Why is Soaring declining

Eric Greenwell wrote:
JJ Sinclair wrote:
Maybe they should offer a trial membership, something like


Good idea, Scott. I suggested that the SSA give a free 1 year
membership to all
newly licenced glider pilots. Nothing ever came of it.
JJ Sinclair

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe it's time to suggest it again - new
management, elected and appointed.
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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Any thoughts on rolling the SSA into the fold of the EAA, along with
it's Classic, Warbird, Vintage Aircraft divisions. Lots of members, two
conventions a year for exposure (Oshkosh, and Sun and Fun). Strong
lobbying power, and a world wide network. Just thoughts.

Any thoughts on rolling the SSA into the fold of the EAA, along with
it's Classic, Warbird, Vintage Aircraft divisions. Lots of members, two
conventions a year for exposure (Oshkosh, and Sun and Fun). Strong
lobbying power, and a world wide network. Just thoughts.


If so.. how about creating a third convention for us west coasters.. SnF and
Osh are a little far away..

BT

How about hosting a Nationals down there, Bert? Its
got to be a whole bunch better than that place a little
north of you. Have gone to 3 nationals 'up there' and
haven't seen anything worth the drive yet.
JJ

At 15:30 29 December 2004, Burt Compton wrote:
What decline? My commercial soaring operation is slowly
growing. Maybe it is
because of our good soaring location, good marketing,
good 'meet & greet', good
training, good equipment.

We ain't gettin' rich, but we realize that each customer/student/v
isiting pilot
is golden, brings in a few dollars, and so we show
them a good time.

Burt Compton
Marfa Gliders, west Texas
www.flygliders.com

Marfa will be hosting the 2006 World Class (PW-5) National Contest. It
will be perfect "first" contest for our small staff / small town(with
final SSA approval - due Feb 2005.)

Yes, the mountain scenery around the grasslands of the Marfa Plateau is
quite good. Marfa Airport is about 5,000' msl, so summer temperatures
are not as hot as the rest of the southwest. Cloudbases can go to
17,999' msl. For higher, we have an ATC wave window to 30,000'. We
fly year-round, primarily offering glider ratings (PVT to CFIG) in the
mild winter months. The annual Marfa Wave Camp will be March 19-26,
2005. Register (required) with Dick Johnson at

More Marfa info: www.flygliders.com
Burt Compton, CFIG, DPE
Marfa Gliders, west Texas

John Sinclair wrote:
How about hosting a Nationals down there, Bert? Its
got to be a whole bunch better than that place a little
north of you. Have gone to 3 nationals 'up there' and
haven't seen anything worth the drive yet.
JJ

At 15:30 29 December 2004, Burt Compton wrote:
What decline? My commercial soaring operation is slowly
growing. Maybe it is
because of our good soaring location, good marketing,
good 'meet & greet', good
training, good equipment.
Burt Compton
Marfa Gliders, west Texas
www.flygliders.com

In the 70's I got started with Duster kit that sold
for $2000 including trailer...........I paid $2000
for my first Cambridge GPS!

We would spend New Years at Calistoga and you could
hardly find a place to park.........................a
good 30 ships would be there, all common Joe's.

Out regionals at Minden would fill up (65) we can't
get 12 entrants now days from this region. Where did
they all go? I think they slowly dwindled away................cost
too much to stay competitive................flying
other than contests wasn't all that exciting or rewarding.........
.............Jobs, kids, 2 incomes required to keep
one's head above water..................you name it,
but I believe most of it in economic.

We are left with us die-hard old farts, flying expensive
toys and wondering where did everybody go?
:) JJ

So, while making the sport less $ expensive is a valid
and reasonable
argument ... I don't know if it will generate the desired
increase in
community

JJ,
You've got a really good point there.
Part of the problem I'm personally struggling with is cost effectiveness.
I've got a glider that's in the low 20's range and it's got long legs, and
it's a joy to fly. BUT, I'm lucky to be able to have 6 months useable
weather and that only on the week ends because there is no convenient
commercial operation. This year the week ends were out of phase with the
weather so flying was seriously curtailed.
The only avenue for competition is the sports class and those opportunities
seem few and far between these days.

A friend of mine is loaning me a Champ to fly.
I could buy one like it for less money than I have in the glider. I can use
it year round and I can take my wife, who is also a pilot. in it. She could
have the use of it too. It would cost me about the same to fly it , hanger
it , insure it and maintain it as the glider. I wouldn't have to belong to
club or have a membership in a national organization to get a reasonable
rate on my insurance and I could totally avoid the "Yacht Club Politics"
that seem to surface so readily in soaring activties both on the club and
national level. That and the less than welcoming attitude I have experienced
at the few recnt contests and conventions I have attended as a spectator.

Why do I still have a glider?
It has always been my first love and though I learned to fly in gliders, and
owned several different ships, it was out of reach for a period of time. I
still love flying gliders but the Champ and others like it are beginning to
have more luster.

Cheers!
"John Sinclair" wrote in message
...
In the 70's I got started with Duster kit that sold
for $2000 including trailer...........I paid $2000
for my first Cambridge GPS!

We would spend New Years at Calistoga and you could
hardly find a place to park.........................a
good 30 ships would be there, all common Joe's.

Out regionals at Minden would fill up (65) we can't
get 12 entrants now days from this region. Where did
they all go? I think they slowly dwindled away................cost
too much to stay competitive................flying
other than contests wasn't all that exciting or rewarding.........
............Jobs, kids, 2 incomes required to keep
one's head above water..................you name it,
but I believe most of it in economic.

We are left with us die-hard old farts, flying expensive
toys and wondering where did everybody go?
:) JJ

So, while making the sport less $ expensive is a valid
and reasonable
argument ... I don't know if it will generate the desired
increase in
community

"snoop" wrote in message
oups.com...
Eric Greenwell wrote:
JJ Sinclair wrote:
Maybe they should offer a trial membership, something like


Good idea, Scott. I suggested that the SSA give a free 1 year
membership to all
newly licenced glider pilots. Nothing ever came of it.
JJ Sinclair

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe it's time to suggest it again - new
management, elected and appointed.
--
-----
change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Any thoughts on rolling the SSA into the fold of the EAA, along with
it's Classic, Warbird, Vintage Aircraft divisions. Lots of members, two
conventions a year for exposure (Oshkosh, and Sun and Fun). Strong
lobbying power, and a world wide network. Just thoughts.

I'd rather merge with the HG and PG communities, at least they soar. I was
an EAA member for many years. It's enjoyable, educational, and interesting,
but so very different from the soaring community.

Frank Whiteley

Soaring is a sport with too much baggage.
It won't grow in America without some cultural
shift in the way we view ourselves. On whole
Americans are too selfish for the sport to work here.

If you want to do it "American Style",
you usually need a glider of your own, somewhere to
tow from with a tow plane and at least one other skilled person
(towpilot) available on your schedule. You will probably need
a crewman (wife usually) to sit on the ground reading a book
while you do your thing. The flying comes first in most cases.

If you go soaring "European style" it is usually at a club venue
off winches with a larger body of participants. The reasons
European clubs are more successful center around the social
aspects of their cultures and the fact the flying is important, but
there is a more communal spirit to soaring. It is a bit less about flying
and a bit more about belonging to a community.

I'm off my soapbox....

Scott in Texas.