Volume 37 No 1 Feb-Mar 1986.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

Levels of Servioe membership in RAFGSA
clubs have been a matter ·for some concern in
recent years·. There have been frequent complaints
about the difficl,l~Y of recruiting young
Servicemen into the gliding movement, and of
then retaining them. It is gener'ally felt thal the
average age of RAFGSA members is increasing,
and that the pyramid of experience is becoming
distorted, with experienced soaring pilots outnumbering
8o-initjos. Trends such as these, if
substantiated, would have serious implications
for the future functioning of the Association and
it is therefore important to establish a soond factual
basis for management decisions.
Available statistics have been examined in an
attempt to ident~y recent trends in ·the size and
structure of RAFGSA membership, determine
"kely causes for these trends and point out their
possible consequences.
Tme aim of Ihis paper is to identily ways in
which any undesirable trends in the membership
of the RAFGSA can be reverSed.
Size and structure of
RAFGSA membership
Ab-Initio training
_
_
Total strength. Over the last 15 years, total
RAFGSA membership has remained broadly in
the 1100 t@ 1400 range. Sudden changes mave
usually been attributable to the closure or opening,
ofa club. The last reported total membership
figure (February 1984) was 1291, which is
entirely ,in line with the average historical figure.
There is therefore not yet any clearly identifiable
declining trend in total membership.
Ab-lnlUo membership. Reported ab-initio
membership levels have varied historically in
the range 100 to 400. Again, there is no clear
downward trend. The last reported figure was
299 (February 198'4). However, it is clear that
there is a large discrepancy between the presolo
figures reported and the numbers actively
under training.
Experienced membership. There appears to
be some statistical substance in the notion that
experience levels are increasing. Whereas ten
years ago, twice as many unqualified solo pilots
were reported as pilots with Silver C or better,
the proportions are now reversed. There is no
doubt that gliders with better performance make
it easier for inexperienced pilots to obtain certificates,'
but there does appear to be a clear
centre of gravity shift towards the experienced
end of the spectrum.
First solos. This impression is strongly reinforced
by the figures for first solos - RAFGSA
produced fewer lhan .half as many new solo
pilots In 1983 (102) as in 1973 (234). In 1978 the
then Air Member (Fit Lt John Williamson) drew
allention to the RAFGSA's declining productivity
and called fOl' the trend to. be reversed. Far from
this happening, the decline has continUed
unchecked.
Just oiler half the clubs said they had some
difficulty in recruiting Servicemen, but more
reported problems in retaining them. Eight out of
ten clubs ident~ied tile pre-solo stage as being
the period when most members left.
RAF G IDING
IRENDS
The RAFGSA has been aware of certain trends In their
movement which have been a cause for concern. These tre.nds
are a mirror Image of those Within the civilian movement that
have beE:n a cause for discussion In recent months. However,
their suggested soluttons are In some Instances radically
different and this precis of Sq ldr Max Bishop's paper by John
Holland, chairman of the BGA Development Committee,
should provide much food for thought and discussion.
When asked how long it Ilad taken for recent
pilots to go solo from starting training, clubs
reported, periods ranging from 21j~ weeks tQ 13
months. The average 'period was 16 weeks.
Assuming 64 launches as average needed for
solo, this works out an average of four
launches/week. Clearly, there is much scope for
making ab-initio training more intensive.
Causes ot pre-sofo 'Wastage ...
Club managers were asked to assign a
degree of Importance to each of a number of
factors commonly dted as being responsible for
~he AAFGSA's failure to retain new members.
Their answers revealed the following perceived
order of importance:
a. Alternative attractions
b. Family COlllmitments
c, More time spent grou nd
handling than flying
d. Inhospitable atmosphere for
newcomers
(14pts)
(13pts)
(11 pts)
(1 0.5pts)
e. Poor accommodation on site (9.5pts)
f. lack of transport to sites (7pts)·
g. Service commitments (5pls)
When Irl'vited to list an.y other contribu,tory factors,
clubs mentioned the- following:
a. High ,launch and membership fees.
b. Low Instructor availability, caused by lack of
recognition by service authorities of the importance
of the task.
c. Boredom at the launch-point; requirement to
spend long periods 0f time on the airfield fOl"
very Iillle flying ..
d. lack of proper two-seater training list.
e. Boor continuilyof instruction -pupils fly
with too many different instructors.
The RAFGSA has become more and more
top heavy, and as experienced pilots leave it will
decline. in size lunless appropriate countermeasUres
are introduced. Whereas in the early
1970s about one fifth 01 the total RAFGSA
membership at anyone time had gone solo in
that year, the proportion Is now less than one
tenth; It will not be long before we start to see a
marked decline in total membership, with attendanl
serious implications for financing, size of
fleet, number of clubs and capacity to manage
the clubs and, the Assoclatiol1l. There is therefore
an urgent need tQ tackle the causes of presol,o
wastage ident~ied above. The internal factors
will be treated first.
Accommodation. Good on-site accommoda­
(iOA was considered by ,clubs to be a moderately
Important factor in ,retaining members.
Inhospitable atmosphere. Clubs frequently
referred to the growth of cliques which made for
an atmQsphere hostile tQ newcomers. Club
managers need to take specific and effective
steps to make newcomers feel at home, to prevent
·the development of cliques and to ensblre
that "pundits" comml:micate their expertise tQ
others in a sympathetic manner. A properly
organised "buddy" system WQuld be a great
help in shepherding newcomers through their
first weeks 01 gliding Club membership.
Boredom at the launch point. Many new
members are put off by the fact that they are
expected to spend long ,periods of time on the
airfield, ground-handling or merely standing
around, waiting for 'occasional five minute
flights. It has long been an established canon of
RAFGSA law that all, or most, 01 the day must
be spent on the gliding field, despite the fact lhat
there is not normally work for more than about
six people at anyone time. fhis is calculated to
put oI:f all but those who