to put a different spin on it, how about asking some different questions 1) how many gliders are there now?
2) how many are privately owned (percentage change)? 3) have the annual flown hours per pilot gone up or down? > On 1 Feb 2017, at 2:22 pm, John Roake <j...@johnroake.com> wrote: > > > Hi Aussies > > I have been intrigued to read all the copy about your membership problem, > as it is seen by what must be a representative cross section of the > Australian gliding movement. > > We have been conducting a one-man war on the same subject against the > International Gliding Commission, supposedly our leaders of the sport that > are supposed to be administering it for every soaring pilot world wide > (Not just the 2% competition pilots that absorbs their total being). > > For those whop haven't read the January issue of Gliding International, I > thought they might be interested in reading what we feel about the falling > membership. > > I personally used to keep the membership records for IGC for over 20 years > and during that time I saw the world population decrease from 130,000 down > to less than 100,000 now. > > We are interested in any constructive comments. > =========================================================================== > ==================== > > FROM OUR JANUARY 2017 ISSUE > > > NEW LEADERSHIP NECESSARY > WORLD MEMBERSHIP LOWEST EVER > > There isn't a gliding country in the world that > can claim a sustained or an increasing membership > over the past 25 years > > > > > > The earliest authentic world survey report on flying members is the one > published in 1990 where it was claimed that the total of soaring pilots > (world wide) amounted to 130,000. Now 27 years later there is a reasonable > estimate (in lieu of any published data) that the current total is > approaching 100,000 or less. Whether this 2017 figure is correct or not, > it is well known that the average gliding club membership has fallen by > 30% or more over the last 25 years which is nothing less than an appalling > situation. The consensus of opinion is that our sport is going backwards > at an alarming rate. > > Regrettably, our controlling body, the International Gliding Commission, > an FAI arm, seems to be totally oblivious to the situation which they will > deny. So lets be more specific. A review of the annual meeting decisions > for the: > > 2014 A.G.M. meeting shows that motions passed were: > Records: 3 Decisions, > I.G.C. Ranking list: - 1 Decision, > Championships: 25 Decisions, > Sporting Code : 6 Decisions, > Awards: 1 Decision > Next Meeting: 1 Decision. > Matters relating to membership: NIL > > > 2015 A.G.M. meeting records shows that motions passed were: > Records: 3 Decisions, > I.G.C. Ranking list: - 3 Decision, > Championships: 17 Decisions, > Sporting Code :11 Decisions, > Awards: 3 Decisions, > Next Meeting: 1 Decision. > IGC Meeting format: 1 Decision, > World Championships: 1 Decision. > Matters relating to membership: NIL > > 2016 A.G.M. meeting records shows that motions passed were: > I.G.C. Ranking list: - 3 Decisions, > Championships: 10 Decisions, > Sporting Code : 3 Decisions, > Awards: 3 Decisions, > Next Meeting: 1 Decision, > IGC Meeting format: 3 Decisions, > World Championships: 16 Decisions. > Matters relating to membership: NIL > > > It is obviously clear that our I.G.C. delegates to a man/women are > obsessed with competition matters with the future of the sport being left > to decay - whatever. Is this probability what delegates (who are selected > by national associations) have been instructed to let happen? That is > doubtful! I.G.C. is obviously dedicated to administrating the sport, for > less than 2% of the glider-pilot population. > > The time has arrived to give membership degradation I.G.C.'s top priority. > It should be pointed out that I.G.C. several years ago passed membership > responsibility to a group in Greece. Out of sight, out of mind! Little or > nothing has been heard from the group who have tabled one report showing > membership totals by country. It only confirmed already known declines - > nothing else. > > There is an aviation body that has successfully challenged the falling > membership problem - the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) of > Oshkosh fame. The Experimental Aircraft Association and Sportyąs Pilot > Shop report that more than 40,000 young people have enrolled in Sportyąs > Learn to Fly online course as a follow-up to their flights in the EAA > Young Eagles program. The Sportyąs course, which was first offered to all > Young Eagles in 2009, allows young people to take the FAA sport, > recreational, and private pilot ground school courses at no charge. Their > courses are the next step for the approximately 70,000 Young Eagles flown > each year by volunteer pilots, according to EAA officials. Since the Young > Eagles program launched in July 1992, more than 2 million young people > have been flown by 50,000 pilots. > > łSportyąs long term support for the Young Eagles program is truly > outstanding,˛ said Brian OąLena, EAA Manager of Young Eagles. łSporty > understands the Young Eagles mission and provides a way for kids and teens > to explore aviation using the most up to date training technologies > available today. This means that more than 40,000 young people have had > the opportunity to pursue their dreams of flight.˛ The concept for the > free online courses was developed with input from EAA pilots who had been > flying Young Eagles. Those pilots reported that many of the young people > want to discover more about aviation, but lacked access to reliable and > professional resources. > > Sporty filled that role by offering its online course at no charge. The > goal is to build the next generation of aviators and boost student pilot > entrants with a group already engaged in the Young Eagles program, EAA > officials explain. łThereąs no better way to ensure a robust aviation > community than by attracting new young people to the pilot ranks,˛ says > Sportyąs President Michael Wolf. łSportyąs Learn to Fly the online course > in tandem with EAAąs Young Eagles program which provides a tangible and > measurable way to achieve that goal.˛ > > Young Eagles receive information on how to register and begin the Sportyąs > courses immediately after their flights. The instructions and login > information allow young people to get involved quickly. Whatąs next? > > łReaching more kids and offering aviation opportunities is a 21st century > must! All of us at EAA understand the urgency to get more people involved > in flying,˛ OąLena said. łThe Young Eagles Program is celebrating its 25th > anniversary year in 2017 and thanks to the support of Sportyąs, the most > successful youth aviation program in history will continue well into the > future.˛ > > Check out the program in > € Facebook > € Twitter > € Google > € Reddit > > It is not suggested that the EAA program in its present form will suit > the gliding movement, but it can be the basis for developing a similar > program for gliding. > > One of the EAA programs is the production of a certificate for the kids at > various stages of their course. Certificates have considerable influence > on a young personąs self image, especially when they are more likely to > see themselves as pilots. Itąs an expense and a hassle. But when you think > about the resources being mobilised to organise the flight itself, and the > importance of the goal to creat a next generation of soaring pilots, then > it will all be well worth it. > > Finally I would like to conclude with discussing the admirable attempt on > the membership problem by Australia's administrators. Their aggressive 12 > months campaign to recruit new members resulted in attracting 532 new > members. Regrettably the 532 new members equated to the exact number of > resignations they experienced from the existing membership. At least they > tried ! The new member source as recorded was via: ex Airforce Cadets 95, > Friends 85, Overseas 76, Aviation other 66, Website 55, Re-joining 29, AEF > 16, Google 10. National Magazine 3, Other 98. > > And then there is the large German club that has lost 30 percent of its > members this past season between May and October. They tried to find a > common reason, but without success. > > But meantime, there is a lot to be said for clubs with simulators, that > cost nothing to run, but certainly attract hoards of youngsters keen to > get involved in Aviation. A great source of new members! > > > Final Comment: Gliding's administrators should take a lesson from the EAA > program instead of their present 'do nothing' regime! Creating a similar > program for gliding will not be cheap, but the money can be found - after > all - do we have an alternative? > > > Thanks for reading this! > > JOHN ROAKE > EDITOR > GLIDING INTERNATIONAL. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > Aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au > http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list Aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring
