Hi Rob (and others) I think SA is probably the only state where the junior movement really has any momentum, and that's due to a) having "critical mass", b) a university gliding club and b) good resources.
So I guess what I'm referring to at the moment is the other AIRTC wings, in particular NSWAIRTC (327 wing I think they're now called? can't remember), who I believe continue to be the biggest youth gliding operation in the southern hemisphere. I realise that many just want to fly F/A 18's. In fact, probably 90% of them do. But honestly, 10% of them don't give a rats... they just want to fly something. And enjoy the social aspect of the camps. I too was an AIRTC "graduate", I spent many years in a Blanik out at Raglan (Bathurst) and just like Ben, when I joined my "local" club (RRGC) afterwards, I spent 3 hours+ travel on train and pushbike just to go flying. Only when I got my first set of wheels could I head further out to places like BSC to continue my flying. Working as a kitchenhand to afford it all, whilst inglorious, was necessary . (Gawd, I think I'm going to need my very own terry towelling hat soon!) What I'm trying to get at is that the AIRTC is probably flying more people per year than they ever did in the "olden days", yet far less than ever are taking up gliding afterwards. Even if only 2% of them decided to continue flying, that would be a huge boost and inject more younger people into clubs. Are there any (current) AIRTC members on this mailing list? If not, why not? Gus On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 12:09 AM, McLean Richard <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote: > Hi Gus > > Having been introduced to the sport through this path myself 20 odd years > ago I think the reality is that the majority of these kids just want to fly > F/A-18's, and also they are unlikely to be in a position to, or have the > desire to, get seriously into gliding for some time. A definite investment > in the future though, just don't expect a return for a while, and definitely > not much short term retention. Just my experience. I started gliding in 87 & > by 93 had left to do other things .. but then I came back. > > Cheers, > > Richard > > > --- On Thu, 16/10/08, Gus Stewart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > From: Gus Stewart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Targetting Groups for retention, and my own > recriutment, retention story > > To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia." < > [email protected]> > > Received: Thursday, 16 October, 2008, 8:10 PM > > I think when it comes to retention, areas like the Air > > Training Corps are > > sorely overlooked. > > > > They (NSW) run approximately 4-6 courses a year, with about > > 15-25 students > > per course. I'm not sure about other states. Here we > > have a large amount of > > flying-crazy youngsters, and barely any of them join clubs > > after that. I > > learnt to fly with the AIRTC, and I think the amount of > > people I know still > > gliding from from the last 8 years of AIRTC camps, you > > could count them on > > your hands. > > > > Mind you, I'm not sure where kink in the chain comes > > from there. I'm sure > > efforts have been made to engage the AIRTC to encourage > > their students to > > join clubs after they leave the cadets. What I'd like > > to know is why this is > > falling down. Does anyone know? The junior gliding movement > > in Australia is > > slowly gathering momentum, however we can see this huge > > group of > > flying-obsessed youngsters but can't figure out why we > > don't hear from them! > > > > > > If anyone from the AIRTC group reads this and wants to > > contact me offline, > > please do! If there's anything we youngin's can do > > to get more interested in > > the sport, let us know! > > > > Gus > > > > > > On Thu, Oct 16, 2008 at 6:51 PM, Texler, Michael < > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > >In my experience, long-term members are people who > > always wanted to learn > > > how to fly, but never knew they could do it as > > accessibly as gliding. Kids, > > > sailors and motorcycle riders tend to be > > disproportionately represented. > > > > > > I think it has been mentioned before, that posters for > > the local gliding > > > club could be put up at sailing clubs or other > > represented group. > > > > > > The other group of people to target are those who have > > been more active in > > > gliding or other aviation related activity in the > > past. The task would be > > > then to reignite their passion and interest. > > > > > > It would be interesting to know the retention rates of > > Air Training Corp > > > Cadets. > > > > > > My own experience: > > > I was fascinated with flight ever since I hopped on a > > TAA T-jet in 1974 > > > (Adelaide to Melbourne flight). > > > As a kid, I built planes out of lego, made a balsa > > wood and doped paper > > > throw glider, even considered getting into radio > > controlled stuff. > > > (i.e. I always wanted to learn how to fly) > > > > > > Just before I started Uni, my Dad had told me that he > > thought there was a > > > Uni Glining Club. A work colleague of my Dad was a tow > > pilot at Waikerie and > > > had told my Dad about the Adelaide Uni Gliding Club > > (i.e. lucky word of > > > mouth) > > > > > > So when I started Uni, at O'week, I actively > > sought the Uni Gliding Club > > > and signed up. At that time (prior to joining up), I > > thought that gliding > > > was a poor cousin to power flying (just glorified > > paper darts), but any > > > flying was better than no flying. > > > > > > My first day on field comprised 3 circuits off a winch > > launch in a Bergy > > > (GZM) at the end of the day. > > > I was hooked. > > > > > > So either fortunately or unfortunately (depending upon > > your opinion of > > > me..;-) ), I am still keen on gliding some 21 years > > later. > > > > > > Mind you raising a young family and having chronic > > illness in the family > > > has tempered my participation over the last couple of > > years (my priority is > > > to my family), but I anticipate that my activity in > > the sport will increase > > > as my kids become interested (they are only 4.5 and > > almost 3 years old) and > > > health problems settle. > > > > > > The challenge for the gliding movement in Australia is > > seeking out those > > > who wish to fly for pleasure, versus those who want to > > do it and move on as > > > they they tick the "been there and done > > that" box. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Aus-soaring mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > To check or change subscription details, visit: > > > > > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Aus-soaring mailing list > > [email protected] > > To check or change subscription details, visit: > > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > > > Make the switch to the world's best email. 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