Nick that's reasonably true. In my early days (late '60s for me!) ALL of us running the club were under 30 and that was President, CFI, Treasurer and Secretary and we went to the State Bank with securities from one or 2 older people and borrowed all the money for a new Libelle. Three of those 4 are still gliding and that's not including myself. As people that know me I have always said we should tax all over 50 pilots who want to learn to fly and that money goes back to the under 20's. At Keepit I used to dread the 50 year old with money and no natural ability. My most recent explosion was when I saw the photos of the 74 year old Dutch, ASK13 pilot in the trees.
In more recent days we have a number of young people learning but they are in for about one hour then off to another activity or work. I find the best students are those that earn their own flying fees rather than the ones that have parents or grand parents pay. One good student that comes to mind said Coles-Myers paid for him to learn gliding. What our club does we have virtually no membership fee but they pay for their flying. Once solo we put a worthwhile amount of money back into their flying account which helps them continue after solo and would normally get them to about C standard. They drift away as they go off to uni etc but I would be hopeful they may return later in life. Gone are the days that young kids (and others for that matter) will sit around all day for their one flight with a flight later maybe. At least with a motor glider you can come for your 1 hr or 1 1/2 hr slot of flying and get your flying on time and get the full session and make progress. If strong winds are forecast later in day then you can start flying 7am and fly in calm conditions. In '80s and early 90's I have probably sent several hundred people solo with hybrid courses of 16 winches and 16 aerotows and in the hey days can remember doing over 80 Pawnee tows a day (Friday) with 2 two seaters. That was hard work for all concerned I can assure you bye Ian McPhee Box 657 Byron Bay NSW 2481 Australia Tel +61 (0)2 66 847 642 Mob +61 (0)428 847 642 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nick Gilbert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2003 8:51 PM Subject: Re: [aus-soaring] Fwd: Winners - 3rd FAI World Junior Gliding Championship > Something that I have raised in the past is fostering pilots that are young, > mature, & competent, with the view of making them instructors. If a young > person starts spending time around a club (ie. learning to glide), and there > is a good chance that at least some of the instruction will be carried out > by someone of the same or similar generation then the gliding becomes only a > component of the attraction, not the be-all end-all. Very few people of my > age (27) and younger would be willing to spend considerable amounts of time > at gliding clubs surrounded exclusively by OFITTH's. Youth breeds youth in > this case. I personally think that (as with most things in life) first > impressions are everything. Most of us who have found our niche in the sport > (ie. cross country, instructing, aerobatics....) only did so after getting > through the initial stages with enough interest to make us want to come back > next time. Then when we are pilots in our own right, we can find our place. > > I think that for a lot of young people, learning to glide alone is not > enough for them. They need to social interaction with like-minded people as > well. > > My 2c. > > > Nick. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "rolf a. buelter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2003 7:32 PM > Subject: Re: [aus-soaring] Fwd: Winners - 3rd FAI World Junior Gliding > Championship > > > > In part the german success is based on ancient history. Up to the 70s > > significant subsidies could be obtained by clubs having an active youth > > group. It reequired to have a structure within the club that had, at the > > very least on paper, a quite autonomous youth group. The youth group for > > example could own a glider financed by state and federal subsidies. The > > glider could be flown by all Club members. The culture still persists, > > evnthough somewhat weaker. The German Aeroclub continues to try and > promote > > the youth group concept. (Most) Australian clubs dont cater for students > in > > the 15 to 25 age bracket. The rule are offitth's and I don't mean that > > disrespctfull, am one myself I guess. A kid of 18 or so feels awfully out > of > > place on most aerodromes and I don't believe the GFA could or should > adress > > that, it is up to the Clubs to create an atmosphere which caters for the > > youngsters. With most of the membership above 40 that is close to > > impossible. Solutions? Gues Andrew's example is a good one. Go into the > > schools, into the universities. Most of the successfull German pilots come > > out of that environment. > > Rolf - WQF > > > > >From: "Jason Armistead" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >Subject: Re: [aus-soaring] Fwd: Winners - 3rd FAI World Junior Gliding > > >Championship > > >Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 11:51:12 +1000 > > > > > >Peter > > > > > >I'm sure we'd all love to know the secret of the British and German > > >successes > > >in promoting junior soaring. If anyone finds out what they do so right, > > >let > > >us all know ! > > > > > >Probably a lot of it comes down to accessibility. > > > > > >Take Sydney with just over 4.2 million people. > > > > > >To get to Camden by CAR for many of that number it takes between an hour > > >and > > >an hour and a half (for major population centres on the North side, > Eastern > > >Suburbs, Parammatta, Penrith, etc. > > > > > >Train journeys are problematic because the closest station is > Campbelltown > > >(allow for a 1 hour journey from Nth/East/Central suburbs, and up to > double > > >that for Western or Southern lines where you must change trains). Then > > >there's a 15-20 minute taxi ride (read $$$) or an infrequent bus network > > >(once an hour on weekends) and then you still need to get from the bus > stop > > >in Camden to the airport (more hassles) > > > > > >In the UK, there's 60 million people sharing a land area of circa 241,000 > > >sq > > >kms. There are around 100 clubs in a tiny little area (compared to even > > >NSW). > > > > > >I'm sure Germany is similar to the UK in terms of population, land area, > > >and > > >proximity to gliding clubs. > > > > > >Now Australia has only 19.6 million people sharing a land area of 7.6 > > >MILLION > > >square kms. There's just 88 gliding clubs covering this great land of > ours > > >(and doing a quick estimation or two says that the average number of > > >members > > >is less than 30). > > > > > >I think we'll never be able to match the UK or Germany for this reason. > > > > > >On the subject of statistics, demographics and all that jazz, a quick > look > > >at > > >my club membership database shows me that: > > > > > >We have just 4 student members (17, 17, 19 and 21) > > > > > >For Full Flying and still flying Life members (NOT including students > shown > > >above) > > > > > >We have just 4 under-30s > > >Then 10 between 30-39 > > >Then 29 between 40 and 49 > > >Then 26 between 50 and 59 > > >Then 22 between 60 and 69 > > >Then 8 aged over 70 > > > > > >In other words, we have an enormous difficulty attracting (and more > > >importantly keeping) members in the younger age bracket, even though our > > >current probationary membership figures shows that 75% of them are aged > > >between 25 and 45. > > > > > >Comments / comparisons anyone ? > > > > > >Cheers > > > > > >Jason Armistead > > >Southern Cross Gliding Club > > >Camden, NSW > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Hotmail is now available on Australian mobile phones. Go to > > http://ninemsn.com.au/mobilecentral/signup.asp > > > > > > -- > > * You are subscribed to the aus-soaring mailing list. > > * To Unsubscribe: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > * with "unsubscribe aus-soaring" in the body of the message > > * or with "help" in the body of the message for more information. > > > > > -- > * You are subscribed to the aus-soaring mailing list. > * To Unsubscribe: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > * with "unsubscribe aus-soaring" in the body of the message > * or with "help" in the body of the message for more information. > > > -- > * You are subscribed to the aus-soaring mailing list. > * To Unsubscribe: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > * with "unsubscribe aus-soaring" in the body of the message > * or with "help" in the body of the message for more information. > -- * You are subscribed to the aus-soaring mailing list. * To Unsubscribe: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] * with "unsubscribe aus-soaring" in the body of the message * or with "help" in the body of the message for more information.
