THE AVIATORS Soaring Episode

Here, from Season 4, Episode 11, is the segment on our sport, shot at York Soaring Association near Toronto last summer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5a0tUPxzl0#t=41

We believe they will return to York next summer for another segment. We have suggested to them:
-WSPE (Women's Soaring Pilot's Association) annual seminar, this year July 21 - 25 (http://www.womensoaring.org/?p=seminar)
-FREEDOM'S WINGS CANADA York is home to the first and largest Chapter in Canada
- TOW PILOTS the essential volunteers who drag us into the sky
-AIRLINE PILOT either trains in a glider or UNUSUAL ATTITUDE training

Neilson estimates audience size a 10,000,000 in the USA.

Great video! Too bad you couldn't have used some young pilots tho...

Boggs

I thought it was typical condescending reporting. And the "pilot" was
certainly a wimp. Kudos to the two demo pilots who did a great job!


"Waveguru" wrote in message
...
Great video! Too bad you couldn't have used some young pilots tho...

Boggs

Well, there is a BIG LESSON in this for us. Yes, he was condescending.

But remember, Anthony's role is to be a surrogate for the 'everyman' pilot, and for the many more pilot wannabe's.

If they don't have experience with gliders, they think they are just simple machines, - IF forced to think about gliders, - because they otherwise seldom or never do.

And if jogged to think about gliders, they think about something analogous to a toboggan: - you tow it up the hill, and it slides down.

So he was perfect. Note that 10,000,000 USA viewers watch this show. There are fewer than 1,000,00 USA pilots. So folks who wish they were pilots, or had learned to fly, make up almost all of th34e audience.

This is great, - but only a first step. There is a reason we see those same commercials again and again and again; they are building 'Share of Mind', and gliding has close to zero.

We all need to sell our sport. And we need assistance from our national gliding organizations on how to do that.

In my view, each and everyone of us should carry a few business cards with the URL of our national organization or our club, or something like www.letsgogliding.ca or www.letsgogliding.com.

Time to wake up!


On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 2:59:15 PM UTC-5, Charlie Papa wrote:
Here, from Season 4, Episode 11, is the segment on our sport, shot at York Soaring Association near Toronto last summer:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5a0tUPxzl0#t=41



We believe they will return to York next summer for another segment. We have suggested to them:

-WSPE (Women's Soaring Pilot's Association) annual seminar, this year July 21 - 25 (http://www.womensoaring.org/?p=seminar)

-FREEDOM'S WINGS CANADA York is home to the first and largest Chapter in Canada

- TOW PILOTS the essential volunteers who drag us into the sky

-AIRLINE PILOT either trains in a glider or UNUSUAL ATTITUDE training



Neilson estimates audience size a 10,000,000 in the USA.

On Friday, February 7, 2014 11:37:06 AM UTC-8, Charlie Papa wrote:
Well, there is a BIG LESSON in this for us. Yes, he was condescending.



But remember, Anthony's role is to be a surrogate for the 'everyman' pilot, and for the many more pilot wannabe's.



If they don't have experience with gliders, they think they are just simple machines, - IF forced to think about gliders, - because they otherwise seldom or never do.



And if jogged to think about gliders, they think about something analogous to a toboggan: - you tow it up the hill, and it slides down.



So he was perfect. Note that 10,000,000 USA viewers watch this show. There are fewer than 1,000,00 USA pilots. So folks who wish they were pilots, or had learned to fly, make up almost all of th34e audience.



This is great, - but only a first step. There is a reason we see those same commercials again and again and again; they are building 'Share of Mind', and gliding has close to zero.



We all need to sell our sport. And we need assistance from our national gliding organizations on how to do that.



In my view, each and everyone of us should carry a few business cards with the URL of our national organization or our club, or something like www.letsgogliding.ca or www.letsgogliding.com.



Time to wake up!





On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 2:59:15 PM UTC-5, Charlie Papa wrote:

Here, from Season 4, Episode 11, is the segment on our sport, shot at York Soaring Association near Toronto last summer:







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5a0tUPxzl0#t=41







We believe they will return to York next summer for another segment. We have suggested to them:



-WSPE (Women's Soaring Pilot's Association) annual seminar, this year July 21 - 25 (http://www.womensoaring.org/?p=seminar)



-FREEDOM'S WINGS CANADA York is home to the first and largest Chapter in Canada



- TOW PILOTS the essential volunteers who drag us into the sky



-AIRLINE PILOT either trains in a glider or UNUSUAL ATTITUDE training







Neilson estimates audience size a 10,000,000 in the USA.

Great video. Have to comment though on the trend (caution: this is from perspective of western pilot, can only relate what I've seen out west) -

Note that our club flies at Lake Elsinore, sharing the skies with a skydiving operation. Our glider facilities include a small club house with an outhouse, along with a dirt runway and members ranging from teens to 70's. On any given glider ops day, there might be 5 to 10 members there for flying.

The skydive ops, when one chooses to walk over to their facilities, includes food for purchase, meeting rooms, real toilet and shower facilities, overnight guest accommodations, paved runways. They are also regularly crowded with 50 - 100+ skydivers, most in the under 50 range, and maybe 1/4 female, 3/4 male. They go up to 10kft for $8 a ride (with 10 - 20 on board per jump). And, they are an international skydiving destination facility. Plus there is more to do at there facility than skydive.

I will also note that glider club members go over the the skydive facilities to see what's going on and get some food, use the facilities. We also sometimes use their meeting rooms for club meetings. The skydivers, on the other hand, don't tend to come our way to see what's going on with gliders or use our facilities.

It's more than advertising, I think. There is more coverage of skydiving in the media, perhaps due to higher perceived risk. But - how many glider ports are there in the USA that have overnight accommodations? In SoCal, for high desert soaring, we are mostly constrained to motels or camping out (which isn't all bad, but does eliminate many people from being interested). Our Krey Field overnight accommodations are a sleeping bag - period (and rattlers). And a bumpy gravel/dirt runway. And nearest food/shopping about 12 miles away, motel lodging even farther. No electricity or water, other than when the FBO generator is running during flight ops time. Makes for good adventure (and great soaring), but not the type of conditions to convince friends and family to make a habit of going along - and certainly makes an impression on first time visitors along the lines of "What are we doing here?"

I contrast that with staying at Seminole in Florida where the food isn't on field, but is nearby, and there are overnight accommodations with running water and the like for a reasonable fee.

There are others, I know, but I don't think it's as simple as saying more advertising or getting out the word. The skydiving community seems to recognize that the beauty/freedom/thrill of skydiving alone does not generate/attract/retain customers. Perhaps some of the glider FBO's need to think beyond providing a runway and tows as a viable business. That works fine for the die-hard soaring pilots who just want to soar, but for newbies - friends, family, those responding to advertising - maybe more would be beneficial.

Eric Bick

My point is simply that, were I a neophyte, I'd be more attracted to an
initial statement such as, "I'm going to fly in a glider. It has no engine!
How cool is that?" Rather than, "I'm going to fly in a glider and,
hopefully, I'll get back safely."


"Charlie Papa" wrote in message
...
Well, there is a BIG LESSON in this for us. Yes, he was condescending.

But remember, Anthony's role is to be a surrogate for the 'everyman'
pilot, and for the many more pilot wannabe's.

If they don't have experience with gliders, they think they are just
simple machines, - IF forced to think about gliders, - because they
otherwise seldom or never do.

And if jogged to think about gliders, they think about something analogous
to a toboggan: - you tow it up the hill, and it slides down.

So he was perfect. Note that 10,000,000 USA viewers watch this show.
There are fewer than 1,000,00 USA pilots. So folks who wish they were
pilots, or had learned to fly, make up almost all of th34e audience.

This is great, - but only a first step. There is a reason we see those
same commercials again and again and again; they are building 'Share of
Mind', and gliding has close to zero.

We all need to sell our sport. And we need assistance from our national
gliding organizations on how to do that.

In my view, each and everyone of us should carry a few business cards with
the URL of our national organization or our club, or something like
www.letsgogliding.ca or www.letsgogliding.com.

