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#241
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Any model business does what Burt is doing ... it is called customer focused
marketing. I am not surprised that his business is growing. The first rule in customer focused marketing is look after the customers that you already have. The problem is that most FBO's don't run good businesses (in fact very few businesses in general follow these basic principles). FBO's are in the business they love because they want to play with airplanes ... this does not make them good business men. "Burt Compton" wrote in message ... What decline? My commercial soaring operation is slowly growing. Maybe it is because of our good soaring location, good marketing, good "meet & greet", good training, good equipment. We ain't gettin' rich, but we realize that each customer/student/visiting pilot is golden, brings in a few dollars, and so we show them a good time. Burt Compton Marfa Gliders, west Texas www.flygliders.com |
#242
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not part of the main stream in America. We have had a number of big and
small screen series using scuba diving, skiing, motorcycling, sky diving, etc. backdrops ... and some of these also get frequent sport coverage ... it's rare to see soaring included as even a minor theme in any media. What we need is an IMAX feature on gliding on the big screen in 3D. They do all sorts of other adventure stuff ... why not gliding. Someone should give them a call and tell them that we have a deal for them ..... |
#243
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Soaring is a sport with too much baggage.
It won't grow in America without some cultural shift in the way we view ourselves. On whole Americans are too selfish for the sport to work here. If you want to do it "American Style", you usually need a glider of your own, somewhere to tow from with a tow plane and at least one other skilled person (towpilot) available on your schedule. You will probably need a crewman (wife usually) to sit on the ground reading a book while you do your thing. The flying comes first in most cases. If you go soaring "European style" it is usually at a club venue off winches with a larger body of participants. The reasons European clubs are more successful center around the social aspects of their cultures and the fact the flying is important, but there is a more communal spirit to soaring. It is a bit less about flying and a bit more about belonging to a community. I'm off my soapbox.... Scott in Texas. |
#244
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I don't this soaring is declining because we're not training in expensive
high performance gliders..IMHO, it's quite the contrary.... Soaring has declined as of late....but didn't we increase the roles of membership when our training a fleet ships were comprised mostly of 2-22's, 2-33's, K7's K13's and L-13's??.....It's been as of late while everyone has been trying to spend big $ and buy more expensive club gliders, and consequently saddling clubs and members with higher costs and debts that clubs and membership has show it's worst decline....New students don't know that flying a K7 or L13 isn't fun and challenging....so why do we have to tell them that these trainers are obsolete and no longer teach the basics of soaring, stick and rudder? I think a vast majority of our newer members and students are really missing something by not knowing the fun and joy of soaring in some of these great old ships, (and even some newer less expensive and non-competition types) have to offer. They are missing the history and heritage of soaring from our beginnings......let them experience this, let them move into high $ gliders "if" that is the path they choose. We still have a very large contingent of soaring pilots in the world that have no interest in competitions, or spending their children's college tuitions on their weekend toys but happily, most for many years have been showing up at the airports and enjoying the sport for what they want to get out of it...If you want to expand soaring, make it affordable, keep it fun, ask yourself and your members to dedicate some time to teach, and ask them for less money to take part and I think you'll see far greater results just my 2 cents, but it's worked for myself and my clubs for over 25 years tim "Raphael Warshaw" wrote in message ... Mark; I'm not aware of any FBO doing ab initio training in a Duo Discus although someone, Dean Carswell I think, said something in a review of the DG-1000 to the effect that there was no reason not to train a new student in that aircraft other than the concern over sending him solo in a very expensive glider. I don't think there's any question but what its easier to get in trouble in fast glass than a 2-33 though. While I agree that the sport could benefit from some standardization of training methods, the decision as to when a student is ready to solo or move up in aircraft