On May 15, 12:20*pm, Greg Arnold wrote:
It may also depend on how you define "active." *There were about 800 US
pilots posting to the OLC last year, and I believe that would cover most
pilots who are "active" in one sense of the word.

Not sure, I don't think more than 20% of my club's members post to
OLC, including one who set a NM 1000k speed triangle record last
year. I think SSA-OLC submissions are a good idea, especially for
those flying experimental/racing sailplanes, and for a number of other
reasons.

Respondents (~200) to a continuing survey of lapsed/former SSA members
has consistently shown that about 18% are still flying and 59%
consider themselves temporarily inactive for a variety of reasons.
There are significant numbers of rated private and commercial glider
pilots, including CFI-G's, that have never been SSA members. Can't
put my finger on the number at the moment, but IIRC about 6700 SSA
members were chapter members around the first of the year and most are
actively flying if the chapters I'm most familiar with are any
indication. There are a about dozen non-chapter clubs and another
half dozen operating as business members. My guessimate may be more
like 8500-10,500 active rated pilots. From my days in California/
Nevada, there were a lot of glider pilots with no club affiliations,
though PASCO gatherings were rather club-like. There are many senior
pilots with glider ratings that are no longer active and their numbers
are decreasing a quite a rate and the rate of replacement is not
keeping up with the decline.

See
http://www.soaringchapters.org/think..._1990_2008.pdf

Frank Whiteley