SSA Convention - Memphis

wrote in message
oups.com...

And while we are on the subject of sacred cows, does the SSA really
need a hard-copy magazine?

Yes.

It is the only regular, tangible benefit of membership. Without it, I
would not even consider being an SSA member. I read about 1% of the online
"newsletters" available to me, but I am pretty good about reading my monthly
print magazines.

Vaughn

On Feb 14, 11:04 pm, "309" wrote:
Since Soaring is usually fairly distant from city centers (for obvious
reasons) and city centers draw more people/spectators (for silly
reasons), why not try to find a balance, with a soaring site (even if
it's a "limited" soaring site) within a few minutes of a "city
center?"

Tucson Soaring Club put on a convention back in 197? and we had all
day ops at the airport while to convention was in progress. Drive was
about 20 minutes between convention center and Ryan Field. I recall
an acro show with Pilatus and the American Eaglet doing a demo. Rest
of the time was just folks going up for a ride, so the target audience
was not exactly what we're talking about, but I also saw a few
seasoned pilots at the airport.

-Tom

Tim,

I heartily agree. I hope that your suggestions will bear fruit,
especially the last one about reestablishing the connection between
soaring and the rest of aviation by using an airport site in future.


Jack

--------------

Tim Mara wrote:

...change these to every two years.

...very little changes in Soaring over the course of one year.

The costs for vendors is very high...and that means higher
costs for our customers.

...more new and exciting products will be displayed and attendance
will certainly improve making these better events.

Now if we can only get the conventions moved to an airport or
soaring site...we can...have flying exhibits and shows, make these
inviting for [others] who then might become interested in soaring,
we could have on-site used glider sales...and start to put soaring
interest bacl into the hands of the members and businesses that
keep things rolling the other 362 days a year!

I would have gone this year, but I was in Europe.

What would really get me to go is if it was located somewhere where flying
was part of the program. In particular, I would be interested in doing some
hands on winch launching.

Mike Schumann

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Feb 13, 8:00 pm, "Richard" wrote:
I thought the displays, the gliders and the talks were excellent, but
as a vendor I was dissapointed with the attendence numbers.

The rumor was floating around that after the 2008 convention, the
Convention would be every two years.

Anyone have thoughts on this idea? Will the SSA publish the
attendence figures?

Richardwww.craggyaero.com

On Feb 11, 9:00 am, wrote:

As I was unable to attend, does anyone have an update on the SSA
convention? How did it all go? How was attendance? How were the
seminars and of course, was there any "breaking news" on new
equipment, software, sailplanes, etc?
Thanks - Renny Rozzoni

I've heard that as well. Too bad really, I enjoy seeing friends every
year.

IMO if they would lower the cost for the thing they would draw a lot
more people. That is the single biggest thing that holds me back.
Usually I am able to secure a free airplane ride to wherever the
convention is and crash in someones hotel room or a friends house.

The 50 dollar suppers are great to attend, but dang, 50 bucks is
usually what I budget for more than a weeks worth of eating, not one
meal. In the past, when astronauts have been speaking, ive swallowed
the cost. not this year.

-Broke College Kid, CFI




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

The frustrating thing is that the SSA doesn't even have pdf versions
on-line, so that those of us who don't keep our copies, can't go back and
look up old articles. As a first step, all new issues should be available
on-line as pdfs.

Mike Schumann

"Berry" wrote in message
...
In article .com,
wrote:

Annual Conventions are not helping to grow the sport....they consume
time, energy and money that the SSA could probably be used elsewhere.
No one is getting less busy these days, and soaring is time consuming
enough just trying to get out to the airport and commit aviation.
It's not as if there exists tremendous advances from one year to the
next. I know this has been batted around before, but I think the
sport could survive with a convention every 24 months.

And while we are on the subject of sacred cows, does the SSA really
need a hard-copy magazine? I get 95% percent of my information on
soaring online, and glancing over the mag does not hold the same
interest it once did. OLC, BlipMaps, RAS, the SSA website, the
various websites for clubs and national organizations, the Yahoo
Groups...all seem to prosper online, as well as commercial vendors.
Why is "Soaring" and exception to this?

I think the handwriting is on the wall. Most hardcopy publications are
going to go away in favor of electronic versions. SOARING will not be an
exception. I just don't think that day is yet at hand. Heck, the NY
Times says they may not be publishing hard copy in 5 years! I rather
doubt that, but that is the trend. At present though, I don't think we
are at the point of going totally electronic...yet. I too get the vast
majority of my information from electronic media, though I still
subscribe to my local daily fishwrapper and I still (irrationally) like
getting that copy of SOARING in the mail. Physical books and magazines
still hold some advantages over electronic media in ease of use,
portability, access, and longevity. I can read SOARING by candle light
when my rural electric co-op goes out (which it does a least twice a
month). The hard copy mag still arguably has some recruiting value as
well. Most of the electronic media related to soaring are aimed at those
of already in the know. The hardcopies of SOARING cluttering coffee
tables at FBO's are a good thing in that they grab an outsider's
attention and maybe encourage that person to try out soaring. Not that
an electronic version of SOARING could not be made yet more valuable as
a recruiting tool. But, that is already happening to an extent with the
great improvements in the SSA website.