performance involves, IMHO, too many variables to codify precisely. As to licensing, I got my private ticket long before I learned to fly. I suspect that well thought-out national standards of training would cause the "time to solo" and "time to license" to increase in more places than to decrease, BTW. Our accident, injury and fatality rate suggests that we are not training glider pilots adequately for the conditions they encounter once on their own. Whether this is the fault of the quality or quantity of training I'm not qualified to say. Most likely it's some combination of both. The training requirements are, it seems to me, somewhat site-specific as well. Western wave sites with the possibility of coming home from a cross-country to 50 knot plus cross winds or even rotor on the airport or east coast ridge sites with high-speed close to the ground operations and limited landout potential require a different skill set (and more training hours) than local flying in gentler places. Because my work kept me on the road, I took my initial training all over the country. My pre-solo logbook shows four separate glider types at least five different locations. Opinions as to the "right way" to do things at these locations differed markedly. As a result, the instructor who ultimately soloed me (in a 2/33, BTW) took a lot on faith. It worked out, obviously, but luck probably played more of a part than it should have. The FBO renting an aircraft is entitled to set the standards for that rental. I suspect that more revenue is lost, short-term, than gained by FBOs as a result of such standards. Finally, I've visited and flown at many sites around the country and in Europe and, while I've encountered some rudeness and indifference, not one of them has left me with the feeling that I was being "preyed upon"; quite the opposite, many of them would favor their own well-being, even survival, by being a bit more "predatory". Training a student to ASPIRE to "2 degrees of heading or 1 foot of landing spot or perfectly centered yawstrings" is, IMHO, what a good instructor should be doing and passing the checkride shouldn't be the end of that aspiration. Ray Warshaw Claremont, CA 1LK "Mark James Boyd" wrote in message news:41d311db$1@darkstar... In article , Burt Compton wrote: What decline? My commercial soaring operation is slowly growing. Maybe it is because of our good soaring location, good marketing, good "meet & greet", good training, good equipment. Don't forget, you have the bugs worked out. When people show up for something, they get it. Straightforward, on the nose, no hidden charges. Contrasted with my experience. Over the course of visiting hundreds of FBOs, and dozens of gliderports one thing I've strongly noticed is inconsistency. Some FBOs end up charging up to 5 times as much as others to achieve a license. The students never even know that they could be doing all of their training in a 2-33 for $7 a flight instead of a Duo Discus that they have to reserve two weeks ahead of time and pay for two hours at $180 whether in the air or not. I met a guy who got his Private Pilot Glider license for over $10,000. His best and will solo soon for about $500 total at a differnet club. I'll tell you, he felt that $10,000 was no bargain. The guy is not happy about it, and curses the fact he didn't know what was going on sooner. I know an airplane instructor who regularly does over 100 hours of DUAL instruction for each rating. He tells me it isn't him, his students just need it... There is nothing wrong with offering slick, super duper gliders, or brand new aircraft, or training people to ATP standards before their first solo. As long as they WANT it. But a lot of brand new students come in the door (which takes a LOT of courage to begin with) and they are so excited they are hungry and will take anything. Their ignorance is flat out preyed upon by what I consider to be marginally unethical business practices. Training to 2 degrees of heading or 1 foot of landing spot or perfectly centered yawstrings sure does line the pocket. But not giving a student a accurate assessment of when they can reliably pass a checkride, or harping that training must be done until one can fly an ASW-20 when someone asks for a glider license is a bit of bait-and-switch, and a bit of car salesmanship. Part of the hesitation people have approaching flying is downright inconsistency. I've watched potential pilots try to sort out the prices and requirements, and walk away because the CFI or FBO is just a bit too shifty. I've started recommending to students to use instructors who have a Gold Seal, or who have ratios of dual given to practical test signoff of at most 50:1. Beyond that, I've outlined the widely varying cost of tows and aircraft rental. I'm not saying that charging a lot for rental or doing a ton of dual for a rating is in itself unethical. Granted, there are soaring sites that are in very expensive areas, and there are students who sometimes require more