Actual USA numbers ( GAMA from FAA ) show 2004 had 20,950 pilots with only a
glider rating. There are 481,507 total active pilots which include many with
multiple ratings.

"Nyal Williams" wrote in message
...
I don't want to belittle the problems we have, but
the figures ratings/membership must be interpreted
properly.

Three years ago our club was needing more instructors.
A search of the FAA database for instructors in Indiana
indicated there were 56 with CFIG ratings. I examined
the list carefully and learned that most of those living
in my area were old geezers like me and who had been
'ratings collectors' in their prime. I know some of
these guys personally, and I know they haven't been
in a glider since the 1940s and 1950s, that they did
a quickie route to append the rating onto their CFI,
ATP, etc. and that they know almost nothing about soaring.
They flew 2-22s, focussing on the number of flights
and hours required, and never got back in a glider
again.

Remember that there was no glider instructer certificate
until the mid 60s and a commercial glider pilot allowed
to instruct. Further, any commercial glider pilot
who had given as many as 10 instructional flights was
grandfathered. That's the way I got mine.

I see some of these fellows at least monthly, they
know I fly gliders, and they have never mentioned having
the rating. They have all sorts of ratings and I won't
comment further, except to say that they love aviation
and have done lots of SEL/MEL flying.


At 21:06 13 December 2005, wrote:
Of those 1430 glider ratings, how many are actually
getting used?

I read somewhere there are something like 60,000 glider
ratings in the
US, but I'd bet 75% of them are dormant.