Swedish Gliding 2001

1. Swedish Gliding 2001 • 71 clubs • 5700 members (3000 active pilots) • 400 gliders and 70 TMG • 35 500 flying hours, 59 000 launches and 400 000 km XC • 280 instructors, 70 assistant instructors and 150 technicians

2. Swedish Soaring Federation SSF • Flight safety, training and maintenance has been delegated by the CAA to SSF • Central flying school at Ålleberg • Staff: • Gliding Inspector • Assistant • Chief Flying Instructor • Chief Technical Officer • Administrator Ålleberg • two sales/administration staff

4. Flying hours/active member

10. Conclusions so far • Total flying time is decreasing • Flying time per individual pilot is constant • XC flying is increasing, i e the flying quality has increased • We fail to get new members, or better, we fail to renew the membership • We are getting older!

11. The view from ”the top”: • We have realized the problem • We want to do something about it! But • The flying/training/recruiting is done in/by the clubs

12. The view from ”the bottom”: • Middle age, socially established, time enough for gliding • Fewer pilots  better access to gliders, no launching queue etc • Promoting gliding  working instead of gliding • So, why bother, life is good!

13. Who will run your wing tip in 10 years? One good argument

14. My view is • Gliding is done in the clubs, so we have to persuade the clubs to approach the problem • We do not have a recruiting problem, we have a leadership problem (there are too few!) • The Federation can only support the clubs, not do the work for them

15. The clubs must send more pilots to our instructor courses • It is better to do a lot of small activities than try to launch a major programme

16. Keeping members • Modernized Rikssegelflygtävlingen RST (National Gliding Competition) • RST = DMSt or Aerokurier OLC • Started in 1945, is the backbone of Swedish XC gliding • Altitude gain, distance, speed, club teams • Since 2001 only Online • Since 2001 Swedish Championship in Altitude, Distance, Speed and ”Combination” • About 400 pilots participated in 2001

17. No bonus for FAI triangles • All tasks are given the same factor • Declared Tasks: Up to 5 TPs, 20% bonus • Pilot Optimised Tasks, choose your TPs freely • Garmins OK as logger • Report within 24 hours

18. National XC week. The club whose members flies most km/member during the week wins a Volkslogger • A new comp class: Sport Class Only speed AAT and place scoring. Motto: Competition flying is fun! • Promote the silver, gold and diamond badges

19. SVENOR – a series of courses organized by the Norwegian and Swedish Gliding Federations • Open to all Scandinavian pilots • Courses • One mountain flying (Norway) • Two Aerobatic (Norway and Sweden) • Two XC (Norway and Sweden) • One cloud flying (Sweden)

20. SVENOR mountain course at Vågå in 2001

21. Recruiting new members • Annual Nordic Gliding Day • ”Open house” in all Nordic Gliding Clubs (May 25th 2002) Common poster

22. The IGC Video (with Swedish speaker) is sold to the clubs at a very low price • The theoretical syllabus has been revised and reduced with 50%. All theory lessons are to be given during the flying training • Implementing a new National License (no medicals and administrated by the Federation)

23. Mini courses (”adventure courses”) • Two days, 6 flights, one year membership including subscription to our magazine • In 1999: full page advertisments in 4 of the largest daily newspapers in Sweden

24. “The clouds are looking for playfellows”