Getting new members

Gliding isn't SEXY? Are you kidding me? Take the wings and tail off these things and most of them look like a sperm. Okay, that's not sexy but how in the heck is this sport going to survive if not by marketing? I agree, go out and fly, enjoy yourself, yadda yadda yadda. But without a reasonable marketing strategy there may come a day when there are few if any places to go and enjoy soaring. Where I Fly we have people drive for four and five hours to get here. I'm lucky it's 25 minutes for me. There is a club operation in the panhandle, one about two hours north of here, one about an hour south and that's about it. (Florida). Clubs have to remain viable, to do so they must attract new members and keep their planes and tugs in good condition. Commercial operations must do the same, attract new students, teach them to fly, maintain a reasonable rental fleet and provide the necessary services.

Do we have to make it sexy to market it? I think not. We have to make it exciting, attractive, appealing. Okay, that's the same as sexy but you know where I'm going. Commercial operations need to invest in the future, spend a little on local TV and newspaper ads, market, market, market, sell, sell, sell.

I will admit that I have been frustrated trying to attract a friend or two of mine to the sport. A couple are pilots, I have taken them for a ride and made it as pleasant as I could. Somehow I have come to realize that if there is not a burning passion within you, nothing is going to make you soar. All we can do is continue to try to promote the sport on our own and hope that our tugs and glider ports will remain around long enough to either begin to grow or allow those of us who fly to die happily in our sleep after a tasty day in lift.

Walt