Glider Presentations to Non-Glider Pilots?

I have the opportunity to present in March to a group of non-glider
pilots the joys of soaring. Have you done such a thing? If so, can I
leverage parts of your presentation? Please contact me. Thanks.

We are working on an outline of what needs to be covered in the 90-120
minute presentation. Some thoughts (not necessarily in order);

Overview
Add-on rating
Training
The club atmosphere
Badges and contests
Medical
CLGC & SSA organizations
Ship types (powered and not)
Instruments (mechanical, vario, etc)
Avionics (trending towards "glass" cockpits)
Resources
Conclusion

- John DeRosa
ChicagoLand Glider Council (http://chicagolandglidercouncil.com)
jhderosa at yahoo dot com

On Tuesday, January 8, 2013 10:41:44 AM UTC-7, JohnDeRosa wrote:
I have the opportunity to present in March to a group of non-glider

pilots the joys of soaring. Have you done such a thing? If so, can I

leverage parts of your presentation? Please contact me. Thanks.



We are working on an outline of what needs to be covered in the 90-120

minute presentation. Some thoughts (not necessarily in order);



Overview

Add-on rating

Training

The club atmosphere

Badges and contests

Medical

CLGC & SSA organizations

Ship types (powered and not)

Instruments (mechanical, vario, etc)

Avionics (trending towards "glass" cockpits)

Resources

Conclusion



- John DeRosa

ChicagoLand Glider Council (http://chicagolandglidercouncil.com)

jhderosa at yahoo dot com

As always, consider your audience. Who are they? That would shape my response WRT your list.

Frank Whiteley

JohnDeRosa wrote:
I have the opportunity to present in March to a group of non-glider
pilots the joys of soaring. Have you done such a thing? If so, can I
leverage parts of your presentation? Please contact me. Thanks.

We are working on an outline of what needs to be covered in the 90-120
minute presentation. Some thoughts (not necessarily in order);

Overview
Add-on rating
Training
The club atmosphere
Badges and contests
Medical
CLGC & SSA organizations
Ship types (powered and not)
Instruments (mechanical, vario, etc)
Avionics (trending towards "glass" cockpits)
Resources
Conclusion

- John DeRosa
ChicagoLand Glider Council (http://chicagolandglidercouncil.com)
jhderosa at yahoo dot com


I always find it helpful to consider what I'm trying to achieve
with the presentation. But that's mere motherhood and apple pie,
so I try to put flesh onto these assertions:
- what do I want the audience to *do* afterwards
- if they do it, what will they gain and lose
- what won't happen
and then frame my presentation to make those points

So, you might come up with:
if you become glider pilots
you will gain fun and friends and lose time and money
but it won't help you make a living

but it won't help you make a living

are you kidding? Needing to pay for soaring is sometimes the only thing that gets me out of bed in the morning

On Jan 8, 1:04*pm, Frank Whiteley wrote:
As always, consider your audience. *Who are they? *That would shape my response WRT your list.

Frank Whiteley

The audience will be power pilots. Some students, mostly private with
some commercial. Age group: middle aged based on the last event at
this same venue (FBO). Advertised through the SPANS FAA program.

The idea of the talk is to point those already in aviation towards the
silent side of aviation.

- Why would they want to try it out?
- Costs much less than power.
- Medical angle.
- What do you do after the $100 hamburger? The flip side of that is
"Whats the point? You can't get anywhere!" This is the Sailing
versus Power Boating discussion.
- Two items that are not seen in power
Badges (sets increasing goals for accomplishments)
Contest (tests your limits)
- Environmental considerations.
- More pure flying experience.

On Tuesday, January 8, 2013 5:28:02 PM UTC-5, JohnDeRosa wrote:
- What do you do after the $100 hamburger? The flip side of that is
"Whats the point? You can't get anywhere!" This is the Sailing
versus Power Boating discussion.

Well, I'm sure that most transitioning power pilots would indeed not be able to get anywhere. But as a large number of people on this group know, it is possible to develop skill and go places in a glider. It's called the Art of Soaring...

-John

On Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:50:36 -0800, John Carlyle wrote:

On Tuesday, January 8, 2013 5:28:02 PM UTC-5, JohnDeRosa wrote:
- What do you do after the $100 hamburger? The flip side of that is
"Whats the point? You can't get anywhere!" This is the Sailing versus
Power Boating discussion.