Fly safely and have fun!

Wallace Berry



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Winch launching should be a standard feature at every such convention!

Mike Schumann

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
...
I agree with what Tim said.

However, it should be noted that not every member attends every
convention. I tend to go every three or four years and then only if it is
in the western US. If it were to be held bi-annually, this may mean that
I go only every five or six years. A risk is that with bi-annual
conventions, regions would step in and hold off-year affairs that vendors
might feel compelled to attend which would increase their business cost.
We need to be careful what we wish for.

I like one idea Tim proposed which is to locate conventions at glider
operations where fllight demonstrations are possible. If this could be an
inexpensive location in the central US, so much the better.

Bill Daniels


"Tim Mara" wrote in message
...
You're not alone in reporting a general lack of interest at this and for
that matter the past few conventions..
I made the suggestion to change these to every two years and heard the
same from several others at the last conventions I attended 3 and 4
years ago. Even at that time most of the vendors I spoke with were very
much in favor of this idea, the SSA was not since under the past
management (Management!!????) they saw the convention as the SSA's big
(only) event and fat cow....However the sweat equity, and most costs
don't fall on the SSA but on the vendors and members and though in past
history the local sponsoring clubs stood to make a decent profit from the
conventions, the SSA pretty much took this over and collected these funds
(who knows where these went since the SSA is essentially broke and
begging for more member and advertiser funds and costs...)
The fact remains though that very little changes in Soaring over the
course of one year. Few really new products, inventions or discoveries
need immediate attention....Talks and seminars tend to be last years
re-do's for the most part. Few of these are little more than a few
hocking their products and tend to be more late night infomercials than
comparisons or help sessions.
The costs for vendors is very high and most soaring vendors like
myself are small operators (I do 100% of everything here with no one to
leave behind to mind the store when I'm gone) The costs have to be made
up somewhere and that means higher costs for our customers somewhere down
the line which I would prefer not to do.
If conventions were done every other year vendors can do a better job
of their end, more new and exciting products will be displayed and
attendance will certainly improve making these better events.....
Now if we can only get the conventions moved to an airport or soaring
site away from the downtown convention centers we can really move ahead,
have flying exhibits and shows, make these inviting for outsiders who
then might become interested in saoring, we could have on site used
glider sales and even auctions (one of my really big ideas!) and start to
put soaring interest back into the hands of the members and businesses
that keep things rolling the other 362 days a year!
Tim
Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at www.wingsandwheels.com

"Richard" wrote in message
oups.com...
I thought the displays, the gliders and the talks were excellent, but
as a vendor I was dissapointed with the attendence numbers.

The rumor was floating around that after the 2008 convention, the
Convention would be every two years.

Anyone have thoughts on this idea? Will the SSA publish the
attendence figures?

Richard
www.craggyaero.com



On Feb 11, 9:00 am, wrote:
As I was unable to attend, does anyone have an update on the SSA
convention? How did it all go? How was attendance? How were the
seminars and of course, was there any "breaking news" on new
equipment, software, sailplanes, etc?
Thanks - Renny Rozzoni









--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

That might actually happen at Moriarty (Albuquerque) in '08. We need to get
a modern winch there.

Bill Daniels


"Mike Schumann" wrote in message
.. .
Winch launching should be a standard feature at every such convention!

Mike Schumann

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
...
I agree with what Tim said.

However, it should be noted that not every member attends every
convention. I tend to go every three or four years and then only if it is
in the western US. If it were to be held bi-annually, this may mean that
I go only every five or six years. A risk is that with bi-annual
conventions, regions would step in and hold off-year affairs that vendors
might feel compelled to attend which would increase their business cost.
We need to be careful what we wish for.

I like one idea Tim proposed which is to locate conventions at glider
operations where fllight demonstrations are possible. If this could be
an inexpensive location in the central US, so much the better.

