Getting new members

At 13:55 07 May 2011, ray conlon wrote:

Bottom line, soaring is an expensive hobby, attracting people is not
ever going to be easy, they don't have the disposable income to enter
the sport. 150,000 machines are not in most peoples budget.

Agreed. But lots and lots of people can afford a $8K 1-26, and have one
helluva lotta fun with it. Not to mention competing in it at the national
level. And with a partnership, lots more gliders are within reach.

It is a "one person" activity, wives, girlfriends,kids are left out
of the picture. It is not a family friendly activity.

Well, sounds like you married the wrong woman.

Jim Beckman

On May 7, 7:55*am, ray conlon wrote:
On May 7, 7:52*am, Jim Beckman wrote:

Here's something the Hawk Valley club did in New Jersey a couple of years
ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21PAYdokVxY

This was at a grade school, where the principal was a glider student at
our field. *He and a few others did a *lot* of preparation work, and the
kids got about a half day of exposure to basic flight physics, history of
flight, building balsa model gliders, and finally getting an up close
encounter with our club 1-26. *I don't know if we made any lasting
impressions, but we gave it a good effort. *And it was fun for us, too.

Jim Beckman

Bottom line, soaring is an expensive hobby, attracting people is not
ever going to be easy, they don't have the disposable income to enter
the sport. 150,000 machines are not in most peoples budget.
*It is a "one person" activity, wives, girlfriends,kids are left out
of the picture. It is not a family friendly activity.
*Unless something can be done to get the cost of gliders,
equipment,tows,instruction etc.on the order of being able to play
golf,riding motorcycles,,jet skis etc. it will never grow. With the
reality of the US economic picture at present, it will continue to
soaring will continue to shrink.
Maybe a "national club" deal where people could go from one glider
port/club to another and rent a bird and get tows for say 125.00$ per
day as a package, might help.

To the extent soaring is an expensive hobby, it's because we've
collectively chosen to operate expensively. The US norm is privately
owned gliders whose owners pay $50 or more for a tow. Any problem
which arises is solved by writing a check - no one wants to get their
hands dirty. It need not be so.

Gliders will always be expensive because they are essentially hand
made on very slow production lines. The only upside is well cared
for gliders last a very long time so the high initial costs can be
amortized over many years.

An opportunity to very significantly reduce costs, perhaps the best
one, is to adopt winch launch. More than anything else, this is why
soaring is less expensive in Europe. As a result of winch economics,
clubs fly fleets of very modern club owned gliders launched by winch.
Private glider ownership is far less common.

European clubs also expect their members to work on club equipment.
This "sweat equity" greatly reduces costs.

A month or so ago, I towed a young man up on his 14th birthday. He shags
ropes, sweeps floors, runs wings, etc., to help pay the freight. It
wouldn't surprise me if Rick (Sundance Aviation) isn't helping a bit, too.
Used to see a lot more of that...

"Frank Whiteley" wrote in message
...
On May 6, 12:59 am, " wrote:
I tried to do this at the high school located on Edwards AFB (of all
places) with the physics class (of all things) that I taught/teach
using the flight school that the USAF Test Pilot School contracts with
and whom I have worked with for more than 25 years. School management
and their lawyers went completely apoplectic. The students, their
parent, and I had to sign all sorts of documents that we would never
do such a thing nor speak of flying ever again in class. I recall
that we were also forbidden to even think about it, at least in
school.

Educational institutions have become risk averse, including at the
collegiate level. Twenty five years ago you could find white water
kayaking, glider clubs, and hang glider clubs on campus that owned
equipment. Nearly non-existent now and most clubs for that type of
activity must engage external organizations and keep involvement at
arm's length. Campus clubs are largely social welfare oriented
today.

We had a member's daughter seek to have her Junior ROTC unit take
orientation flights, but the school district balked.

Boy Scouts can participate under their aviation tour permit. Girl
Scouts no. Aviation Venture Crews can be so organized, but there are
still limits.

Some soaring clubs and a few commercial operators have found
interesting ways to engage youth. We can do better.

Currently, there are 441 SSA Youth Members in 134 flying chapters. 10
chapters have 10 or more youth members. 50 Chapters have no youth
members. 22 have one youth member. The average 45 member chapter has
3.25 youth members. To date we've received four Bultman applications
(4/30 deadline). I suspect many more of the 441 were eligible to
apply.

Frank Whiteley

Great job!

To the others...if at first you don't succeed, try try again.

There is always a way. Find fun in leaping the hurtles.

LT

The school on EDW is not D.O.D. but a CA public school wholly enclosed
on the base. It is a very high-achieving place with world-class
students and I would never consider teaching elsewhere. Almost
"Zero" kids at EDW are interested in aviation or flying. I attribute
it to the "if Dad/Mom do it, it can't be cool" syndrome. Very sad but
predictable.

