Flite Fest West 2017 Volunteers

Doom

New member
Hey Doom - that sounds like an amazing trip! There are some spectacular parks in the West here. I'm not sure if it would work out for you on a one-way trip, but there are some excellent camping gear rental outfits in the San Francisco Bay Area. I've personally rented from REI and Last Minute Gear in SF for camping trips I've done on the California Coast.

Too bad you won't be near Seattle, I'd be more than happy to loan you anything you need, I've got gear for a family, but everyone's grown up and moved away!

Hey xtrmtrk, it is the thought that counts:) Thank you a lot! But, will you be at Flitefest West? I was thinking, if you want to sell some of the stuff you don´t need anymore, I´d be happy to buy it. My brother lives in Denver and I can leave it with him when I fly home. What I still need is a sleeping pad and maybe some sort of cooler. A LED lantern for inside the tent would be nice, but is not vital. Oh, and Pegs for my tent. don´t have to be pro pegs, regular ones will do the job. 18 pieces I need.

rental will not be an option since I fly out from Denver. But great idea nevertheless!
 

Andre

Fly yes... land no.
Admin
Volunteers. Time to make some noise!!!

I was just told there are 300 pilots registered but only 60 people have signed up to be volunteers!
Remember there is only one way to get an orange t-shirt.

Encourage your fellow pilots to lend a hand and make Flite Fest West an amazing experience.

Thank you.
 

NTTD

New member
Raise your hand if you are tired of the cold?

Another great reason I'm looking forward to FFW.

NO SNOW!

snow.jpg
Why Andre, whatever do you mean?

For context this window is on the landing on a stairway between the 1st and 2nd floor. The bottom of the window is at about 9 feet. To see the sky you have to go right up to the window and look up at a steep angle.
 

Andre

Fly yes... land no.
Admin
View attachment 84008
Why Andre, whatever do you mean?

For context this window is on the landing on a stairway between the 1st and 2nd floor. The bottom of the window is at about 9 feet. To see the sky you have to go right up to the window and look up at a steep angle.

We had 400cm of snow back in 2007/08. Snowing again to day ;)
 

NTTD

New member
We had 400cm of snow back in 2007/08. Snowing again to day ;)

We've had in the neighborhood of 760cm (25ft) total this season at our level, the ski resorts have had in excess of 1270cm (40ft) in the higher elevations.
It has been warm so it's been melting, but there may be more weather heading our way! :D

Looking forward to heading down to the Bay for FF. Can't wait!
 

Doom

New member
Hey Andre, I just saw the recent flitefest update and had a look into the schedule. there is one thing missing... Karaoke night:)
 

Andre

Fly yes... land no.
Admin
FFW 2017 Volunteer Update 04

Tick tock tick tock...

Hard to believe Flite Fest West is less then a month away!
For those enquiring it is currently 30F today here in Ottawa. (And we are expecting snow)

This morning I had a very productive phone call with FT Jordan who is their new events coordinator. Now that I have a better grasp on the layout I can start filling in the positions.

Volunteer Structure;
For Flite Fest West this year we will be going with 4 shifts.
Last summer we did 3 and it was felt to be a little too taxing.
This means each shift will be 3 to 3 and a half hours but I will need everyone do at least 1 shift per day.

At this point we have 60 volunteers so that works out to about 15 people per shift.
Luckily this venue affords us some luxuries like a real parking lot and the facility will handle clean up/garbage.

I want to focus on Flight Line safety at this event.
To make this a reality I'm looking for 2-4 Flight Line Chiefs.
You would be my eyes and ears on flight line.
If you are interested in being part of that role please let me know.

Other tasks will include normal flight line assistance, shuttle service, build tents (we have 2), family tent, store, gate and registration. I do hope/expect to gather more help over the weekend and I will use that to bolster areas as required.

For the medical/emergency crews I will be contacting in April to lock down your details.

As always being a volunteer means flexibility.
If any of you have been to the Ohio event you will have seen that for yourself.

I think the very first FFW will be a special one. I know I'm very excited and looking forward to the challenge. Together we can lay the foundation.

From my own experience volunteering at the very first FF back in 2014 introduced me to so many amazing new friends. I hope you have the opportunity as well.

