Before it is worth spending another cent on marketing gliding, it is *essential *to get the product right. After 30 years of flogging the current model all that has been achieved is a 50% reduction in membership. In the same period the population of Australia increased by 50% so the market penetration of the product has fallen by two thirds. Any commercial product manager who did not address the product deficiencies in this situation who most certainly end up unemployed.
The fundamental problem is that the core membership have a propensity to say “I bought the product and it works for me so it is a good product.” This illusory logic is what has caused some notable marketing failures from the Ford Edsel to Kodak to Blackberry and Nokia. The problem is illustrated in this forum where many experienced and passionate glider pilots, many of them not currently involved in the activity (is it really a sport?), have identified that the product is wrong for the current marketplace. Over the decades GFA and others have sought to “market” the product ie join a club, be a volunteer, get fried in the sun and always be under the control of a CFI even if he/she is not even near the airfield. Gliding is not really a cheap alternative to RA_Aus. You and a couple of mates can buy a Jab for $25K and have a heap of fun. Registration and membership cost are lower and maintenance costs are similar until the donk spits a dummy in which case there of plenty of secondhand motors around. In the meantime many flyng hours on your terms. Gliding needs to get closer to the GA / RA-Aus model. The days of primary gliders on the Wussekrappe are well gone. Independent operation of gliders needs to be encouraged not seen as a distant goal for a newbie. Self launchers should be mandatory for training (GFA could use its millions to help out here), commercial training operations encouraged to unload clubs of the responsibility and GFA should get out of the rule writing business. On Fri, Feb 3, 2017 at 4:12 PM, Stuart Wolf <stuac...@gmail.com> wrote: > It would be interesting to get a survey to that effect. I have found that > with the people I have tried to recruit. Those who show an interest see it > as a high performance sport. > > Aside from the sporting aspect, what does gliding hope to offer a new > member? > Cheap flying? Prices are compatible to RA-Aus. > Convenient flying? No matter about procedural changes at the club level > powered will always have the upper hand. > Professional opportunities? Again, RA aus can be converted to GA and > commercial much easier > Cost of ownership? I have much more options in Ra Australia, especially at > the lower end of the market. > > Instead of trying to copy RA aus's attraction (on which gliding will > always be on the back foot) we should be chasing the people who want what > Ra Aus doesnt offer. > > I've found that sharing tasks and talking about performance of people at > comps has attracted more follow up and continuing engagement on the topic > than the flying aspect. > > The people who I have got interested in the flying have moved on to RA Aus > for the exact reasons I've stated > > > > On Friday, February 3, 2017, Matthew Scutter <yellowplant...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Regarding the competition pilot vs. non-competition pilot debate, I don't >> think I've met a junior that hasn't been, or doesn't want to go to >> Joeyglide. Perhaps in the broader population competition pilots are under >> represented, but amongst younger pilots (fresh blood) it seems to swing the >> other way. >> >> On 3 Feb 2017 2:56 PM, "Greg Wilson" <g...@gregwilson.id.au> wrote: >> >>> In an attempt to get a worthwhile discussion get back on track. Not my >>> ideas but a brief summary of this conversation so far. >>> >>> Perceived problems: >>> >>> GFA administration >>> Overly focused on competition carried out by a tiny minority of pilots >>> Resistant to change >>> Minimum required to deal with CASA >>> >>> Clubs >>> Membership declining >>> >>> Training >>> Volunteer based - not providing scheduled and efficient training >>> expected by younger people >>> Instructors need to be paid >>> >>> Pilots >>> Very few given L2 independent ops so vast majority permanently operating >>> under supervision of instructors >>> Gliding responsibility needs to be in the hands of the pilot, not club >>> or CFI >>> Aging pilots >>> >>> Aircraft >>> Many aging gliders >>> many out of service yet still on register >>> >>> Solutions?? >>> >>> >>> Greg Wilson >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ---- On Thu, 02 Feb 2017 21:40:18 +1100 *Robert >>> Izatt<thebunyipboo...@gmail.com>* wrote ---- >>> >>> Not entirely true. Many have indicated a direction. >>> Your problem is, for 1 through 4 you have to have willingness and >>> co-operation from the clubs and the management skills at the club level. >>> Most members of a club want to enjoy the activity without having to run a >>> business. You need special or stupid people who are happy to devote >>> countless hours to this when really the club (or some members) doesn’t want >>> to deal with all the hassles of larger numbers, less access to equipment >>> (glider/tug), bigger queues at the flight line etc etc etc. I have been >>> there. >>> And that’s their right and good luck to them. >>> >>> >>> On 2 Feb. 2017, at 11:11 am, Peter Carey <ca...@ericorp.com.au> wrote: >>> >>> This has been a very deep and meaningful discussion and, to me, it was >>> enlightening and educational. Most of the contributions were well thought >>> out and clearly expressed. >>> My only problem is that the conversation was confined to defining the >>> problem and, what we should be concentrating is a solution. >>> We have done the talk, now, let's try to do the walk. >>> I am new to the game (been gliding for 40 years) and a bloody foreigner >>> (living here for 60 years) so, you have to forgive me if I am on the wrong >>> path. >>> We won't be able to solve the membership decline issue with volunteer, >>> amateur way so, we need to look for an alternative and here is one of many. >>> >>> For years the GFA has been sitting on well over a million dollars. I >>> suggest that we spend half of it on professional planning and marketing. >>> We would get an organization to >>> 1. Draw up a business plan for the GFA and for the Clubs (one each for >>> large, medium and small Clubs) >>> 2. Draw up a plan and budget for effective publicity and social media >>> campaign. >>> 3. Oversee the implementation of the above. >>> 4. The implementation should be carried out by the staff employed by the >>> GFA. >>> >>> This is my crude attempt to invite praise, abuse and expansion to the >>> above. >>> >>> “Beside the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of >>> leaving things undone.” >>> ― lin yu tang >>> <http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14586136.lin_yu_tang> >>> >>> Peter Carey >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Feb 2, 2017 at 10:12 AM, Erich Wittstock <deepb...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>> ..ahh..the sweet sound of jealousy! ;-) >>> >>> On Thu, Feb 2, 2017 at 10:10 AM, Mark Newton <new...@atdot.dotat.org> >>> wrote: >>> >>> On 2 Feb 2017, at 9:24 AM, steph...@internode.on.net wrote: >>> >>> > If we assume it is only age related, the register shows that the cut >>> off year for the 600 oldest gliders is 1978. So all that "old low >>> performance stuff" would include all the LS1s, Cirrus, Libelles, Mosquitos, >>> Astir CS/CS77s and Hornets and some of the Jantars, PIK20s, ASW20s and LS3s. >>> >>> >>> >>> The ASH-25 first flew in 1987. That makes it a 30 year old aircraft. >>> >>> Won’t be too long before it’s classified as a vintage sailplane :-) >>> >>> - mark >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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 >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> *PETER CAREY* >>> Executive Member >>> The Victorian Vernier Society >>> The Society for People with a Passion for Manufacturing >>> >>> *'sharing experience - building a better future'*www.vernier.org.au >>> 0412464340 <0412%20464%20340> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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 >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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 > >
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