5-BG wrote:
Perhaps your assessment re mag is right for many. Personally, the main tangible SSA benefit i receive is access to cut rate insurance through the group plan.

First of all, I am not a glider owner. I would be interested to see the stats on glider ownership for the SSA membership. When I was an exclusive glider pilot, I priced both the SSA and other plans. For the last few years that I flew gliders exclusively, renter's insurance through SSA was, in fact, cheaper. But now life is not so simple, I also fly powered, so SSA insurance won't "cut it". I get my renter's insurance through AOPA (good for both powered and gliders), and I would bet money that I am one of many SSA members that does.

by the way, Access to reasonable insurance impacts EVERYONE WHO FLYS.

True enough, but few people take such a selfless view that they would want to pay SSA dues exclusively to help SOMEONE ELSE get cheap insurance.

I suppose that there are members who no longer fly, but i would guess that their numbers are few.

I am not so sure about that. I would be willing to bet that there are many dues-paying SSA members that are not glider-current. Since we no longer have a glider operation in my area, I happen to be one of them at present.

Vaughn




"5-BG" 5-bghatesspam @ fake.com wrote in message ...
Vaughn;
Perhaps your assessment re mag is right for many. Personally, the main tangible SSA benefit i receive is access to cut rate insurance through the group plan. In my case this is worth about $500 per year. I checked. The discussions on safety, the instructor's corner, and classifieds ( in that order) are my reads. But to each his own.. SUSPENSION of the mag for a year may lose some members, but i really do not see any other place to come up with a chunk of money that large. An e-mail newsletter could be a substitute during the reorganization.
IMHO the mag is not viable as a stand alone commercial venture. Since it eats up roughly 50% of dues each year to produce and distribute ( say $30 to $35 per member) that would be the MINIMUM breakeven price for a subscription ASSUMING all members subscribed. not going to happen at that price.
by the way, Access to reasonable insurance impacts EVERYONE WHO FLYS. Not just those of us who own personal planes. Renter's insurance, club insurance and FBO insurance for gliders is a must for everyone. I suppose that there are members who no longer fly, but i would guess that their numbers are few.
"Vaughn Simon" wrote in message news 5-BG wrote:
It is possible to recover from the requirement to come up with $200,000 to $500,000 by eliminating the magazine expenses for about a year and reducing expenditures to the bone.

Actually not. I guarantee you, if the magazine stops going out, the dues will stop coming in. You can't have one without the other. Soaring magazine is the only tangable benefit of membership for most of us members. Take away the magazine and there is not only little reason to continue sending in dues, but you cut off the membership from regular communications with their organization (out of sight, out of mind).

For all of the complaints, I think that Soaring is an amazing magazine (considering the resources of the SSA). If the SSA goes away, I hope at least the magazine remains as a commercial venture.

Vaughn