"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
news:cm8kc.15438$Rd4.1082651@attbi_s51...
The airline marketing departments have unintentionally helped create this
problem by creating a "superman" aura around their pilots. By inference,
their message says all other pilots have lesser skills and it would be
folly
for mere mortals to attempt flight by their own hand.

.. Not everyone can learn to fly. The difficult part is to light a
spark in those that can learn.

I have long suspected that PC based Flight Simulators might be a key since
they are such a successful product. Most of these simulators are open
systems to the degree that new 'aircraft' can be designed for them.
Unfortunately, there is a dearth of really good simulated gliders.

There are a lot of really good computer people in this sport. If they
built
some great simulated gliders that could be downloaded free from soaring
web
sites along with a pitch that the real experience is available at their
local gliderport, we might see small but steady stream of real talent
showing up for lessons.

For those just taking rides, handing them a CD with flight sim 'gliders'
that matched what they just rode in might be a pretty good marketing tool
too.

Bill Daniels

.The flight simulator game is a great idea. Eithe a disk at the end of a
demo ride or downloadable from the internet. If a the SSA wanted to make
their web site really useful, maybe we could start an underground , web
based "soaring simulator cult" by "underground" or shreware type marketing
on the web by licensing one of the better simulator games for free download.
Maybe a two tier system with the second and better game on the disk you get
at the end of your demo ride. This might generate an extra bit of business
for the commercial operators and some new members (revenue stream) for the
clubs. Then there might be some demand for instructors as well.
Cheers!, Pete