NOT///MPOWER Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I was wondering if it would be possible to meet my instructor prior to gridding for my first session, so that I can get his/her harness properly fitted. It's usually a pain to try & do it in a rush while on grid. (the event is Hyperfest...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasaregistrar Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 we will have the pairings posted in the tech shed but there is no scheduled time for this. It may be possible to find the instructor just after the Instructor meeting that takes place just after all hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOT///MPOWER Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Cool, thanks Sean... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbright007 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I usually paddock with a few instructors, and friday nights they go looking for their students. Just wander around the Hpde paddock the evening before, or the morning before all hands and see if you can spot them. They hate walking up to a new student on grid without having chatted with them. Never know who they are jumping in a car with or what has been done to the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOT///MPOWER Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 I may just show up friday evening then... that way I can review what I need to work on with the instructor too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosm3os Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I would think that it would be more encouraged. Forget about the harness issue, how bout the instructor get an adequate opportunity to learn the student's experience and goals before jumping in the car and strapping in in the grid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eMINI Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I would think that it would be more encouraged. Forget about the harness issue, how bout the instructor get an adequate opportunity to learn the student's experience and goals before jumping in the car and strapping in in the grid. You're exactly right. I've seen a few techniques used to get the students paired with the instructors for this reason and to allow more time for logistics and an opportunity to look over the car before going out. Basically it involves sorting the list of students and instructors together and doing an HPDE roll call to facilitate the pairing. It's not free (from a time and effort standpoint) but it is a value-add for students and their instructors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbright007 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Never hurts to send the regional dir an email and see if they are willing to send the instructor an email a few days before the event with your contact info. I have been to at least half dozen events and the friends that got me involved (some are instructors some are not) keep in touch and know who is going to be there. I have pre- requested a specific instructor for every event and gotten them. My instructors and people I met from the track have become some of my best friends. We are in contact all the time. We had 14 drivers at Roebling, and one of out instructors students had joined the group. 10+ drivers at Barber. At this point, if you are in HPDE and drive a Mazda, you probably know one of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasaregistrar Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I would think that it would be more encouraged. Forget about the harness issue, how bout the instructor get an adequate opportunity to learn the student's experience and goals before jumping in the car and strapping in in the grid. You're exactly right. I've seen a few techniques used to get the students paired with the instructors for this reason and to allow more time for logistics and an opportunity to look over the car before going out. Basically it involves sorting the list of students and instructors together and doing an HPDE roll call to facilitate the pairing. It's not free (from a time and effort standpoint) but it is a value-add for students and their instructors. In the MA region, this would be over 100 names to roll call......and you thought the all hands was long now...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasaregistrar Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Never hurts to send the regional dir an email and see if they are willing to send the instructor an email a few days before the event with your contact info. logistics are a huge problem here, as of right this second, I still have not sent the student list to the Chief Instructor because it has been changing because people cancel and people get in off the wait list. There isn't time to do the pairings and send 100 emails and then handle all the replies unless it is done well in advance but then by game time there have been many changes and you have to do it all over again. This data is managed by 3 different people and needs to be exactly accurate when we arrive at the event. We take the extra time in advance to get right so we can operate as smoothly as we can while we are there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbright007 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Never hurts to send the regional dir an email and see if they are willing to send the instructor an email a few days before the event with your contact info. logistics are a huge problem here, as of right this second, I still have not sent the student list to the Chief Instructor because it has been changing because people cancel and people get in off the wait list. There isn't time to do the pairings and send 100 emails and then handle all the replies unless it is done well in advance but then by game time there have been many changes and you have to do it all over again. This data is managed by 3 different people and needs to be exactly accurate when we arrive at the event. We take the extra time in advance to get right so we can operate as smoothly as we can while we are there. Good point, and the logistics must be a pain. I just wonder if there might be a way that in the paperwork a student/instructor could just add his cell number- and when the instructor matching sheets come out it be listed if the parties approved. It is something that could be optional to be listed, but I think many would take advantage of it. And I wasn't saying that a registrar should have to deal with getting every one connected. Too much work. But with as much connectivity