CFIs

I guess if I look at this issue from the perspective of supply and
demand, the problem is not a shortage of CFIGs, it's a shortage of
students. If there were a long line of students outside the flight
lounge every day waiting for training, CFIGs would come. The cost of
training might go up (due to the initial shortage of CFIGs) and that
would shorten the line of students a bit, until a new equilibrium was
struck. But in that new balance, CFIGs would be compensated enough to
sustain them, and much needed cash and pilots would flow into the
sport.

That's why I am personally excited about the Grand Prix racing format
raising the profile of the sport. The fact is that the vast majority
of people on this planet don't know that soaring exists, or at least
don't know enough about it to give it a second thought. And of the
pool of people that do become aware of soaring, some (probably very
small but constant) percentage decide to give it a go. If 10X more
people are made aware of our existence, then the number of people
willing to try it will go up by 10X (or something close) as well and
the whole economics of the game changes. I believe the key to turning
the sport around is positive, high profile exposure. And not just for
the sport itself, but exposure for the personalities involved. People
follow car racing for the drivers, not the cars. Can we agree there
is no shortage of eccentric personality in our sport?

As the stakes go up, the media is more likely to pay attention too.
If someone walks away with $150,000 in first prize money for winning
the GP, guess what? There are going to be more interviews of the
winner, and more coverage of the event by the media. And of course
sponsors start to get interested in the media coverage and
participation. We still have the chicken/egg problem that keeps this
sort of thing from ramping up quickly: Exposure takes money before it
can create money. But what if Fossett's estate were to sponsor a
prize? Or Hilton (I know he does this now with the Hilton Cup, but
it's a very private affair, isn't it) There are plenty of high
profile people involved in the sport that could stir things up if they
wished.

It would also be wonderful if the SSA could turn outward and be the
true ambassador of soaring it aspires to be. How many 14 year old
boys or girls know they are already old enough to fly a real plane by
themselves? (Oh, but what if the wind dies? Will I crash?) Educate
them! I love soaring enough that I would happily pay double my SSA
dues if I know the money was going toward informing and engaging
potential new pilots. I will always take time to sit a curious kid in
the cockpit and try to inspire them, and I know almost every other
pilot will too, but it's a woefully inefficient way to get the word
out. Reactive rather than proactive. Thanks to politics, PR, and
advertising, getting your message across is now a precise science,
with measurable results. Surely we can communicate the joy of soaring
more effectively and efficiently than we do today. And just as
surely, more people will join us.

Matt Herron Jr.