training, or need more instruction in the more tricky aircraft available for rent. And if the operation only wants Duo Discuses, then hey, taht's their choice. But the "black magic" and fog surrounding newbies seeking glider instruction, and the inconsistencies of price and "requirements" sure don't add to the overall reputation of flying in general. Whether it is ethical or not at some point takes a backseat to the damage it causes to the reputation of the industry. I've always been a little leary of operations that don't advertise their prices, either. Maybe that's the gliding "consumer" in me It doesn't mean they charge too much, it just means now I have to ask a lot of questions. How many of you actively seek to buy an item that says for price: "inquire." When I see that, I usually figure I can't afford it :P If you have a website, and you don't have prices on it, I'm less likely to come visit. You're going to have to get my business, and the business of my students, through referrals. We ain't gettin' rich, but we realize that each customer/student/visiting pilot is golden, brings in a few dollars, and so we show them a good time. Burt Compton Marfa Gliders, west Texas www.flygliders.com Burt is a NAFI Master instructor, DPE, and Gold Seal! That means he gets people through license and at the very least subscribes to a professional group with a code of ethics. That's the attitude that gets referrals. A good value, and giving a customer what they asked for, instead of selling them something you think they "should" want. We are "ambassadors" to the sport. We need to ensure we avoid even the appearance of impropriety. With so few gliderports in the country, each one is an embassy. I think each one should do its best to provide value and be a source of pride to this industry. -- ------------+ Mark J. Boyd |
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At 15:30 30 December 2004, Plasticguy wrote:
Soaring is a sport with too much baggage. It won't grow in America without some cultural shift in the way we view ourselves. On whole Americans are too selfish for the sport to work here. If you want to do it 'American Style', you usually need a glider of your own, somewhere to tow from with a tow plane and at least one other skilled person (towpilot) available on your schedule. You will probably need a crewman (wife usually) to sit on the ground reading a book while you do your thing. The flying comes first in most cases. If you go soaring 'European style' it is usually at a club venue off winches with a larger body of participants. The reasons European clubs are more successful center around the social aspects of their cultures and the fact the flying is important, but there is a more communal spirit to soaring. It is a bit less about flying and a bit more about belonging to a community. I'm off my soapbox.... Scott in Texas. A proper test of this theory would be to examine clubs that have lots of social activities and available cheap gliders for members to fly (even X-C) and compare with clubs that are more in the nature of syndicates to provide tow planes for private owners and with just a modicum of instruction and rental for local flying only and little in the way of social activities. (This would still be a dirty analysis because it doesn't separate the second-class flying status and the social activity in the two groups) |
#246
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Well I for one agree with Tim's comments, with the perceived expectation
that we are a very expensive sport using Formula One (or Nascar etc etc) type of expensive equipment. Here in the UK I have similar discussions with people who do not know our sport, and they are all surprised that my hobby is actually cheaper that many others, including golf and even tennis or even a season ticket to a Premiership football club. Having just managed my 5 hours this week in a 30 year old K6 I also agree with the comments on K7's and K13's. At out club we have these on site and they are very affordable and more importantly cheap and easy to keep in the air. People can move on in reasonable cost stages. Rather like my K6 which cost me the equivalent of 7 days pay to join the syndicate and a further 12 days pay to keep in the air. Flying K21's and the like is very nice but way beyond the means of most people. All you do is increase their expectations, which are then dashed by the cost of new plastic ships. Out of the 100 or so clubs over here I wonder how many are truly solvent businesses, putting the cost of a new ship on the books must hurt immensely. The comment about advertising is also extremely relevant. Apart from a couple of times I can't remember seeing anything on the TV here. Maybe we need to all get together and pool our resources for a good advertising campaign? Oh I forgot, we do hear if there's an incident of course! Malcolm... "Tim Mara" wrote in message ... I don't this soaring is declining because we're not training in expensive high performance