What percentage of USA glider pilots compete?

I'm curious to know if anyone knows what percentage of USA based glider
pilots fly in official contests (less formal individual club contests
are less interesting to me). If I were to use my personal contacts (the
pilots I fly with), I'd put the number around 10-15% but given the
amount of coverage given to competitions, I'm starting to wonder if
that's anywhere close to being accurate.

Jeremy
HpH 304C #62

Jeremy Zawodny wrote:
I'm curious to know if anyone knows what percentage of USA based glider
pilots fly in official contests (less formal individual club contests
are less interesting to me). If I were to use my personal contacts (the
pilots I fly with), I'd put the number around 10-15% but given the
amount of coverage given to competitions, I'm starting to wonder if
that's anywhere close to being accurate.

Jeremy
HpH 304C #62

Do you mean "compete", or "fly in contests" ?
Best Regards, Dave "YO" ;-)

PS: Remember that competition drives the glider technology and
the used ships available to the market...

wrote:
Jeremy Zawodny wrote:
I'm curious to know if anyone knows what percentage of USA based glider
pilots fly in official contests (less formal individual club contests
are less interesting to me). If I were to use my personal contacts (the
pilots I fly with), I'd put the number around 10-15% but given the
amount of coverage given to competitions, I'm starting to wonder if
that's anywhere close to being accurate.

Jeremy
HpH 304C #62

Do you mean "compete", or "fly in contests" ?

Good point. :-) Just because one flies in a contest does not mean he's
competitive, I guess.


PS: Remember that competition drives the glider technology and
the used ships available to the market...

The same has been true for gaming and the personal computer industry for
a long time.

FWIW, I'm not trying to dispute the validity of that coverage or
discourage anyone from documenting contests, I'm simply trying to find
the reality behind it.

Jeremy

Jeremy Zawodny wrote:
FWIW, I'm not trying to dispute the validity of that coverage or
discourage anyone from documenting contests, I'm simply trying to find
the reality behind it.

Udo already provided half of the answer (592 pilots/teams have
participated in at least one SSA sanctioned contest in the past 3
years). Now all you need to do is figure out how many active glider
pilots there are in the US...

Marc

I have no factual data, but this is r.a.s. afterall!

The number I keep hearing is about 10-15 thousand.

Why is it important to know the percentage?

To quote from (IIRC) Morris Garage (MG) "Competition improves the breed!"
Flying technique and Technology benefit.

--
Hartley Falbaum
DG800B "KF" USA




"Marc Ramsey" wrote in message
...
Jeremy Zawodny wrote:
FWIW, I'm not trying to dispute the validity of that coverage or
discourage anyone from documenting contests, I'm simply trying to find
the reality behind it.

Udo already provided half of the answer (592 pilots/teams have
participated in at least one SSA sanctioned contest in the past 3 years).
Now all you need to do is figure out how many active glider pilots there
are in the US...

Marc

On Mar 28, 2:38 pm, "HL Falbaum" wrote:
To quote from (IIRC) Morris Garage (MG) "Competition improves the breed!"

Improved so much that what happened ?
Hint: Check the past day's news for a reminder...

HL Falbaum wrote:
I have no factual data, but this is r.a.s. afterall!

The number I keep hearing is about 10-15 thousand.

Why is it important to know the percentage?

It is not important.

Jeremy

On Mar 28, 2:13 pm, Marc Ramsey wrote:
Jeremy Zawodny wrote:
FWIW, I'm not trying to dispute the validity of that coverage or
discourage anyone from documenting contests, I'm simply trying to find
the reality behind it.

Udo already provided half of the answer (592 pilots/teams have
participated in at least one SSA sanctioned contest in the past 3
years). Now all you need to do is figure out how many active glider
pilots there are in the US...

Marc

The soaring safety foundation website claims 12,512 SSA members in
2005.

Which gives 4.7 % of SSA members competed in the last 3 years.

Now how many of those members were active ?

Todd Smith
3S

toad wrote:
On Mar 28, 2:13 pm, Marc Ramsey wrote:
The soaring safety foundation website claims 12,512 SSA members in
2005.

Which gives 4.7 % of SSA members competed in the last 3 years.

Now how many of those members were active ?

Got it. For reasons I cannot justify, I'd make the wild-ass assumption
that 30-40% of them are inactive.

Jeremy

On Mar 28, 12:54 pm, wrote:
Jeremy Zawodny wrote:
I'm curious to know if anyone knows what percentage of USA based glider
pilots fly in official contests (less formal individual club contests
are less interesting to me). If I were to use my personal contacts (the
pilots I fly with), I'd put the number around 10-15% but given the
amount of coverage given to competitions, I'm starting to wonder if
that's anywhere close to being accurate.

Jeremy
HpH 304C #62

Do you mean "compete", or "fly in contests" ?
Best Regards, Dave "YO" ;-)

PS: Remember that competition drives the glider technology and
the used ships available to the market...

Excellent Point Dave. You get guys like me, with state of the art
gliders, and top notch piloting skills. Better watch out at the
Region 7 Sports Class. Im going to put big Slow Moving Vehicle Orange
triangles on the rudders and then fly in a sideslip the whole time so
that you can see me way out in front. If your battery dies and you
have to land out Ill come get you dont worry

And of course you get these yahoos with 25:1 antique wood and fabric
ships who are crazy enough to sign up for a contest while only hoping
to get their silver badge in the next few months. Not gonna be
competitive, but I suppose they'll have fun.