Getting club members to volunteer for LCO/RSO

[JackC]

I would like to hear any solutions your clubs have found to get people to volunteer for these positions early in the launch day. At our site, early mornings are when the winds are low and big motor flyers usually want to launch their birds during this time. We would be interested in knowing how you've addressed this issue. Thanks!

 

[smstachwick]

I usually volunteer for a shift or two because of my experience setting up special events with the Boy Scouts. If you have any units visiting the range, I’d suggest maybe going over and visiting with their leadership and explaining what you need. Emphasize that no rocketry experience is required, just comfort speaking publicly, an easygoing personality, a safety-oriented mindset, and willingness to coordinate with other range positions like pad assignment. Also explain that they get to push the button on the big ones and will have plenty of time to fly their own rockets.

Odds are that a really good unit will produce an older youth leader or an adult who would be qualified, able, and willing to work the mic for 30-60 minutes.

Maybe others will have different suggestions, but that’s mine.

I have no suggestions for RSO. Your pool for that is far more limited (at least at a Tripoli launch) because of the L2 requirement.

If you really find yourself out of options, don’t be afraid to shut down the range until critical positions are filled. It’s not fair to have the same people running the range all day when they came out probably hoping to fly. Every returning club member should plan to be available for at least 1 volunteer shift they’re qualified for, even if it turns out that there is no need.

At DART I make sure to greet people entering the range and identify newcomers. I usually get a party, sometimes two, watching me demonstrate prep/hookup and explain motor selection. That’s usually my contribution, as the members with more tenure are comfortable running the basic range positions on their own and I dislike stepping on their toes.

 

[rocket_troy]

Also if it becomes challenging getting volunteers, you can create a roster or incentifying it eg. volunteers can get priority for launches, and/or parking etc. I'd personally prefer to provide launch priority to volunteers over cert flyers who sometimes show up and piss off the moment they're done, which irritates me.

TP

 

[tfish]

Emphasize that no rocketry experience is required, just comfort speaking publicly, an easygoing personality, a safety-oriented mindset, and willingness to coordinate with other range positions like pad assignment. Also explain that they get to push the button on the big ones and will have plenty of time to fly their own rockets.

...no rocketry experience is required..

really?

Tony

 

[OverTheTop]

Our club generally just ask people they know who are able to perform the duties. Most people will gladly help out for some of the time, accepting the responsibility. People will usually step up to the task if asked and maybe assisted a little the first time.

 

[Buckeye]

Emphasize that no rocketry experience is required,

I doubt that any club will pull a stranger off the street and plop him in the LCO chair. C'mon, man!

The LCO position is the most critical, more so than RSO, imo. The LCO has to be alert, efficient, and able to deal with any issue that arises on the range. Knowledge of the launch system, and how to diagnose electrical problems (which always occur), is crucial.

There is nothing worse than an LCO who yacks too much on the mic or gets easily distracted when there is a full rack of rockets waiting.

 

[user 30299]

The key is not to ask for volunteers the morning of the launch day.

You want to contact (call/text) people a couple of days in advance. You set yourself up for a disappoint
because those people are there to launch rockets like everyone else. They've prepared for it, and they are
looking for a day spent launching their rockets.

The clubs I spend time with are pretty good about reaching out to their experienced members in advance.
I've never know anyone to decline the request to LCO/RSO if given a heads-up on the situation - if they
intended to be at the launch in the first place.

For me it means bringing maybe just one or two simple rockets vs. a complicated assembly. I also find it
to be a great opportunity to pay it forward. I'll bring just as many supplies, parts & pieces, and whatnot.
The RSO has the opportunity to make someone's day go perfect by catching a potential problem or
providing a simple but missing component.

The RSO and LCO also have a chance to see lots of other rocket designs that they would miss
out on because they would normally be focused on just launching their own rockets.

It's no fun on heavy certification days! But it's gratifying when you look at all the accomplished
launches at the end of the day.

 

[smstachwick]

I doubt that any club will pull a stranger off the street and plop him in the LCO chair. C'mon, man!

The LCO position is the most critical, more so than RSO, imo. The LCO has to be alert, efficient, and able to deal with any issue that arises on the range. Knowledge of the launch system, and how to diagnose electrical problems (which always occur), is crucial.