Bill Daniels


"Tim Mara" wrote in message
...
You're not alone in reporting a general lack of interest at this and for
that matter the past few conventions..
I made the suggestion to change these to every two years and heard
the same from several others at the last conventions I attended 3 and 4
years ago. Even at that time most of the vendors I spoke with were very
much in favor of this idea, the SSA was not since under the past
management (Management!!????) they saw the convention as the SSA's big
(only) event and fat cow....However the sweat equity, and most costs
don't fall on the SSA but on the vendors and members and though in past
history the local sponsoring clubs stood to make a decent profit from
the conventions, the SSA pretty much took this over and collected these
funds (who knows where these went since the SSA is essentially broke and
begging for more member and advertiser funds and costs...)
The fact remains though that very little changes in Soaring over the
course of one year. Few really new products, inventions or discoveries
need immediate attention....Talks and seminars tend to be last years
re-do's for the most part. Few of these are little more than a few
hocking their products and tend to be more late night infomercials than
comparisons or help sessions.
The costs for vendors is very high and most soaring vendors like
myself are small operators (I do 100% of everything here with no one to
leave behind to mind the store when I'm gone) The costs have to be made
up somewhere and that means higher costs for our customers somewhere
down the line which I would prefer not to do.
If conventions were done every other year vendors can do a better job
of their end, more new and exciting products will be displayed and
attendance will certainly improve making these better events.....
Now if we can only get the conventions moved to an airport or soaring
site away from the downtown convention centers we can really move ahead,
have flying exhibits and shows, make these inviting for outsiders who
then might become interested in saoring, we could have on site used
glider sales and even auctions (one of my really big ideas!) and start
to put soaring interest back into the hands of the members and
businesses that keep things rolling the other 362 days a year!
Tim
Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at www.wingsandwheels.com

"Richard" wrote in message
oups.com...
I thought the displays, the gliders and the talks were excellent, but
as a vendor I was dissapointed with the attendence numbers.

The rumor was floating around that after the 2008 convention, the
Convention would be every two years.

Anyone have thoughts on this idea? Will the SSA publish the
attendence figures?

Richard
www.craggyaero.com



On Feb 11, 9:00 am, wrote:
As I was unable to attend, does anyone have an update on the SSA
convention? How did it all go? How was attendance? How were the
seminars and of course, was there any "breaking news" on new
equipment, software, sailplanes, etc?
Thanks - Renny Rozzoni









--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Will it be in Albuquerque (Why don't we just call it
Whitechurch) or in Moriarty? I'd sure like to see
the H125-Integrale winch in operation; My club might
buy one!

At 20:24 16 February 2007, Bill Daniels wrote:
That might actually happen at Moriarty (Albuquerque)
in '08. We need to get
a modern winch there.

Bill Daniels


'Mike Schumann' wrote in message
. ..
Winch launching should be a standard feature at every
such convention!

Mike Schumann

'Bill Daniels' wrote in message
...
I agree with what Tim said.

However, it should be noted that not every member
attends every
convention. I tend to go every three or four years
and then only if it is
in the western US. If it were to be held bi-annually,
this may mean that
I go only every five or six years. A risk is that
with bi-annual
conventions, regions would step in and hold off-year
affairs that vendors
might feel compelled to attend which would increase
their business cost.
We need to be careful what we wish for.

I like one idea Tim proposed which is to locate conventions
at glider
operations where fllight demonstrations are possible.
If this could be
an inexpensive location in the central US, so much
the better.

Bill Daniels


'Tim Mara' wrote in message
...
You're not alone in reporting a general lack of interest
at this and for
that matter the past few conventions..
I made the suggestion to change these to every
two years and heard
the same from several others at the last conventions
I attended 3 and 4
years ago. Even at that time most of the vendors I
spoke with were very
much in favor of this idea, the SSA was not since
under the past
management (Management!!????) they saw the convention
as the SSA's big
(only) event and fat cow....However the sweat equity,
and most costs
don't fall on the SSA but on the vendors and members
and though in past
history the local sponsoring clubs stood to make a
decent profit from
the conventions, the SSA pretty much took this over
and collected these
funds (who knows where these went since the SSA is
essentially broke and
begging for more member and advertiser funds and costs...)
The fact remains though that very little changes
in Soaring over the
course of one year. Few really new products, inventions
or discoveries
need immediate attention....Talks and seminars tend
to be last years
re-do's for the most part. Few of these are little
more than a few
hocking their products and tend to be more late night
infomercials than
comparisons or help sessions.
The costs for vendors is very high and most soaring
vendors like
myself are small operators (I do 100% of everything
here with no one to
leave behind to mind the store when I'm gone) The
costs have to be made
up somewhere and that means higher costs for our customers
somewhere
down the line which I would prefer not to do.
If conventions were done every other year vendors
can do a better job
of their end, more new and exciting products will
be displayed and
attendance will certainly improve making these better
events.....
Now if we can only get the conventions moved to
an airport or soaring
site away from the downtown convention centers we
can really move ahead,
have flying exhibits and shows, make these inviting
for outsiders who
then might become interested in saoring, we could
have on site used
glider sales and even auctions (one of my really big
ideas!) and start
to put soaring interest back into the hands of the
members and
businesses that keep things rolling the other 362
days a year!
Tim
Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at www.wingsandwheels.com


'Richard' wrote in message
oups.com...
I thought the displays, the gliders and the talks were
excellent, but
as a vendor I was dissapointed with the attendence
numbers.

