"RVlust" wrote in message
...
I see a lot of good ideas in this thread about promoting aviation from
within. The problem is, our numbers are so few that it would be tough to
even make a dent unless the majority of current pilots brought in at
least one new pilot.

One thing that's really stood out to me, is that FBO's make very little
effort to promote themselves. The FBO where I earned my PPL is
professionally managed and very friendly, but I never knew they existed
until I got serious about learning.

Who knows how many are out there dreaming about flying and just need a
little nudge to take that next step.

I realize in aviation, there probably isn't a lot of room in the budget
for advertising. But I'd really like to see what happens if an FBO (or
group of FBOs) got serious about promoting their business.

In a decent sized town (100-300K), I don't see why an FBO couldn't bring
100 or so qualified new students per year. It it may end up costing $500
to acquire each new student, but even if with a high dropout rate, I
would guess the remaining new customers would be well worth the effort.

- bill



The Be A Pilot program hits all around this area, but like you are saying,
it's not getting out to the masses. I know several people who have an
interest in flying, but have never seen anything like the Be A Pilot
program.

another good thing I've used in the past to encourage new flyers is getting
the to sign up for the 6 month free subscription to AOPA's Flight Training
magazine. In my opinion, that is one of the best aviation mags out there,
even if you have 10000 hours logged...

jf