Dan G wrote:

Mel, from my experience, selling vouchers and getting new people on the
airfield isn't the problem when it comes to membership. It's convincing
them to spend six hours a day at the field for just three flights on an
on-going basis that's the problem!

Absolutely. A quick glance at the statistics in S&G will show that
gliding attracts plenty of people - and then loses them again. Even
though many customers have no intention of taking more than the trial
lesson (not a joyride. dear me not a joyride. certainly not a joyride.
a nice, legal, trial lesson), the attrition rate for those who do join
is dreadful.

And I am afraid that's down to clubs and members, many of whom think
that learning to glide is a) a good trial of character and b) a source
of unpaid ground labour for private owners. Let's face it, learning to
glide - or trying to learn to glide - can be a miserable experience.

Ian