Well, I'm sure that most transitioning power pilots would indeed not be
able to get anywhere. But as a large number of people on this group
know, it is possible to develop skill and go places in a glider. It's
called the Art of Soaring...

..... maybe showing them a video or two of mountain soaring or a spot of
ridge running would put across the point that gliders aren't limited to
flapping round the home field.

I'd suggest:

"Lightning for Turnpoints" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oT7kcjmBY4

"Hawaii Glider Record Altitude Mountain Wave Flight"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY--mA-
Iico&playnext=1&list=PL2F7CCD3412F7947E&feature=re sults_main

or some of the ridge-running out of Logan.


My non-soaring friends who've been shown "Down at the Seaside!" http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs666zqMw0s all say its one of the best soaring
videos they've seen, though you may prefer a US equivalent if there is
one.

HTH


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

My wife is an Elementary School Teacher and recruited me to participate in the Great American Teach-in Program at her school last year. The thought of doing a presentation about Financial Planning to Elementary School students was a nightmare at best, so I elected to do a presentation on Soaring instead. I received great support from the SSA (thank you Rhonda Copeland!) who provided me with the excellent Out and Return DVD and some Soaring in America booklets.

The first year I did my presentation to five classes, I think, and it was so well received that they invited me back again this year. Word gets around the school pretty quick and I ended up speaking to fourteen classes this year! The kids really got into it and I think adults would too because the Teachers liked it as well. Here is how I did it:

I showed up dressed in my glider flying clothes with hat, sunglasses, khaki shirt, pants and comfy shoes. I start the presentation by asking how many of the students had ever gone outside, looked up and seen a bird circling overhead without flapping it's wings? Most everyone will raise their hands. I then say that when a bird can fly without flapping it's wings, we call that Soaring. I then ask "how many of you would like to Soar like a bird?" Again, most everyone will raise their hands. I then say "Some people will say that is not possible...it is possible but in order to soar like a bird you need a special kind of flying machine that's called a glider." I then say "Today through the magic of technology we are all going to travel to Warner Springs California and take our very first glider ride together." "Would you like to do that?" The universal response is always a resounding "yes".

I then spend a minute showing them that I have the things I need to go soaring: my Pilots License, Cell phone ...just in case we don't make it back to the airport and we need someone to come and get us, a granola bar ...in case we get hungry and a bottle of water. I then put on my sun glasses and my hat and ask "are you ready to go soaring?" That is usually followed by another resounding "yes" and I start the DVD.

The DVD runs about 20 minutes. If you have not seen it, it starts by driving up to the glider trailer, shows an abbreviated assembly, followed by a short flight and return to Warner Springs. The onboard and glider mounted cameras gives the audience a good taste of what it is like to fly a glider. I really enjoy the landing sequence...I tell them that this is just what it looks like to land a glider. Many of the students have never even seen a glider so the DVD is very interesting to them.

Following the DVD there is time for a few questions...and there are always more questions than the 30 minute class period time frame allows at school. Of course, you would have all the time in the world for Q & A. At the end I give each participant a Soaring in America booklet. These are excellent and contain lots of good information and neat pictures as well.

This is how I have done it. It has been very well received and is a lot of fun too! It may seem kind of corny but, like someone else said, you've got to know your audience and make it interesting and fun for them. If you make it fun and have fun doing it, you will be successful. Good luck and I hope this is helpful to you. Brian Lott

On Tuesday, January 8, 2013 5:28:02 PM UTC-5, JohnDeRosa wrote:

- Why would they want to try it out?

- Medical angle.

What is this "medical angle" and why is it a "selling point" for soaring?

On Jan 8, 5:34*pm, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Tuesday, January 8, 2013 5:28:02 PM UTC-5, JohnDeRosa wrote:
- Why would they want to try it out?

- Medical angle.

What is this "medical angle" and why is it a "selling point" for soaring?

Like Lite Sport, a glider pilot does NOT need a medical. This might
appeal to many pilots who are thinking they may not be able to pass
the next medical. Forget the possiblity of flunking one, just switch
ways of getting airtime.