we all have these days, there should be a way that you are not meeting your instructor in the car on grid for the first time. Instructor matching sheets are avail friday, and grid isn't till Sat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOT///MPOWER Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 Sean, I do not envy you, the job that you have to do! I thank you for taking the time to answer this post. I'll try to show up Friday evening, or very early Saturday to find my instructor. Perhaps a brainstorming session AFTER the hyperfest madness is over, or even over the winter would yeild an acceptable plan to get instructors & their students together pre-grid, if only for a brief "you can find me here" introduction; (Hyperfest excluded of course, due to the complexity of it). It would certainly be a benefit to the instructors in such that they will be able to go over a students car more thoroughly (sp?), and get a feel for the students track experience & discuss what the student needs to work on per their last passport entry, etc... Perhaps a job volunteers could do in rotation? I would volunteer for the first one even, as it could only add to the high quality I'm used to experiencing at NASA events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eMINI Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 When I can't meet my students in time for a proper introduction & discussion of expectations/goals, I will usually just use the first session to get acquainted, running at a somewhat reduced pace and setting up a plan for the day. With rare exception, this works out pretty well. However, most students who benefit from having this discussion before leaving the paddock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOT///MPOWER Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 That's pretty much the norm I think. 1st session is always done slow to bring the brain up to temp. The only time I ever had an issue actually was during VIR last February where my instructor had to leave for urgent family matters prior to first session. There was another instructor, however that had a no-show student and he jumped in with me with about one minute to spare before going out on track. This made for a rush in getting his harness adjusted properly, and is why I now like to meet my Instructor with time to spare. The decision to install fixed-back seats, 4-pt bolt in roll bar, and 6-pt harnesses was originally one of necessity, as my stock driver's seat-back was tilting, or pivoting on hard left hand turns. Not a great feeling while driving 7/10ths or more. So in lieu of replacing the stock BMW seat which I'm certain would have cost some serious cash, I opted to install the racing seats. Due to the racing seats being fixed back, the car then needed a roll bar cause I didn't want my head to be the high point in the event of a rollover. The harnesses were a knee saver too, as I was constantly using them to brace myself against the door panel & the consol. I guess my point is that, with the installation of this safety "system", I've solved many problems, but have created a new one. Since all Instructors are not the same size, I now have to be responsible & make sure there is enough time to get the Instructor's harness adjusted so they are safe as well. Some day if and when I start Instructing, I know I would appreciate the same from my students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STRINGER Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 This might be a goofy idea but here it goes. Big dry erase board and someone that can draw a rough map of the paddock for the weekend. As the instructors check in at registration for their paperwork and whatnot...How about the instructors draw a square and put their name in it on the board where they are paddocked. Buy the time the instructors meeting is over and all the instructors have made their square....the students can find the name and head straight to them. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbright007 Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Good idea. And you don't even really need a dry erase board. Just put up a paper copy of the map of the paddock and the instructors can just write their number and initials were they are. Interested students can track them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOT///MPOWER Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 WOW!!! I knew I had joined NASA, but y'all are rocket scientists! Those are actually really great (and simple) solutions! Sean? Whaddaya think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasaregistrar Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 WOW!!! I knew I had joined NASA, but y'all are rocket scientists! Those are actually really great (and simple) solutions! Sean? Whaddaya think? I think that is a good Question for the Classroom Instruction team LOL!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOT///MPOWER Posted July 2, 2008 Author Share Posted July 2, 2008 WOW!!! I knew I had joined NASA, but y'all are rocket scientists! Those are actually really great (and simple) solutions! Sean? Whaddaya think? I think that is a good Question for the Classroom Instruction team LOL!!! Ok... I'll bring it up to Dan at my first classroom session at VIR then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formula87 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I like the idea of getting there early on Fri and finding the instructor in the paddock, always good if you have a cage and harness. Plus If were in the instuctors shoes I would appreciate the effort to find me and talk about his or her goals and check out the car I was going to be riding in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOT///MPOWER Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 How early on Friday are the instructor assignments posted at the tech shed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasaregistrar Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 We put them up when we unpack all our stuff.... usually about 6:00 you will be able to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOT///MPOWER Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Thanks Sean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formula87 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 ^^^^^ what he said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasaregistrar Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Y'all are welcome. We really do try to make things easy for you guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.