U4EEAH

I instruct because I LIKE it. When I get that special student with a real aptitude I have a ball in the right seat. I still remember how my passion for the sport was fueled by my early instructors. Doesn't anyone feel good about "giving back" ? I have instructed for regions that don't charge instructors but give you two students, and I would rather pay a few dollars and have some down time, but if that is what they have to do to make their program work I am glad to help. The fees charged are such a small component of the overall expense of this game I don't see how they an effect anyone's decision about instructing. Every PCA region I instruct for goes out of their way to make me feel appreciated and I am glad to have a chance to help

JMR

When I was first starting this DE addiction, there were more students than instructors and everyone took 2 students. I don't remember if instructors got a price break or not, but I think they did. From what I remember, no one complained as it was simply the way things were.

About 2 years ago we ended up with a lot of instructors and switched to 1 instructor per student and had a 1/2 price registration. It was nice to not have to literally run from car to car. I (and perhaps others) got spoiled.

Now we seem to have an instructor shortage which I am confident is due in large part to the trying economic times. I weather the storm, take 2 students, and pay 1/2 price. Sure it takes some of the enjoyment out of the weekend, but it is a small sacrifice to make in appreciation for those who have made it for me in the past. Hopefully it won't go on for too long.

I really don't mind paying the reduced rate and think that instructors need to pay something to insure that they show up.

On a brighter note, my Glen student this year gave me a bottle of Chivas.

Paul 996

Instructing takes time, effort and resources from the volunteering instructor. Not mention putting myself at risk in a stranger's car.

Asking an Instructor to Pay (even 50%) is silly. The only club that charges in the DC Metro area is PCA. All other clubs are free to instructors.

And it isn't all about the free track time... how much time do I really need. Also, how many instructor's have attended a DE even though their own track car is broken just so that they could still instruct for the club?

jaje

That's nice a student got you a present. I've been bought lunch a couple of times.

I've had events where I've had 3 students. It was almost impossible to take the time to do things correctly. Especially where 2 of the students were sharing the same car and we had to do swaps in pit lane. In this scenario I wound up not driving during my lap times unless when I took a student for a ride along. I've also instructed where I knew I wouldn't be driving b/c they had a shortage (nice to be helpful to the local PCA) or once where as soon as I got to the track my car broke and couldn't be fixed but I still stayed and instructed as long as I could.

Some PCA regions do not charge instructors to register but some others do charge - it maybe a factor of the price to rent the track as some tracks are expensive to rent.

sig_a

The better the instructor, the more I would be willing to pay to attend an event.

The highest quality instructors should pay nothing.

And it seems the pool of older instructors are of higher quality, meaning late 50's to late 60's.

TREMPER

Intersting thread. In the old days of DE..that is before Hoosiers, the events were called Driving & Flagging schools. In these events the Instructors instructed and all others manned flag stations. Rember these are PCA club events where everyone is a volunteer. Fast forward to today..we play flaggers, so the only people volunteering their time are the organizers and the Instructors. To keep costs low, most PCA regions have a reduced fee for the Instructors and those instructed pick up the remaining costs so the event can run in the black. I am a strong advicate of the 1:1 student to instructor ratio. Everyone needs to share in the work load either by volunteering or paying an extra fee for instruction. The whole club ( PCA) is based on volunteerism..do you think the Executive Council gets paid when they visit regional events and fly home on a red eye. The DE program is a great example of PCA volunteerism and we try to extend to the Instructor Group certain privilages that the other groups do not receive..such as Expanded Passing. If you do not want to volunteer to help your region or PCA in general then maybe you should ask yourself why you joined a CLUB...
Pete

MJR911

Agreed..... it is all about the general well being of the club. Reduce fees, incentivize as needed... but I'm there bc I enjoy the track and will instruct until it is no longer fun, then simply not sign up anymore.

I was out of RTR DEs for a bunch of years, politics was BS, wanted to go racing, etc. I went back to DE earlier this year and it was FUN. Not the rush of racing, but better than being at the office. Going back, and taking a green student with me, in October.

Bottom line is that the CLUB is doing their best; everyone is a volunteer.

What I do hate is the elitism, which I thought we had a ton of in the Northeast. But after reading this thread, am glad I don't live in Texas.

MJR911

Hey Pete, I remember the days of mandatory flagging! ...or at least watching my Dad out there flagging in the rain at Pocono.

Veloce Raptor

Why? Because event organizers here recognize the value of instructors' time and refuse to charge us a penny? Same as at Road Atlanta, Barber, etc.?

PS: we're glad you don't live here either






Professional Racing and Driving Coach

NaroEscape

Spoken like a true wise man.....Hence the reason he called "Team Elder"

Veloce Raptor

Actually, IIRC, most regions do not charge for instructors at all. Some do, most do not.

Our regions down here have typically a 2:1 instructor/student ratio. For example, this coming weekend for LSRPCA, we have ~70 instructors signed up, and no more than ~35 in each student run group. We have no problem getting instructors to sign up and show up, and none are charged a cent. Speaks for itself.

So I agree with your last sentence excerpted above: either volunteer (instruct) or pay. Being required to do both kinds of dulls the experience IMHO.






Professional Racing and Driving Coach

flyingpenguin

+1

...or get involved as a volunteer and fill one of the many spots that our DE-program offers. It is really this spirit of comradery and helping each other out that makes the LSRPCA program one of the best in the nation!

Bull

Interesting thread. I instruct with a number of PCA Regions, as well as some for profit groups. I appreciate free registration, but most of the PCA Regions I run with charge a reduced Instructor Fee. I don't mind paying that for the simple reason that I still get to drive my run sessions (with open passing lately) and hang out between sessions with friends. We don't give up our entire event when instructing. I also only instruct where there is one student assigned, and instruct because I enjoy it, not for reduced costs.

Just MNSHO.

NaroEscape

So what do you do when you have 55 instructors sign up, and only 38 students? Or what happens when you have a lot of "free' instructors, but not enough 'paying' students/solo to cover the cost of the event? Who's going to pay for the track?

At the upcoming Carolinas Region DE, if we gave ALL the instructors signed up a fully free pass, the region would lose a lot of money - then there would be no more DE's.

Yeah, Sounds like a good plan to me!

A.Wayne

They should be paid .......