The rumor was floating around that after the 2008
convention, the
Convention would be every two years.

Anyone have thoughts on this idea? Will the SSA publish
the
attendence figures?

Richard
www.craggyaero.com



On Feb 11, 9:00 am, wrote:
As I was unable to attend, does anyone have an
update on the SSA
convention? How did it all go? How was attendance?
How were the
seminars and of course, was there any 'breaking
news' on new
equipment, software, sailplanes, etc?
Thanks - Renny Rozzoni









--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Even an older, well maintained, safe winch would be a huge plus.

Mike Schumann

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
. ..
That might actually happen at Moriarty (Albuquerque) in '08. We need to
get a modern winch there.

Bill Daniels


"Mike Schumann" wrote in message
.. .
Winch launching should be a standard feature at every such convention!

Mike Schumann

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
...
I agree with what Tim said.

However, it should be noted that not every member attends every
convention. I tend to go every three or four years and then only if it
is in the western US. If it were to be held bi-annually, this may mean
that I go only every five or six years. A risk is that with bi-annual
conventions, regions would step in and hold off-year affairs that
vendors might feel compelled to attend which would increase their
business cost. We need to be careful what we wish for.

I like one idea Tim proposed which is to locate conventions at glider
operations where fllight demonstrations are possible. If this could be
an inexpensive location in the central US, so much the better.

Bill Daniels


"Tim Mara" wrote in message
...
You're not alone in reporting a general lack of interest at this and
for that matter the past few conventions..
I made the suggestion to change these to every two years and heard
the same from several others at the last conventions I attended 3 and
4 years ago. Even at that time most of the vendors I spoke with were
very much in favor of this idea, the SSA was not since under the past
management (Management!!????) they saw the convention as the SSA's big
(only) event and fat cow....However the sweat equity, and most costs
don't fall on the SSA but on the vendors and members and though in past
history the local sponsoring clubs stood to make a decent profit from
the conventions, the SSA pretty much took this over and collected these
funds (who knows where these went since the SSA is essentially broke
and begging for more member and advertiser funds and costs...)
The fact remains though that very little changes in Soaring over the
course of one year. Few really new products, inventions or discoveries
need immediate attention....Talks and seminars tend to be last years
re-do's for the most part. Few of these are little more than a few
hocking their products and tend to be more late night infomercials than
comparisons or help sessions.
The costs for vendors is very high and most soaring vendors like
myself are small operators (I do 100% of everything here with no one to
leave behind to mind the store when I'm gone) The costs have to be made
up somewhere and that means higher costs for our customers somewhere
down the line which I would prefer not to do.
If conventions were done every other year vendors can do a better
job of their end, more new and exciting products will be displayed and
attendance will certainly improve making these better events.....
Now if we can only get the conventions moved to an airport or
soaring site away from the downtown convention centers we can really
move ahead, have flying exhibits and shows, make these inviting for
outsiders who then might become interested in saoring, we could have on
site used glider sales and even auctions (one of my really big ideas!)
and start to put soaring interest back into the hands of the members
and businesses that keep things rolling the other 362 days a year!
Tim
Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at www.wingsandwheels.com

"Richard" wrote in message
oups.com...
I thought the displays, the gliders and the talks were excellent, but
as a vendor I was dissapointed with the attendence numbers.

The rumor was floating around that after the 2008 convention, the
Convention would be every two years.

Anyone have thoughts on this idea? Will the SSA publish the
attendence figures?

Richard
www.craggyaero.com



On Feb 11, 9:00 am, wrote:
As I was unable to attend, does anyone have an update on the SSA
convention? How did it all go? How was attendance? How were the
seminars and of course, was there any "breaking news" on new
equipment, software, sailplanes, etc?
Thanks - Renny Rozzoni









--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com






--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Would the FBO's at Moriarity agree to a winch demo?
I certainly would go
to Moriarity to see winch and auto pulley tow demonstrations
as well as the
soaring museum. It would be interesting to see a maximum
length winch
and auto tow demonstration with multiple launches.
I would also be
interested in attending a panel discussion about the
merits of auto pulley,
winch and aero tow for club and commercial operations.
If the weather is
right a 5 or 10 glider launch could be followed by
low high-speed passes
and pull ups by the people who advocate doing them.
;-)