gliders..IMHO, it's quite the contrary.... Soaring has declined as of late....but didn't we increase the roles of membership when our training a fleet ships were comprised mostly of 2-22's, 2-33's, K7's K13's and L-13's??.....It's been as of late while everyone has been trying to spend big $ and buy more expensive club gliders, and consequently saddling clubs and members with higher costs and debts that clubs and membership has show it's worst decline....New students don't know that flying a K7 or L13 isn't fun and challenging....so why do we have to tell them that these trainers are obsolete and no longer teach the basics of soaring, stick and rudder? I think a vast majority of our newer members and students are really missing something by not knowing the fun and joy of soaring in some of these great old ships, (and even some newer less expensive and non-competition types) have to offer. They are missing the history and heritage of soaring from our beginnings......let them experience this, let them move into high $ gliders "if" that is the path they choose. We still have a very large contingent of soaring pilots in the world that have no interest in competitions, or spending their children's college tuitions on their weekend toys but happily, most for many years have been showing up at the airports and enjoying the sport for what they want to get out of it...If you want to expand soaring, make it affordable, keep it fun, ask yourself and your members to dedicate some time to teach, and ask them for less money to take part and I think you'll see far greater results just my 2 cents, but it's worked for myself and my clubs for over 25 years tim "Raphael Warshaw" wrote in message ... Mark; I'm not aware of any FBO doing ab initio training in a Duo Discus although someone, Dean Carswell I think, said something in a review of the DG-1000 to the effect that there was no reason not to train a new student in that aircraft other than the concern over sending him solo in a very expensive glider. I don't think there's any question but what its easier to get in trouble in fast glass than a 2-33 though. While I agree that the sport could benefit from some standardization of training methods, the decision as to when a student is ready to solo or move up in aircraft performance involves, IMHO, too many variables to codify precisely. As to licensing, I got my private ticket long before I learned to fly. I suspect that well thought-out national standards of training would cause the "time to solo" and "time to license" to increase in more places than to decrease, BTW. Our accident, injury and fatality rate suggests that we are not training glider pilots adequately for the conditions they encounter once on their own. Whether this is the fault of the quality or quantity of training I'm not qualified to say. Most likely it's some combination of both. The training requirements are, it seems to me, somewhat site-specific as well. Western wave sites with the possibility of coming home from a cross-country to 50 knot plus cross winds or even rotor on the airport or east coast ridge sites with high-speed close to the ground operations and limited landout potential require a different skill set (and more training hours) than local flying in gentler places. Because my work kept me on the road, I took my initial training all over the country. My pre-solo logbook shows four separate glider types at least five different locations. Opinions as to the "right way" to do things at these locations differed markedly. As a result, the instructor who ultimately soloed me (in a 2/33, BTW) took a lot on faith. It worked out, obviously, but luck probably played more of a part than it should have. The FBO renting an aircraft is entitled to set the standards for that rental. I suspect that more revenue is lost, short-term, than gained by FBOs as a result of such standards. Finally, I've visited and flown at many sites around the country and in Europe and, while I've encountered some rudeness and indifference, not one of them has left me with the feeling that I was being "preyed upon"; quite the opposite, many of them would favor their own well-being, even survival, by being a bit more "predatory". Training a student to ASPIRE to "2 degrees of heading or 1 foot of landing spot or perfectly centered yawstrings" is, IMHO, what a good instructor should be doing and passing the checkride shouldn't be the end of that aspiration. Ray Warshaw Claremont, CA 1LK "Mark James Boyd" wrote in message news:41d311db$1@darkstar... In article , Burt Compton wrote: What decline? My commercial soaring operation is slowly growing. Maybe it is because of our good soaring location, good marketing, good "meet & greet", good training, good equipment. Don't forget, you have the bugs worked out. When people show up for something, they get it. Straightforward, on the nose, no hidden charges. Contrasted with my experience. Over the course of visiting hundreds of FBOs, and dozens of gliderports one thing I've strongly