Best way to get new people involved in aviation?

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dennyleeb

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I would love to share my love with aviation w other locals. What is ways others have done this.
 
Only way I can do it is just take them flying. I got two folks interested and got them to start lessons but alas they never finished.
 
Show them the current price of 100LL, then show them the fuel burn per hour. Let them do the math. Then take them to a typical FBO. That should cure them.
 
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I don't think the long-term commitment to GA can be determined, and that the industry must acknowledge the historically-high drop-out rate is a fact of life. I have been (largely) responsible for bringing a number of new pilots and airplane owners into the fold. I also know that none of them are still active pilots, due to a combination time, money, health, need, priorities and all the other issues that are no secret.

Anthony said:
Show them the current price of 100LL, then show them the hourly fuel burn per hour. Let them do the math. Then take them to a typical FBO. That should cure them.
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AdamZ said:
Only way I can do it is just take them flying. I got two folks interested and got them to start lessons but alas they never finished.
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That's about all you can do though. I like to give people reasons to fly. For me, well I've always wanted to. I like to highlight camping trips, hunting (my dad took me moose hunting in Canada, part of the reason I want a single that can haul some weight), less traffic, faster to destination (seriously faster in longer distance trips), no groping pat-downs, et al.

You have to reach that part of a person that loves adventure, and learning too. Some people aren't into the learning though :(

For their spouses (if applicable) you have to highlight the safety of a small plane. You have to dispel that media induced scare that small planes fall like bricks, crash all the time, shatter like glass, et al.

FBO's could help too, but don't count on it. Most of them live by thin margins already. I wish they had rental "fleets" like car rental joints. Pick one up for a week for X price a day plus gas for something that will haul a family. Unfortunately, it's not feasible for most :(

Where pilots and FBO's could help is losing the elitist or cold attitude some project. Flying is fun, and should be friendly, jovial, et al. Unfortunately a small number act like c*cks.
 
That can be a Long process! Show them the joys of flying when young so they develop the passion. Then they drop out of it for 20 to 40 years so they can earn a living and find a way to support the flying. After those years, they may be able to afford a more active flying life.
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There are always people at my airport just sitting in their cars watching planes. I've been tempted to strike up a conversation and maybe offer a plane ride. However, I'm worried someone might scratch their finger and sue me or something like that. Or freak out and start mashing on pedals.
 
MadseasoN said:
There are always people at my airport just sitting in their cars watching planes. I've been tempted to strike up a conversation and maybe offer a plane ride. However, I'm worried someone might scratch their finger and sue me or something like that. Or freak out and start mashing on pedals.
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Wrap 'em in bubble wrap and throw 'em in the back seat. LOL!
 
However you make it happen, giving someone a ride seems to be the most effective tool. It helps to have talked to them about your passion first, then the flight kind of brings it all into focus. Some of my pax have just gone on a lark, some had asked a lot of questions beforehand and probably got more out of it.

I will say, though, that so far, nobody I've given a ride to has started learning to fly. Maybe it's me. :rolleyes:

But they all have has misconceptions swept aside, and they no longer feel completely detached when they see a small plane fly overhead. They are not really part of our community, but they are allies. I know that if any of them gets into one of those "what's up with all those little planes crashing, and how can they just fly around, blah blah" conversations, they will say "it's not like that, I know a pilot, etc." Having these allies is almost as important as having more pilots in the ranks.

In that regard, I have been 100% successful.
 
dennyleeb said:
I would love to share my love with aviation w other locals. What is ways others have done this.
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Print a bunch of business card with a simple statement.

" This card gets a free ride in Mr/Ms aircraft"

on the back print a permission statment, to be signed by the child's parent.

give the cards to your favorite teacher, to hand out to students that do well

and each student that brings you a card, give them a ride.
 
If you know someone interested in aviation already, next time you are going for a few touch and go's around the pattern or otherwise have an empty seat available, give them a free ride. They'll either like it, or they won't. And a small percentage of the "likes" will have the gumption to actually go through with their training. :D
 
It depends what part of aviation that you want to interest them in. I have been trying for years to get the local high school involved in an aviation introduction 101 course. They like the idea but it never moves forward.

There are so many opportunities beyond flying like maintenance, engineering, airlines, manufacturers, and so on. I've talked with many auto mechanics that never gave aviation maintenance a thought. By the way, many of these people in the other areas go on to fly.

Aviation maintenance been very good to me!

Kevin
 
Start a flying club. Cost seems to be the biggest prohibitive factor in this game, help lessen their burden (and yours in the process) and relish in your success.
 
My grandfather got me interested--he was a pilot, had the magazines and the pictures around when I was a kid. For my 12th birthday, he paid for my first flying lesson. He let me fly his Taylorcraft a time or two (just on the straight and level parts):D. I think starting kids young can help them develop the passion. As we get older and get other priorities (family, work, school, etc.), that passion may be the only thing keeping us linked to aviation. Young Eagles, Boy Scouts, family, friends--there are many youth that can be touched with an introductory flight, a book on aviation pioneers, or a story about when you landed somewhere interesting (especially if it wasn't planned:wink2:).
 
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We sure as hell don't want them to read the AOPA forums. At least 25% of the threads seem to be about GA-related fatals.
 
We have about 120 4'th grade kids coming to the airport on a field trip tomorrow. Maybe one of them might catch a spark.
 
Tear down the fences, shoot all the grumpy old guys, and hire hot(not female pilot standards-real outside of aviation pretty) young women to work at the FBO.
 
Sounds like a winner to me. All's we gotta do is put these mental midgets in charge and everything will be hunky-dory.
 
ClimbnSink said:
Tear down the fences, shoot all the grumpy old guys, and hire hot(not female pilot standards-real outside of aviation pretty) young women to work at the FBO.
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LOL... Flower Aviation in KPUB used to have girls in mini-skirts fueling the high-wing aircraft, and a pin-up calendar every year... a long, long time ago.

New pilots that fuel up there now, have no idea that the company name was a double entendre'.

Maybe that's good, maybe that's bad. I'm not judging either way. I did like the calendars though. They were up in a lot of hangars back then.

Looks like http://www.fbohotties.com is down/gone too. I heard they had eye-candy for the girls there too, but who knows...?
 
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