On May 28, 9:05*pm, Tim Taylor wrote:
On May 28, 8:43*pm, Bill D wrote:









On May 28, 7:38*pm, wrote:

On Monday, May 28, 2012 2:31:23 PM UTC-4, Tim Taylor wrote:
On May 27, 3:11*pm, Bill D wrote:
On May 27, 1:40*pm, John Cochrane
wrote:

On May 27, 10:21*am, Bill D wrote:

On May 27, 7:31*am, John Cochrane
wrote:

On May 26, 4:10*pm, Bill D wrote:

The result is small, may be a fluke and it's too soon for the
LetsGoGliding campaign to claim credit but, since February, SSA
membership has grown at least 50 members every month with 74 new
members in April which represents a reversal of the long term downward
trend.

The number of bumper stickers and trailer graphics on the road is
still small. However, if they are part of the reason for growth, it
means more of them will work even better. *PLEASE, please, put them on
your trailer and car. *There are other aspects of LGG but it's the one
thing you can to to help.

If the trend holds for another couple of months, it's time to be
thinking of new trainers - the Euro is falling.

Bill Daniels
SSA Growth and Development Committee Chairman

This is great news.
The SSA typically gains 20% new members every year and loses 22%.
Let's all be nice to the newcomers and see if we can get more of them
to stick!
John Cochrane

John, that's going to be the hard part.

But it is the crucial part. In fact, we get a lot of people in the
front door. But if 1:10 rides take a lesson, 1:10 lessons get a
license, 1:10 licenses fly cross country, and 1:10 of those are still
with us in 5 years, we're lucky.
I am all for the SSA's new growth programs. But I do think we need to
add some keep efforts.
John Cochrane

Yes, John, retention is absolutely critical.

If you have some ideas, we'd like to hear them.

Form a task force and develop a reasonable cost solution to the Blanik
AD that is acceptable to the FAA. *This would jump start instruction
all over the US immediately.

I think the Blanik owners should form a type club and seek a solution of their own. *Aircraft from Bonanzas to T34's have done just this and created solutions. *The SSA consists of volunteers and a few paid staff members in Hobbs. *The SSA appears hardly equipped to engineer a solution with even the best of "task force committees". *Why is there no volunteer in the Blanik community uniting you guys?

Lane
XF

I agree with Lane. *I would also suggest being realistic with your
expectations. *The fix, if there ever is one, may be just too
expensive for the old L-13. *The Bonanza's and T-34's were valuable
airplanes whose resale value could cover the cost of fixing them.
It's pretty hard to see that happening with a $10,000 glider. *In the
long run, it may be better to direct your energy and finances toward
buying a new glider.

Bill,

Your opinion has been known from the beginning. You are sadly out of
touch with the majority of small clubs that have been essentially
grounded by this AD. *I know many operations that have been shut down
for the last two years. *Maybe you belong to a club with great
resources, but many small clubs can not support the debt load required
for a new trainer. *While you precieve this to be the owners problem,
we looked to the SSA for leadership and essentially found none. *This
has been one of the greatest failures of the SSA to date. *I have
spoken to all levels of the administration and found a total lack of
leadership from our organization.

I am serious that if the SSA is serious about growing the sport and
number of pilots it will provide the leadership and influence to find
a viable solution to this problem.

No, Tim, I'm very much in touch with the L-13 problem. We have club
just down the airfield with just one grounded Blanik. They're
everywhere. It's a very sad thing to see. Like you, I feel the
frustration. Solving the trainer shortage brought on by the grounding
is right at the top of the LGG proposal.

Despite your allegations, SSA Director Steve Northcraft has spent many
months doing a heroic job on the L-13 problem. Steve is an Aerospace
engineer with much experience in aero structures and many contacts at
the FAA. I can't think of anyone better qualified to work the issue.
There will most likely be a fix eventually but the cost is probably
not going to be what people are hoping for. (I hope I'm wrong about
that.) Please try not to shoot the messenger.