At 11:57 AM 4/08/04 +0930, you wrote:
>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.
>
Which is why we need to attract people already interested in aviation.
Soaring - sport for pilots
or
Soaring - A pilot's sport
Yet again the other day I heard a power pilot remark that he'd do a bit of
gliding except for the up front costs of club and GFA membership.
>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).
Are you describing the time on the ground or in the air?
Flying gliders is fun. Playing gliding club is a turn off.
There is usually far more of the latter than is necessary to achieve the
former.
>
>For me, gliding is so much fun that I am willing to put up with the less
>glamorous aspects of the day.
>From the retention rate numbers about 98.5% pf people aren't.
Mike
Borgelt Instruments - manufacturers of quality soaring instruments
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