"Stewart Kissel" wrote in
message ...
http://www.glidingmagazine.com/Featu...cle.asp?id=400

The current issue of Soaring had an interesting article
by Chris Woods about this topic. When attempting to
describe soaring I use the analogy of comparing sailboats
to motorboats, not sure how accurate this is but it
seems to occasionaly work. Anyone have other non-Pez
techniques to describe what we do?


Up until the late 1960's, soaring was described as an "Art, Science, and
Sport". I always liked that.

You could explain that much of what we do is an art that it is difficult to
reduce to scientific rules and it certainly has esthetic appeal. But yet,
it is also a technical activity that involves meteorology, aerodynamics, and
to an ever greater degree, computers - therefore it is also a science.
Unlike other relatively low cost aviation activities, gliders can compete in
closely contested races - a spectacular sport.

I've had pretty good luck with that pitch.

Bill Daniels