, your vitriol filled replies are a very good example of why a flying club might make itself unpopular with visitors so I sincerely hope you speak in no official capacity.
I'm glad to hear that other visitors have more pleasant memories of their visits but I'm entitled to post here just as much as they are.
Btw, I repeat, you are wrong about who makes the decisions about where we land. I chose WW as a convenient place to take him on the day but he told me in no uncertain terms he doesn't wish to go again. My "negative comment" was a fact. If you would care to read it again you might see it was the owner/passenger who was disgruntled, rather than me. If he's unhappy (this was an understatement), then obviously he won't go there again.
However, you immediately make this a personal issue. If you consider any pilot making a living out of flying as a "hired bitch", that says more about you than me. Perhaps some members at WW have a tinge of inherent resentment about professional aircrew visitors, especially in view of your quoted bizarre "clubhouse epaulettes policy". Where is that stated in the AIP?
I'm glad to hear that other visitors have more pleasant memories of their visits but I'm entitled to post here just as much as they are.
Btw, I repeat, you are wrong about who makes the decisions about where we land. I chose WW as a convenient place to take him on the day but he told me in no uncertain terms he doesn't wish to go again. My "negative comment" was a fact. If you would care to read it again you might see it was the owner/passenger who was disgruntled, rather than me. If he's unhappy (this was an understatement), then obviously he won't go there again.
However, you immediately make this a personal issue. If you consider any pilot making a living out of flying as a "hired bitch", that says more about you than me. Perhaps some members at WW have a tinge of inherent resentment about professional aircrew visitors, especially in view of your quoted bizarre "clubhouse epaulettes policy". Where is that stated in the AIP?
Join Date: Jan 2006
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White waltham's club house is precisely that - a club for the use of members which is also available to visiting pilots. The procedure for visiting non-members who have not flown in is very straightforward, you need to be signed in by a member to use the clubhouse; if you go and have a chat with the CFI or the Airfield manager, I'm sure they will be happy to oblige, if they are not too busy and the club-room is not already full.
However, there is no obligation upon them to do this as this is a PRIVATE MEMBERS CLUB.
In terms of epaulettes, I'm afraid you have grasped the wrong end of the stick, here. About a 1/3rd of the pilots based at WW seem to be involved in commercial aviation, in one form or another; the club rule is that if anyone (including the based members) turns up in full regalia, they have to buy a round of drinks. This is a policy designed to firstly to prevent a commercial pilots club-within-a-club atmosphere developing, and to prevent the sky-god-jet-jockeys from getting a bit too self important....
However, there is no obligation upon them to do this as this is a PRIVATE MEMBERS CLUB.
In terms of epaulettes, I'm afraid you have grasped the wrong end of the stick, here. About a 1/3rd of the pilots based at WW seem to be involved in commercial aviation, in one form or another; the club rule is that if anyone (including the based members) turns up in full regalia, they have to buy a round of drinks. This is a policy designed to firstly to prevent a commercial pilots club-within-a-club atmosphere developing, and to prevent the sky-god-jet-jockeys from getting a bit too self important....
Join Date: Mar 2000
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I have no "side" in any of this, but I will post a few comments about my experiences of clubs.
I'm a member of a private members club in London that doesn't allow anyone in, unless they are members or are accompanied by members.
If the guest turns up early, then they are allowed into one of the bars specifically set aside for this purpose, however they aren't allowed free reign. The system works quite well, but the place is very fussy with what to me are silly rules on dress etc. Ties and suits are a must, which for someone of my age and scruffiness is a complete pain in the backside. So that puts me off it sometimes. Despite the thousands of pounds a year in membership fees. I've never felt completely comfortable and if it wasn't for the facilities and location, I wouldn;t bother with it.
I also frequent Yacht clubs and sailing clubs when the mood to get wet and spend large sums of money for no apparent reason takes me. As mentioned before, most run a system where you can have affiliate membership if you are a member elsewhere, in the same way that many golf clubs do.
That usually works well. There is some control over who comes in, but people are made welcome and there is rarely bad feeling.