The kids and I may have "worked it out" as did another "glider family"
that taught with me. Personal time is personal time.

In regards to the AF, the "incentive rides" they used to offer
workers, spouses et al went away a long time ago. Very unfortunate
and counterproductive. Even getting a real flightline tour (e.g.,
kids getting to sit in the pilot seats of B-1, F-15, C-17, etc) is
problematic/impossible. Also very unfortunate and
counterproductive.

Dan Marotta, I assume you are referring to Dan Tellep, the former CEO
of LockMart. A superb gentleman and pilot! I checked him out in glass
and ultimately in his 201 Libelle. He arranged for me (e.g., dirtbag
CFI/Towpilot/Fiberglassguy) to fly a 2-hole F-16 for over an hour with
a Lockheed test pilot. I got my "9-g" pin and certificate (450 kts,
roll inverted, go full A/B and pull like hell, I recall) Yep, a superb
human being. A/B is the mechanical equivalent of Crack. I will never
be the same.

On May 6, 7:18*pm, " wrote:
The school on EDW is not D.O.D. but a CA public school wholly enclosed
on the base. *It is a very high-achieving place with world-class
students and I would never consider teaching elsewhere. * *Almost
"Zero" kids at EDW are interested in aviation or flying. *I attribute
it to the "if Dad/Mom do it, it can't be cool" syndrome. *Very sad but
predictable.

The kids and I may have "worked it out" as did another "glider family"
that taught with me. *Personal time is personal time.

In regards to the AF, the "incentive rides" they used to offer
workers, spouses et al went away a long time ago. *Very unfortunate
and counterproductive. *Even getting a real flightline tour (e.g.,
kids getting to sit in the pilot seats of B-1, F-15, C-17, etc) is
problematic/impossible. *Also very unfortunate and
counterproductive.

Dan Marotta, I assume you are referring to Dan Tellep, the former CEO
of LockMart. A superb gentleman and pilot! *I checked him out in glass
and ultimately in his 201 Libelle. *He arranged for me (e.g., dirtbag
CFI/Towpilot/Fiberglassguy) to fly a 2-hole F-16 for over an hour with
a Lockheed test pilot. *I got my "9-g" pin and certificate *(450 kts,
roll inverted, go full A/B and pull like hell, I recall) Yep, a superb
human being. *A/B is the mechanical equivalent of Crack. *I will never
be the same.

As a possible counterpoint, I had a CAP ASK-21 on display last week at
LockMarts Waterton, CO facility for their "bring your child to work"
day. This is the second year I have done this.

We set up on the lawn in front of the administration building and got
mobbed by parents and kids. (Didn't do the lawn much good but we got
invited back.) The line to look at the K-21 and let the kids sit in
the cockpit was hundreds of feet long. (Some of the "kids" in the
cockpit looked suspiciously like LockMart management.)

I think the CAP picked up a dozen or so new cadets and possibly some
of the parents. We weren't shy about giving information about local
clubs as well as CAP info.

Bill Daniels

Yes, it was Dan Tellep. I took him for a tour of the Lockheed Denver
Engineering Lab back in 1990 and he noticed my Gold Badge and mistook it for
a Lennie pin. I offered him the use of my ASW-19 but, alas, "the brief
cases" wouldn't let him have a day off to go to the glider port. He was
"just one of the guys" when talking with another pilot, told me he was a
member of SSA, and I was impressed to find his home address and phone number
in the membership list at the time.

Dan

wrote in message
...

The school on EDW is not D.O.D. but a CA public school wholly enclosed
on the base. It is a very high-achieving place with world-class
students and I would never consider teaching elsewhere. Almost
"Zero" kids at EDW are interested in aviation or flying. I attribute
it to the "if Dad/Mom do it, it can't be cool" syndrome. Very sad but
predictable.

The kids and I may have "worked it out" as did another "glider family"
that taught with me. Personal time is personal time.

In regards to the AF, the "incentive rides" they used to offer
workers, spouses et al went away a long time ago. Very unfortunate
and counterproductive. Even getting a real flightline tour (e.g.,
kids getting to sit in the pilot seats of B-1, F-15, C-17, etc) is
problematic/impossible. Also very unfortunate and
counterproductive.

Dan Marotta, I assume you are referring to Dan Tellep, the former CEO
of LockMart. A superb gentleman and pilot! I checked him out in glass
and ultimately in his 201 Libelle. He arranged for me (e.g., dirtbag
CFI/Towpilot/Fiberglassguy) to fly a 2-hole F-16 for over an hour with
a Lockheed test pilot. I got my "9-g" pin and certificate (450 kts,
roll inverted, go full A/B and pull like hell, I recall) Yep, a superb
human being. A/B is the mechanical equivalent of Crack. I will never
be the same.