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Kevin Brooker[/i][/color]
True for some Kevin.

I once called a lapsed SSA member to see why he'd dropped out after a year. Turns out he was president of a local Corvette owner's club. He tried soaring for a week, but hadn't soloed and gave it up. His expectation was way out of line. For some it's simply not a good fit. For others, given the chance, it becomes a lifetime pursuit. How do we give them that chance?

Frank Whiteley[/quote]

Frank,
I was an extremely active glider and power pilot for years; SSA state record keeper, successful contest pilot, state record holder, and headed up the committee to make Mt. Washington a National Historic Landmark of Soaring. My involvement went well beyond trying it for a week and deciding soaring wasn't a good fit.

What keeps me from flying is the lack of available time to participate in a way which is meaningful and enjoyable. Soaring requires a lot of discretionary time and the ability to be opportunistic with respect to the weather. If a potential pilot works Monday through Friday and only has weekends to complete domestic chores, and other recreational activities (go for a bike ride, run, exercise, visit friends/family) there is not much time left over to head to the airport. If the weather isn't flyable then the opportunity to get some stick time and feed the interest is gone past. Have a few weekends in a row with non-flyable weather and the interest wanes or is replaced by something not so conditional.

When my life changed to where the point of losing the opportunism, flying went away. I still head to the airport to visit soaring buddies and listen to storied and keep in touch but I haven't flown anything in at least two years. My glider sits in the trailer in the yard with hopes of getting the time to fly it but it is mostly just hanging onto a dream. I should divest of it or remove the canopy and plant it full of flowers. At least as a flower pot it will be getting some use.

Learning to fly requires a lot of time, specific conditions (just VFR not necessarily soarable) on a consistent basis in order to keep the student interested. There are too many other things to compete with which give more access. Learning to fly is also relatively difficult and society doesn't have the attention span of discipline to wait. Most people expect instant results and success. Soaring is also extremely solitary while participating. Most other activities are more communal and social while participating.

The number of barriers to growing the sport of soaring are monumental compared to the small hurdle of expense. American's have tons of discretionary income and an immense playing field to spend it. Expense is an easy scapegoat and blinds us from seeing what else needs to be done to grow the sport either by attracting new participants or keeping what we have.