noticed is inconsistency. Some FBOs end up charging up to 5 times as much as others to achieve a license. The students never even know that they could be doing all of their training in a 2-33 for $7 a flight instead of a Duo Discus that they have to reserve two weeks ahead of time and pay for two hours at $180 whether in the air or not. I met a guy who got his Private Pilot Glider license for over $10,000. His best and will solo soon for about $500 total at a differnet club. I'll tell you, he felt that $10,000 was no bargain. The guy is not happy about it, and curses the fact he didn't know what was going on sooner. I know an airplane instructor who regularly does over 100 hours of DUAL instruction for each rating. He tells me it isn't him, his students just need it... There is nothing wrong with offering slick, super duper gliders, or brand new aircraft, or training people to ATP standards before their first solo. As long as they WANT it. But a lot of brand new students come in the door (which takes a LOT of courage to begin with) and they are so excited they are hungry and will take anything. Their ignorance is flat out preyed upon by what I consider to be marginally unethical business practices. Training to 2 degrees of heading or 1 foot of landing spot or perfectly centered yawstrings sure does line the pocket. But not giving a student a accurate assessment of when they can reliably pass a checkride, or harping that training must be done until one can fly an ASW-20 when someone asks for a glider license is a bit of bait-and-switch, and a bit of car salesmanship. Part of the hesitation people have approaching flying is downright inconsistency. I've watched potential pilots try to sort out the prices and requirements, and walk away because the CFI or FBO is just a bit too shifty. I've started recommending to students to use instructors who have a Gold Seal, or who have ratios of dual given to practical test signoff of at most 50:1. Beyond that, I've outlined the widely varying cost of tows and aircraft rental. I'm not saying that charging a lot for rental or doing a ton of dual for a rating is in itself unethical. Granted, there are soaring sites that are in very expensive areas, and there are students who sometimes require more training, or need more instruction in the more tricky aircraft available for rent. And if the operation only wants Duo Discuses, then hey, taht's their choice. But the "black magic" and fog surrounding newbies seeking glider instruction, and the inconsistencies of price and "requirements" sure don't add to the overall reputation of flying in general. Whether it is ethical or not at some point takes a backseat to the damage it causes to the reputation of the industry. I've always been a little leary of operations that don't advertise their prices, either. Maybe that's the gliding "consumer" in me It doesn't mean they charge too much, it just means now I have to ask a lot of questions. How many of you actively seek to buy an item that says for price: "inquire." When I see that, I usually figure I can't afford it :P If you have a website, and you don't have prices on it, I'm less likely to come visit. You're going to have to get my business, and the business of my students, through referrals. We ain't gettin' rich, but we realize that each customer/student/visiting pilot is golden, brings in a few dollars, and so we show them a good time. Burt Compton Marfa Gliders, west Texas www.flygliders.com Burt is a NAFI Master instructor, DPE, and Gold Seal! That means he gets people through license and at the very least subscribes to a professional group with a code of ethics. That's the attitude that gets referrals. A good value, and giving a customer what they asked for, instead of selling them something you think they "should" want. We are "ambassadors" to the sport. We need to ensure we avoid even the appearance of impropriety. With so few gliderports in the country, each one is an embassy. I think each one should do its best to provide value and be a source of pride to this industry. -- ------------+ Mark J. Boyd |
#247
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Our club has operated on the cheap for over twenty years. Next month we
decide whether or not we are extinct. Tim Mara wrote: I don't this soaring is declining because we're not training in expensive high performance gliders..IMHO, it's quite the contrary.... Soaring has declined as of late....but didn't we increase the roles of membership when our training a fleet ships were comprised mostly of 2-22's, 2-33's, K7's K13's and L-13's??.....It's been as of late while everyone has been trying to spend big $ and buy more expensive club gliders, and consequently saddling clubs and members with higher costs and debts that clubs and membership has show it's worst decline....New students don't know that flying a K7 or L13 isn't fun and challenging....so why do we have to tell them that these trainers are obsolete and no longer teach the basics of