Spread the word, bug your friends and get ready for some fun.

More details and communications will be coming as we get closer and closer to the event.

If you have any questions as always please feel free to contact me or post to the forum.
 

Splatwillicrash

New member
Working the Setup.

Hi Andre,

Just to ensure you are in the loop....

I am volunteering for the setup period from the 21st on. I am also assisting where I can in doing any pre-arrival stuff the team needs. I will be bringing Two Trailers to set up, so that we have somewhere to call home during setup and will be staying on the grounds in one of them for the majority of the week prior to the event.

During the event I am available in a pinch but am primarily planning on putting in time from the 21st to opening day so that I may enjoy the event with my mates guilt free.... lol
 

mcowger

New member
Can you offer a 1 line description of the volunteer "positions" for those of us who do events, but not been to flight fest.
 

Andre

Fly yes... land no.
Admin
Volunteer Duties

(Notes from 2016 but still pretty valid.)

Opening Notes:
I encourage volunteers to be timely (early if at all possible) when replacing their fellow volunteer.
This provides an opportunity for a quick debrief and overview of any concerns.

If any safety issues arise all volunteers are expected to radio in/report them immediately.

Remember we are all here because of Flite Test and your help is what makes Flite Fest work.

Have fun and be safe.
Thank you.

André Rousseau
2016 Flite Fest Volunteer Manager

Entrance Greeters:
The entrance greeters are the first welcoming faces guests meet when arriving at Flite Fest.

Responsibilities:
Welcoming incoming guests, handing out literature, answering questions, and directing
guests to the parking crew.

Conditions:
This job has a mix of sun and shade.
It is mostly standing but is a single location position, where the volunteers can have a chair for resting. There may be limited walking involved.

Other Details:
Monitoring traffic congestion, field entrance conditions and any large vehicles.
Parking Crew:
The parking crew work hard. They deal with vehicle movement all day long and should exercise caution and safety at all times.

Responsibilities:
Directing guests to parking or camping sites.

Conditions:
This job involves both standing and walking for the entire shift. It is in full sun with no shade provided. This is a high activity job with lots of walking. Some vehicular access may be available.

Other Details:
Monitoring traffic congestion, field conditions and any large vehicles.


Registration:
The volunteers at registration are the next line of interaction with guests at Flite Fest.
Attention to detail and gather information are critical to ensure the process conducted smooth and efficiently.

Responsibilities:
welcoming guests, utilizing a computer or a tablet to check in registrations,
answering questions, and working with money and credit cards for new/on site.

Conditions:
Almost exclusively sitting in shade.

Other Details:
Computer skills are required. Handling personal information.

Flight Line:
Flight line safety is one of our top priorities. You are our eyes and ears.
If you see something simply speak up and offer friendly advice.

Responsibilities:
Walking the length of the flight line, speaking with guests/pilots, offering
help if needed, and monitoring for safety concerns. Also volunteers in this
position will be asked for assistance with aircraft set ups, and assisting in hand
launching airplanes. It will be up to the volunteer what their comfort level is with
these requests.

Voluntary compliance is the key method for correcting unsafe
behavior if possible, if not defer to a team leader or event staff. Voluntary
compliance is a method of using information instead of threat to encourage a
positive result.

Conditions:
This job is exclusively in sun, and lots of walking.

Other Details:
If repeat issues are observed please bring them forward at the pilot meeting.

FPV Support:
FPV safety is one of our top priorities. You are our eyes and ears.
If you see something simply speak up and offer friendly advice.

Responsibilities:
Assisting the FPV event managers to ensure pilots and gear are setup and safe.
Attention to detail is key to the success of the FPV events running smoothly.

Special attention should be paid to frequency management and timing.
Technical support skills may be required but not necessary.

Conditions:
This job is exclusively in sun, and lots of walking.

Other Details:
If repeat issues are observed please bring them forward at the pilot meeting.

First Aid:
For 2016 we want to continue the run of good luck we’ve had.
That said we recognize the growing number of participants and have added some extra support and equipment.

Responsibilities:
The team leader is the primary person on site and will select an assistant with whom to switch out coverage. Responsibilities require a general knowledge of first aid, and first responder training would be highly beneficial.

