GLIDING - THE FUTURE ??

Niels Lönn, Denmark Nordic Gliding Meeting Sep 2000 Copenhagen

HISTORY

 Technology is changing  Society is changing  Social behaviour is changing but...

 The structure of gliding has not changed during the past 40 years

Development of Membership within the gliding scene

41000 40000 39000 38000 37000 36000 115000 110000 35000 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 Germany 1995 World wide 1996 1997 1998 1999 85000 105000 100000 95000 90000

PRESENT SITUATION

 Gliding is a team sport for everybody  Glider pilots are organized in gliding clubs  Annual cost of membership is about 5.000 SEK/year  Minimum age for gliding education: 14

PRESENT SITUATION

 Teamwork: No one is able to launch on his own  Time to rig the gliders: 0900 o´clock in the morning  In the evening all pilots de rig the gliders together  Actual flying can be anything between 0 and 8 hours  We are losing members

PROJECTION

 It may get better without intervention  Decline may continue at same rate (60 - 70 years)  The decline may accelerate

SCENARIO 2020

 Clubs are striving to survive  Everybody has to work more and fly less  No more development of new gliders  Decreasing political influence (airspace, environmental issues etc.)

Questions

 Has gliding lost its appeal?

 Is gliding too expensive?  Is gliding too cheap?

 Is gliding too time consuming?

 Are we telling enough about gliding?

 Are we offering the right product to the right people?