soaring, stick and rudder? I think a vast majority of our newer members and students are really missing something by not knowing the fun and joy of soaring in some of these great old ships, (and even some newer less expensive and non-competition types) have to offer. They are missing the history and heritage of soaring from our beginnings......let them experience this, let them move into high $ gliders "if" that is the path they choose. We still have a very large contingent of soaring pilots in the world that have no interest in competitions, or spending their children's college tuitions on their weekend toys but happily, most for many years have been showing up at the airports and enjoying the sport for what they want to get out of it...If you want to expand soaring, make it affordable, keep it fun, ask yourself and your members to dedicate some time to teach, and ask them for less money to take part and I think you'll see far greater results just my 2 cents, but it's worked for myself and my clubs for over 25 years tim "Raphael Warshaw" wrote in message ... Mark; I'm not aware of any FBO doing ab initio training in a Duo Discus although someone, Dean Carswell I think, said something in a review of the DG-1000 to the effect that there was no reason not to train a new student in that aircraft other than the concern over sending him solo in a very expensive glider. I don't think there's any question but what its easier to get in trouble in fast glass than a 2-33 though. While I agree that the sport could benefit from some standardization of training methods, the decision as to when a student is ready to solo or move up in aircraft performance involves, IMHO, too many variables to codify precisely. As to licensing, I got my private ticket long before I learned to fly. I suspect that well thought-out national standards of training would cause the "time to solo" and "time to license" to increase in more places than to decrease, BTW. Our accident, injury and fatality rate suggests that we are not training glider pilots adequately for the conditions they encounter once on their own. Whether this is the fault of the quality or quantity of training I'm not qualified to say. Most likely it's some combination of both. The training requirements are, it seems to me, somewhat site-specific as well. Western wave sites with the possibility of coming home from a cross-country to 50 knot plus cross winds or even rotor on the airport or east coast ridge sites with high-speed close to the ground operations and limited landout potential require a different skill set (and more training hours) than local flying in gentler places. Because my work kept me on the road, I took my initial training all over the country. My pre-solo logbook shows four separate glider types at least five different locations. Opinions as to the "right way" to do things at these locations differed markedly. As a result, the instructor who ultimately soloed me (in a 2/33, BTW) took a lot on faith. It worked out, obviously, but luck probably played more of a part than it should have. The FBO renting an aircraft is entitled to set the standards for that rental. I suspect that more revenue is lost, short-term, than gained by FBOs as a result of such standards. Finally, I've visited and flown at many sites around the country and in Europe and, while I've encountered some rudeness and indifference, not one of them has left me with the feeling that I was being "preyed upon"; quite the opposite, many of them would favor their own well-being, even survival, by being a bit more "predatory". Training a student to ASPIRE to "2 degrees of heading or 1 foot of landing spot or perfectly centered yawstrings" is, IMHO, what a good instructor should be doing and passing the checkride shouldn't be the end of that aspiration. Ray Warshaw Claremont, CA 1LK "Mark James Boyd" wrote in message news:41d311db$1@darkstar... In article , Burt Compton wrote: What decline? My commercial soaring operation is slowly growing. Maybe it is because of our good soaring location, good marketing, good "meet & greet", good training, good equipment. Don't forget, you have the bugs worked out. When people show up for something, they get it. Straightforward, on the nose, no hidden charges. Contrasted with my experience. Over the course of visiting hundreds of FBOs, and dozens of gliderports one thing I've strongly noticed is inconsistency. Some FBOs end up charging up to 5 times as much as others to achieve a license. The students never even know that they could be doing all of their training in a 2-33 for $7 a flight instead of a Duo Discus that they have to reserve two weeks ahead of time and pay for two hours at $180 whether in the air or not. I met a guy who got his Private Pilot Glider license for over $10,000. His best and will solo soon for about $500 total at a differnet club. I'll tell you, he felt that $10,000 was no bargain. The guy is not happy about it, and curses the fact he didn't know what was going on sooner. I