Some private clubs can be daunting and intimidating to some and that is much to the detriment of them. Whilst I'm sure WW is a fantastic club (actually I know it to be) there does seem to be a few "points of learning" that could be taken from this thread.
I wouldn't ever suggest that the doors should be simply flung wide for all and sundry to descend, but where is the prolem in allowing other aviators in for a drink? How they arrive is irrelevant and very arbitrary.
I turn up at airfields on the bike or in the car far more often than I do in an aircraft and given my current lack of medical, visiting by aircraft isn't always an option for everyone. Putting someone like me off joining just because of the mode of transport you use to visit initially is a bit daft to be honest.
Any club lives and dies on it's membership and whilst somewhere that has a very strong but cliquey core is fine for a while, it is often not good for the long term as new blood isn't made as welcome or attracted as it could be.
This is very hard to see when you are in the middle of it and I'll bet people would be horrified to think that this is the case.
WW is one of the best aviation clubs in the country, IF you are a member, but I get a feeling from this and from other comments over the years that the welcome to visitors could be a teeny weeny bit better than it currently is.
It's not a major problem, but clubs must be very careful to avoid becoming seen as a cliquey "old buffers" only establisment, where unless you are part of a certain "group", then you are a second class citizen. I'm not saying that WLAC is like that, but it should always be in the forefront of committee members minds when they are thinking about the long term health of the club.
Everyone should be made to feel welcome, members, guests, families etc. If that isn't happening, then instead of having a row about it, find out why and try and make sure it doesn't happen again.
Ed, mate, you're better than that. Having a go at someone for being "hired help" is a bit OTT.
I'm a member of a private members club in London that doesn't allow anyone in, unless they are members or are accompanied by members.
If the guest turns up early, then they are allowed into one of the bars specifically set aside for this purpose, however they aren't allowed free reign. The system works quite well, but the place is very fussy with what to me are silly rules on dress etc. Ties and suits are a must, which for someone of my age and scruffiness is a complete pain in the backside. So that puts me off it sometimes. Despite the thousands of pounds a year in membership fees. I've never felt completely comfortable and if it wasn't for the facilities and location, I wouldn;t bother with it.
I also frequent Yacht clubs and sailing clubs when the mood to get wet and spend large sums of money for no apparent reason takes me. As mentioned before, most run a system where you can have affiliate membership if you are a member elsewhere, in the same way that many golf clubs do.
That usually works well. There is some control over who comes in, but people are made welcome and there is rarely bad feeling.
Some private clubs can be daunting and intimidating to some and that is much to the detriment of them. Whilst I'm sure WW is a fantastic club (actually I know it to be) there does seem to be a few "points of learning" that could be taken from this thread.
I wouldn't ever suggest that the doors should be simply flung wide for all and sundry to descend, but where is the prolem in allowing other aviators in for a drink? How they arrive is irrelevant and very arbitrary.
I turn up at airfields on the bike or in the car far more often than I do in an aircraft and given my current lack of medical, visiting by aircraft isn't always an option for everyone. Putting someone like me off joining just because of the mode of transport you use to visit initially is a bit daft to be honest.
Any club lives and dies on it's membership and whilst somewhere that has a very strong but cliquey core is fine for a while, it is often not good for the long term as new blood isn't made as welcome or attracted as it could be.
This is very hard to see when you are in the middle of it and I'll bet people would be horrified to think that this is the case.
WW is one of the best aviation clubs in the country, IF you are a member, but I get a feeling from this and from other comments over the years that the welcome to visitors could be a teeny weeny bit better than it currently is.
It's not a major problem, but clubs must be very careful to avoid becoming seen as a cliquey "old buffers" only establisment, where unless you are part of a certain "group", then you are a second class citizen. I'm not saying that WLAC is like that, but it should always be in the forefront of committee members minds when they are thinking about the long term health of the club.
Everyone should be made to feel welcome, members, guests, families etc. If that isn't happening, then instead of having a row about it, find out why and try and make sure it doesn't happen again.
Ed, mate, you're better than that. Having a go at someone for being "hired help" is a bit OTT.
A little less conversation,
a little more aviation...
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However, after all this, you still haven't actually told us what the problem was, which isn't particularly helpful.