convoyers/race controllers

[andyb]

with all the talk of losses and bad liberations i wonder just how many of us have sat down and actually thought about how mych our convoyers and race controllers actually get paid? to begin with i am pretty sure that most controllers do the job foc and believe me it's not a pleasant one. I'm guessing that the average convoyer gets about £100 per race. not bad for a days work you may think. think again. they generally set off around tea time on friday and are then working for somewhare in the region of 24 hours till they get back again. that equates to about £4.20 per hour!! have a think and let me know how much you would want for the same job.

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

yes i would agree and i would also say that to be a race controller you have to have very thick skin and to be a convoyer you must love getting time away from the wife.

[andyb]

I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT I AM NEITHER A CONVOYER OR RACE CONTROLLER I JUST BELIEVE THEY GET A ROUGH DEAL FROM THE REST OF US WHO CAN DECIDE WETHER OR NOT DECISIONS WERE GOOD OR BAD AFTER THE RACE!

[GREENGRASS]

Maybe that is the problem andy, we only talk about a convoyer or controller if we have had a bad race. when have you heard any of your club or fed members say well done or give praise for the good races we get. we all expect a good race regardless of conditions but it does not always work out that way. For as long as we charge unrealistic birdage fees we will not be able to pay decent money to the convoyers. I think you are correct as most controllers do the job for nothing, but there is still no excuse to throw birds out into conditions where they have little chance of  making it home. We in our fed here in Glasgow are very lucky to have a good controller who makes a lot of checks and obtains the best info he can before making decisions, to say we are lucky to have him would be an understatement. we had a joint convoy with another federation last weekend and they controlled the race which turned out to be a shocker in terms of returns as the weather on the line of flight was very poor, I for one called the controller for allsorts but would i do his job...............the answer would probably be NO. I know that sounds like I am being a hypocrit but i dont think i could handle the responsibility of the other members birds.

[AlanWilkins]

Well we the Blackcounrty fed have Bomber Shaw (convoyer) and John Hadley (Race controller) and i cant fault them they do a fantastic job n should be thanked for all there hard work

[andyb]

AT LEAST YOU ARE HONEST ABOUT IT BUT PERSONALLY I THINK IT IS TOO MUCH TO LAY THE BLAME AT ONE PERSON. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE RACE CONTROLLER SHOULD BE THE CONVOYER. HE SHOULD BE THE ONE WHO RINGS FOR LINE OF FLIGHT CONDITIONS AND HAVE SOLE CONTROL OF ANY DECISIONS. AT THE END OF THE DAY HE IS ALSO THE ONE WHO HAS TO FACE THE FANCIERS EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT. PERHAPS THE WAY FORWARD IS PAY HIM A SET AMOUNT PER PIGEON AND GIVE HIM SOLE RESPONSIBILITY. THAT WAY THE MORE PIGEONS HE GETS ON THE TRANSPORTER THE BETTER OFF HE IS

[frank-123]

i dont know how much they get paid and your probably right andy not enough

thats why we should have to pay  to get the best person for the job

 

lanarkshire fed should go along these lines

 

lets see a three man convoyers group that has the most up to date technology to help with the liberation

 

an independent agent/pigeon fancier at all liberation points to meet the transporter for liberation to check the birds are watered  and  fed and are liberated properly

 

line of flight

information from a number of fanciers along the route

 

the baskets and method of transport  must also be looked at

the year ahead is 2007  not 1977

these are expensive plans but you have to pay to be the best

[THE FIFER]

IS THERE ANY FED WHICH HAS NOT HAD A BAD YOUNG BIRD SEASON, IT SEEMS TO BE ALL OVER THE LOSSES AND I DO NOT THINK IT IS ALL THE FALT OF THE CONTROLLERS, CONVOYERS DON'T HAVE MUCH SAY, THEY ONLY LOOK AFTER THE BIRDS AND THE CONDITIONS AT THE RACE POINT, AND I THINK THAT IS ENOUGH FOR HIM TO DO, IF HE WAS GOING TO GET LINE OF FLIGHT ETC THIS WOULD PUT TOO MUCH ON HIM. WE NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER THINGS THAN CONTROLLERS FOR THE REASON FOR LOSSES.

[Guest]

I agree with everything that has been said here so far about the job and the men in them. The only criticisms that I have seen recently has been releases in questionable weather conditions. Nothing retrospective about that, since on this board at least a number of people are giving current weather reports for their area.

 

My own view is that we do not give race controllers enough tools for the job. For example much of the thread talks about line-of-flight. Who knows what line the birds will take on a given day? Surely wind strength & direction determines the way the birds will come, and if they meet unexpected bad weather, will they track East or West round it?