Conditions:
This job is mostly an on call position.

Other Details:
To date most injuries have been very minor,
primarily small cuts or burns. Most have been handled with a Band-Aid and/or



Build Tent:
Responsibilities:
Assisting guests in the construction of aircraft, knowledge of Flite Test speed build kit techniques not required but highly recommended.
Patience and good customer relations are required.

Conditions:
This is an all shade position, with lots of standing and walking.

Other Details:
The build tents are very active and safety is very important. Encourage all participants to experience common sense.
Shuttle:
Drivers need to be focused and flexible. There is no schedule to adhere to so take your time and wait for someone when required. Caution must be displayed at all times. Flite Fest experiences a lot of distracted foot traffic.

Responsibilities:
Ability to drive a multi-passenger golf cart to
transport event guests throughout event grounds.

Conditions:
This is a job that was introduced in 2015. It was intended to be within the
event grounds but was repurposed to help move people from satellite parking
locations to the event.

Other Details:
Volunteers need to be over 18 and have a valid driver’s
license.
Family Tent:
New for 2016 is the family tent. A shaded area for parents with young children to cool of in.

Responsibilities:
Running Family Tent activities and interacting with children.

Conditions:
This is an all shade position, with a lot of standing and moving around within the tent.

Other Details:
Energy and enthusiasm is required ;)
Campsite:
The Campsite will be an active area where volunteers will be called upon to assist in parking at the beginning of the weekend. During the weekend they there to monitor ground and any issues they may arise.

Responsibilities:
Helping attendees find their campsite and various campsite jobs as needed.

Conditions:
Volunteers will primarily be working in the sun with a fair amount of walking.

Other Details:
This job is an on call position.

Miscellaneous Duties:
(Electrical/Generators/Grounds/Garbage)
The muscle team. The few brave souls I can count on to take care of the hard jobs.

Responsibilities:
There will be a need for volunteers who are able to do a variety of jobs.

Conditions:
This volunteer needs to be flexible, and willing to work where needed.

Other Details:
This would be mostly an on call position.
 

Splatwillicrash

New member
Both Hands Raised

Raise your hand if you are tired of the cold?

Another great reason I'm looking forward to FFW.

NO SNOW!

WE dont have snow but I am really pretty much done with rain......

BTW great Description of the job duties. That is very accurate. Understand that for many of the jobs, walking is going to be a lot of your shift. Stay hydrated, take a break if you feel you need it.

A special message to Golf Cart Drivers. keep it slow, and expect people to step out of nowhere right into your path, because they will. They are looking up, or at a vendors stuff, or anywhere but where they should be to be safe, and really, they are not expecting a golf cart to be coming through. There will be lots of little ones, who are not traffic savvy and very excited there. Drive first, answer the radio only when safe to do so.

Be patient, and courteous, you are there for them. At FF 2016 we had a lot of seniors and folks that needed assistance, and the venue was huge. This venue is a bit smaller, but still it is gonna take a lot out of those who are mobility impaired. If you see someone who looks like they could use a ride, they probably can! Be sure to ask! If I had a full cart, many times someone would volunteer to walk to give a seat to someone, but if we were loaded with folks that needed that ride, I called it in on the radio and told the person someone would be there in a minute, I gave a description and location of the individual(s).

This is an opportunity to make a great impression not only with our fellow FT friends, but the general public!!
We always get a good amount of non flyers who just want to come by and see what it is all about. We get a lot of folks who bring their grand kids and then find themselves caught up in the hobby themselves!
If we fly Night Combat that is going to bring people like moths to a flame. We are at the confluence of two major thoroughfares in the area, including the main artery between the Valley and the Bay Area. Expect the curious.

Ok nuff for this one.
 
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mcowger

New member
Great clear descriptions - thanks! Already ahead of the clarity compared to when I was volunteering @ Drone Nationals :).

Do you want us to give you an idea now, or later, of interest? Is it reasonable to assume that I offer to volunteer just for a couple days, not the whole thing :).

I'm most interested in FPV help or the build tent, but in a pinch can do the flight line or misc work (I have no pride when it come to volunteering). I ran the greenroom / prep tent and also tech inspected many of the aircraft at Nationals.