Time to wake up!


On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 2:59:15 PM UTC-5, Charlie Papa wrote:
Here, from Season 4, Episode 11, is the segment on our sport, shot at
York Soaring Association near Toronto last summer:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5a0tUPxzl0#t=41



We believe they will return to York next summer for another segment. We
have suggested to them:

-WSPE (Women's Soaring Pilot's Association) annual seminar, this year
July 21 - 25 (http://www.womensoaring.org/?p=seminar)

-FREEDOM'S WINGS CANADA York is home to the first and largest Chapter in
Canada

- TOW PILOTS the essential volunteers who drag us into the sky

-AIRLINE PILOT either trains in a glider or UNUSUAL ATTITUDE training



Neilson estimates audience size a 10,000,000 in the USA.

On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 2:59:15 PM UTC-5, Charlie Papa wrote:
Here, from Season 4, Episode 11, is the segment on our sport, shot at York Soaring Association near Toronto last summer:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5a0tUPxzl0#t=41



We believe they will return to York next summer for another segment. We have suggested to them:

-WSPE (Women's Soaring Pilot's Association) annual seminar, this year July 21 - 25 (http://www.womensoaring.org/?p=seminar)

-FREEDOM'S WINGS CANADA York is home to the first and largest Chapter in Canada

- TOW PILOTS the essential volunteers who drag us into the sky

-AIRLINE PILOT either trains in a glider or UNUSUAL ATTITUDE training



Neilson estimates audience size a 10,000,000 in the USA.

In my experience, the 'no engine' thing is a deterrent. That's why I stress that we do have one, - gravity.

And my club is blessed with a comfortable club house, incl. a kitchen, classroom and pilot's lounge, with overnight accommodation and a good social calendar. And I think it's important. But you have to build it, and we need members and money to do that.

Hence the focus on Intro flights; they produce revenue and a small percentage become members. And, IMHO, the easiest target is a power pilot.

But we have a lot of education and marketing to do.

In my experience, the 'no engine' thing is a deterrent. That's why I
stress that we do have one, - gravity.


I agree 100%. The "no engine" thing is for the teeny boppers who "need" a
thrill. For the nervous prospect, I tell him that an aircraft flies on its
wings, not on an engine. And if he seems somewhat intelligent (you'd be
amazed!) I try to discuss a bit of the physics (gravity, vectors, etc.).

You jaded purveyors of motorless flight should view this video with less than your normal gimlet eye. The video was made for the unwashed masses of those who are engine dependent with the idea of at least rousing their curiosity. Granted the vertically challenged guy with the goatee and the bullet shaped head may not have been the best person to get the word out about gliding flight, but he did send the message and for that we should give him credit.
There has not really been much in the way glider related movies out since "The Boy Who Flew With The Condors" (the Thomas Crown Affairs and perhaps a few car commercials.) But wait dear hearts, there is something in the wings (pun intended) which will air as a trailer of sorts at the SSA convention and presented by Mike Abernathy. It is hoped Mike's film will be out sometime this spring and will be shown on at least the local PBS station in Albuquerque and will awaken the world to the wonders of motorless flight.
Zulu

....And you better let us know when it airs, Billy.


wrote in message
...
You jaded purveyors of motorless flight should view this video with less
than your normal gimlet eye. The video was made for the unwashed masses of
those who are engine dependent with the idea of at least rousing their
curiosity. Granted the vertically challenged guy with the goatee and the
bullet shaped head may not have been the best person to get the word out
about gliding flight, but he did send the message and for that we should
give him credit.
There has not really been much in the way glider related movies out since
"The Boy Who Flew With The Condors" (the Thomas Crown Affairs and perhaps a
few car commercials.) But wait dear hearts, there is something in the wings
(pun intended) which will air as a trailer of sorts at the SSA convention
and presented by Mike Abernathy. It is hoped Mike's film will be out
sometime this spring and will be shown on at least the local PBS station in
Albuquerque and will awaken the world to the wonders of motorless flight.
Zulu