Interesting discussion, but I think we're missing a basic fact: dropoff and churn. We don't really need more people in the front door. We need fewer out the back door.

The SSA membership has about 20% turnover every year -- or rather 20 leave and 18 come. I did a study of contest participation, and roughly the same happens, about one in five start flying contests every year and about one in five leave.

Think of the attrition at every stage of the game. From ride to lesson. From lesson to solo. From solo to license. From license to soaring. From soaring to xc. From xc to ownership. From xc/ownership to flying contests or serious lifelong xc/olc. At each stage, do we keep even 1 in 20?

Keeping a few more of what we have, rather than getting another thousand in the front door to produce one contest pilot seems like a better strategy.

But... Increasingly every time one of my faculty colleagues says to the dean, "hey, you guys ought to xyz..." and outlines a great but difficult and time-consuming idea, the dean says "congratulations, you've just volunteered to head the xzy committee. Let us know how it's working out." The SSA sort of has a similar response!

John Cochrane