On Sunday, October 26, 2014 10:27:59 AM UTC-4, Nick Kennedy wrote:
http://www.xcbrasil.com.br/flight/115498

IMHO the SSA should be putting more effort into "headhunting" these guys into our sport. They know how to fly, they know weather, they want to go soaring and XC.

At Nephi during the OLC event this year Bruno got all the 750 km + pilots up for a photo, I believe 7 of the 10 were past HG pilots.

One hurtle to get some of these guys is the greatly increased cost associated with Soaring.


That said, there are a ton of accomplished HG and PG pilots out there that have cycled out of those sports for various reasons, and at the top of that list for many of those guys is the accident rate. That is why I left. The foot launch and foot landing can be brutal. And then there is the tailless flight "tumbling" issue.

I would like to try a concentrated effort to contact and mentor these guys for a few years and see if it is productive. It may be worthwhile to help both the general membership numbers and the contest participation numbers.
Nick

Boating around in a jelly fish that can collapse in the slightest bit of rough air does not strike me as aviation. This is the stats for the USHPA magazine:

Reader Demographics
Total Magazine Circulation 8,951
Average Age 46
Average Salary $82,000
Gender Male 91.1%
Female 8.9%
College Graduates 72%
Married* 55%
Advanced Pilot Rating 3,268
Hang Glider Pilots 4,057
Paraglider Pilots 3,968
Both 926