I agree. Fellow glider pilots can watch gliding and flying videos all day, although admittedly it can be like watching paint dry.
Whenever I have shown non flying people people gliding or power flying flicks, their eyes glaze over and they wonder when it will stop (much like taking on AEF up on a hot bumpy day). Simon's precis is a good start. My experience is that there are a small percentage of people in the general populace who wish to fly and will actively seek out ways of learning how to aviate. I actively sought out to learn how to fly and was keen to learn powered flight from a young age (until I learned of the cost). I was made aware of the Adelaide Uni Club via my Dad who knew a work colleague who was a tow-pilot at Waikerie. I had the impression that glider flights would be like glorified paper planes (i.e. only airborne for a few minutes). Nevertheless, glider flight was better than no flying at all. I was hooked from day one and haven't been able to shut up about it since (that was 1987). Trying to capture Joe public seems a much different and inefficient exercise. Most AEFs that I have flown have been either Birthday Gifts or friends/family of current glider pilots. It is rare where you have Joe public stopping by the airfield asking to go for a flight and even rarer that such people become members. If I describe a typical summer's gliding day (hot, dusty and long) or winter (wet, muddy, cold and long) most people find this a turn off (I don't blame them). For me, gliding is so much fun that I am willing to put up with the less glamorous aspects of the day. My daily rave, Michael T. _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