know an airplane instructor who regularly does over 100 hours of DUAL instruction for each rating. He tells me it isn't him, his students just need it... There is nothing wrong with offering slick, super duper gliders, or brand new aircraft, or training people to ATP standards before their first solo. As long as they WANT it. But a lot of brand new students come in the door (which takes a LOT of courage to begin with) and they are so excited they are hungry and will take anything. Their ignorance is flat out preyed upon by what I consider to be marginally unethical business practices. Training to 2 degrees of heading or 1 foot of landing spot or perfectly centered yawstrings sure does line the pocket. But not giving a student a accurate assessment of when they can reliably pass a checkride, or harping that training must be done until one can fly an ASW-20 when someone asks for a glider license is a bit of bait-and-switch, and a bit of car salesmanship. Part of the hesitation people have approaching flying is downright inconsistency. I've watched potential pilots try to sort out the prices and requirements, and walk away because the CFI or FBO is just a bit too shifty. I've started recommending to students to use instructors who have a Gold Seal, or who have ratios of dual given to practical test signoff of at most 50:1. Beyond that, I've outlined the widely varying cost of tows and aircraft rental. I'm not saying that charging a lot for rental or doing a ton of dual for a rating is in itself unethical. Granted, there are soaring sites that are in very expensive areas, and there are students who sometimes require more training, or need more instruction in the more tricky aircraft available for rent. And if the operation only wants Duo Discuses, then hey, taht's their choice. But the "black magic" and fog surrounding newbies seeking glider instruction, and the inconsistencies of price and "requirements" sure don't add to the overall reputation of flying in general. Whether it is ethical or not at some point takes a backseat to the damage it causes to the reputation of the industry. I've always been a little leary of operations that don't advertise their prices, either. Maybe that's the gliding "consumer" in me It doesn't mean they charge too much, it just means now I have to ask a lot of questions. How many of you actively seek to buy an item that says for price: "inquire." When I see that, I usually figure I can't afford it :P If you have a website, and you don't have prices on it, I'm less likely to come visit. You're going to have to get my business, and the business of my students, through referrals. We ain't gettin' rich, but we realize that each customer/student/visiting pilot is golden, brings in a few dollars, and so we show them a good time. Burt Compton Marfa Gliders, west Texas www.flygliders.com Burt is a NAFI Master instructor, DPE, and Gold Seal! That means he gets people through license and at the very least subscribes to a professional group with a code of ethics. That's the attitude that gets referrals. A good value, and giving a customer what they asked for, instead of selling them something you think they "should" want. We are "ambassadors" to the sport. We need to ensure we avoid even the appearance of impropriety. With so few gliderports in the country, each one is an embassy. I think each one should do its best to provide value and be a source of pride to this industry. -- ------------+ Mark J. Boyd -- Charles Yeates Swidnik PW-6U & PW-5 http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/yeatesc/world.html |
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I look at soaring's lack of groth from a purely economic
point of view. When I got into the sport (1970) one could buy a competitive sailplane for about the cost of a 4-door family car ($10,000) Now days a competitive sailplane costs almost 5 times as much as the family car. Little wonder we can't attract new blood. JJ |
#249
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"John Sinclair" wrote in message ... I look at soaring's lack of groth from a purely economic point of view. When I got into the sport (1970) one could buy a competitive sailplane for about the cost of a 4-door family car ($10,000) Now days a competitive sailplane costs almost 5 times as much as the family car. Little wonder we can't attract new blood. JJ |
#250
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Hi JUJU,
In 1970 I was provided a company car, a Ford station wagon with all the bells on it for about $4200.00. At that time the Dollar was near par. Regards Udo "John Sinclair" wrote in message ... I look at soaring's lack of groth from a purely economic point of view. When I got into the sport (1970) one could buy a competitive sailplane for about the cost of a 4-door family car ($10,000) Now days a competitive sailplane costs almost 5 times as much as the family car. Little wonder we can't attract new blood. JJ |
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