50,000 Power Pilots

50,000 power pilots read COPA FLIGHT, the journal of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, every month. The May issue, which is being mailed at present, has a stunning colour photo of a Duo Discus from Glide Omarama on the first page, - above the fold, as a teaser to an article that starts on the first page of Section B about my recent pilgrimage to Omarama New Zealand.

I submitted this to COPA with the objective to induce these power pilots to rethink their prejudicial stereotype image of gliding. The strategy is to feature in the lead a real pilot's pilot, Marty, with a compelling hangar flying anecdote, who logged 2,000 hours in fighters and now owns a Turbine Legend (if you don't know what that is do Google it). Marty took a couple of conversion flights in a Twin Grob, (that's after his first glider flight when his F-104 Starfighter became a glider after the engine pooched), and then flew with Gavin himself for a four hour flight touring the Mt. Cook area; he proclaimed it the best flight of his life.

I hope some of these readers will be motivated to give gliding a try. At my club, we have one member who read a series of three articles on gliding in this publication, and was inspired to sell his Super Cub and get a glider rating.

This publication was very receptive to an article on gliding. I suggest that those of you in other countries try something like this as well.

You can see a copy of this article at:

https://www.dropbox.com/home?preview...y2015+LITE.pdf