There is nothing worse than an LCO who yacks too much on the mic or gets easily distracted when there is a full rack of rockets waiting.

At ROC they have taught newcomers how to interpret and organize flight cards, conduct range/sky checks, and work the launch system in about 5 minutes. They also have pad management and sometimes a safety-checker at the station. A PA system also allows assistance to be summoned quickly from elsewhere, but they usually do OK. I will admit that a good “people sense” can reduce the odds of getting somebody unsuited to the job.

I would expect other roles to have more experience and be better known. Pad management should be familiar with the club’s setup and safety check/RSO/launch director should have the minimum qualifications specified by national, I believe it’s L2 for all 3.

Also nothing will generate volunteers like somebody LCOing poorly. I would prefer this self-fixing problem to people waiting around with an empty LCO table hoping somebody else will step up, although I’ve so far been fortunate enough to not have to be charged with solving either problem.

As always to the OP, use your best judgement. You know things that I don’t.

 

[JimByrne]

We have the same problem---everyone wants to launch their rockets, but it is rare that anyone volunteers for the LCO job

 

[Art Upton]

Here is what I have seen and done in the past at our local club when we flew at MIS in racks and pads. Now it is more of a misfire alley at the farm field.

I would hook up my rocket on pad and go back to the launching table. Sometimes I would notice the regulars where not there to run the LCO and I am qualified and allowed at my club to be the LCO.

I would sit down at the table and when others were done racking or padding their rockets I would launch them, with mine Last.

Famous one for the PA I got from James at XPRS, when the rocket is not immediately coming up to ignition : " I am pressing the button Very HARD"

@tfish , I forget what James Last name is ?

 

[thzero]

Beat them with a broom.

 

[rharshberger]

We ask for volunteers (and we have a sign up roster at the LC table), if there are no RSO aka PreFlightInspectors (since the RSO is a specific launch staff member) or LCO volunteers then there is no flying until someone steps up. We tried other methods like begging etc, but if nobody can fly its not too long until someone steps up. As for qualifications to push the button...it takes about 1 minute to teach someone what they need to know and of course the clubs Launch Director and RSO are both observing, and its fully understood that either can step in at any moment and stop thing from happening.

 

[Rocketclar]

At one club where I was a member, those that volunteered before the launch and then helped were given discounts on the launch fees.

 

[Hobie1dog]

interesting viewpoints.

 

[watheyak]

The most foolproof method is the @Wayco @Hardline arrangement-

Get your significant other deeply addicted to rocketry so you'll always have an LCO at the ready.

 

[ZEDL1]

Have your Prefect do it. I was the TRA Prefect of our local Toronto,Canada group for 16 (maybe it was 17) years. I'd be one of the first to arrive at our launch site to set up. I will say that we rarely had more than 20'ish flyiers, so I did both the RSO and LCO duties.
I did take much away from my own flying time, but I liked. It did get old...

 

[Steve Shannon]

Simply don’t launch rockets until people volunteer. Do one or two hour shifts.

 

[Ez2cDave]

I would like to hear any solutions your clubs have found to get people to volunteer for these positions early in the launch day. At our site, early mornings are when the winds are low and big motor flyers usually want to launch their birds during this time. We would be interested in knowing how you've addressed this issue. Thanks!

"Motivation" is the key . . . What is the strongest "motivator" ? "Financial Incentives", of course !

(1) If a person volunteers, and performs their duties, they get their "Launch Fee" back, after their "shift" is over.

(2) Long-Term volunteers - If a person serves as RSO / LCO for the ENTIRE year, the Club / Section / Prefecture pays either their NAR or TRIPOLI member, for the NEXT year ( not the CURRENT year ).

Dave F.

 

[OzHybrid]

The AMRS (now defunct) used to have a very good exam for RSO and LCO. While you might think an exam would reduce your chances of getting people to volunteer, it seemed to encourage it. My gut feeling was that people are intimidated by having to make the decisions that could allow or prevent flight for a fellow member. Once they'd done the exam, they saw how easy it was with a few simple checks.
The list of people who had done the exam also gave us a pool of people to choose from.
Norm

 

[kitchw8436]

Never underestimate the power of asking people to serve. I wouldn't resort to the negative incentives until you've asked people personally.