 

Couple of years ago a scribe let it slip in his race report that birds which were downed by heavy rain in NE England 'shouldn't have been there'. I wondered  where exactly 'he / they' thought the birds should be - west coast perhaps? - and if so WHAT line of flight was checked out? Useless checking one route, when the birds are away another don't you think?

 

Add to this the 'other' problem we have - young bird losses. I believe that while they have the full range of tools which make up homing ability that the old birds have, young birds aren't as good at making full use of them - ie switching between the different homing tools during the race to keep them on the right track. So extra care seems to be needed there and they might need totally different conditions on race day than old birds, and maybe a very narrow range of conditions at that.

 

Other things I'd like answered include: wind direction & speed varies depending on area and also at different heights. Is the run-of-the-mill weather forecast good enough to use in race control? We have other factors like: humidity; visibility as seen from 100 feet up rather than ground level; pollution factor (pollen) - what about insects? ; and of course sun factor, skin for us, heat for them.

 

It would also be helpful if any race controllers on-line could describe how they go about their job and what aids they have. Might help the rest of us understand a bit better too.  

 

 

[Guest TAMMY_1]

 

I  THINK I WILL GIVE THIS POST A MISS AT THE PRESENT TIME

[Guest speckled]

;D ;D ;D Wise man  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Guest TAMMY_1]

;D ;D ;D Wise man  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

DUNNO ABOUT THAT

[Guest speckled]

;D ;D ;D dont turn around now lol ;D ;D ;D we are behind youuuuuuuuuuu ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[slatey]

I am one of the race controllers for rotherham and district fed

this weekend we have canceled all together

went out last night more sh*t

whats up with weather on sunday

when we canceled it was a sh*t forcast all weekend which i told him

but still kept on and on

i can take the critics but he sold  up 7 weeks ago but still goes on the loft he sold

the pigeons are not in is name anymore.

told him he can have the job if he wants it.( i dont want it)

if we had a race and it was big losses we would have got it

so you see

we can never win

 

ps

we do the best for the fed as a whole not for individuals who just want a race no matter what

 

tomo  

[Guest speckled]

:X Slatey ya made a wise choose,to cancel,  :X :X wont argue on that one Speck :-/

[Guest]

WISH WE DID THE SAME 1/7 :-/OTHERS IN CLUB AT CLOCKS 0/4 3/21 2/8 4/11 3/11

[Guest speckled]

:X :X :X owch

[Guest TAMMY_1]

AS YOU MUST HAVE SEEN SLATEY MY FEELINGS TOWARD OUR CONTROL TEAM BUT ON THE OTHER HAND I HAVE ARGUED IN THEIR DEFENCE [ NOT OFTEN ] BECAUSE I KNOW MEN WHO WANT A RACE NO MATTER WHAT, THE SAME AS YOU GET ,THE CONTROLLERS FIRST THOUGHT SHOULD BE THE BIRDS NOT THE RANTINGS OF ONE OR TWO MEN WHO WOULD PUT BIRDS UP IN ANYTHING JUST TO HAVE A RACE

[Guest]

WISH WE DID THE SAME 1/7 :-/OTHERS IN CLUB AT CLOCKS 0/4 3/21 2/8 4/11 3/11

 

CANT GET ANY WORSE COME ON SCOTLAND   :)

[andyb]

i totally agree that licenses are given out far too easily but you cannot expect to pay people peanuts. most convoyers i have met are very conscientious and do a good job but i think everyone should take a turn at spending 24 hours with them to realise what it is like

[Roland]

I personally wouldn't be any good, and have nigh always praised and defended Controllers/ race committees etc.

[Roland]

I would not be any good. Not a spot of sun and I'd be waiting.

Haven't kept up with Steve Breamen and he's first class Ponnter etc in regards Liberations and I'd worry. Still and not birds would mean a wait. Sea gulls milling and it would be a hold over. Wouldn't be many races I guess. or most weeks, depending on the weather and circumstances. If I'd genuinely - like most have  - make a mistake I'd put my hand up. and the irate phone cas and back knifing by those not capable, or daren't do the job would more than ruse a few feathers. Nah I for one could never do it, so I never cpmplain or slag them off. even if I feel like it, because one has to put up or shut up, and too many make bulets for others to fire.... Yeah best I don't try it, would do my head in.

[andyb]

well our own pigeons are being brought home from yelverton. apparently the pigeons are getting wet in the transporter! doesn't bode well for the future as it means there's a lot of work to be done this winter or the cornish combine needs a new transporter as we can't have them brought back every time it rains

[THE FIFER]

SEE THE WINNING BIRDS IN THE  LAWHILL CLUB CLOCKY WERE DOING 1300

[andyb]

genuinely not sure what to think at the moment as my own pigeons were in superb condition whan i fetched them back and flew for half an hour even though it was 7 pm and they were hungry. mygut feeling is that is was an excuse to bring them home and we should of waited until tomorrow but i'll sleep on it