Go Gliding new member weekend - information for gliding clubs

Go Gliding new member weekend – information for gliding clubs

Here’s some suggested guidance to help any gliding club organise a Go Gliding weekend.

Preparing for the event

Identify a ‘project’ lead

Please make sure the project lead has seen this information!

Advertising

We suggest clubs are ready to advertise their event no later than a month before the planned date.

Clubs can promote in their areas such as:

local community Facebook groups
adventure groups on Facebook / Instagram – many have local area groups
Women’s Institute and Inner Wheel – experience of Inner Wheel at WWGC2022 was that they are really dynamic and have great contacts locally
youth organisations, etc – ask club members for contacts
local employers – ask club members for contacts
schools – ask club members for contacts and surf for local schools
universities and colleges – contact the students’ union if you don’t have any club member contacts
local press and radio – they all carry events lists and you can easily get an interview to promote it

You could provide a QR code to your website info and ask people to post using #gogliding

In promoting your event, try to use pictures (with permission) of a diverse range of people smiling while taking part gliding at your club. Feel free to use images on this page.

Provide a press release to local media outlets.

Be ready to respond to media inquiries; if you have a women’s ambassador they may be able to lead on this. Ensure there’s a system for promoting and capturing interest in your event and doing something with it.

Capacity and delivery

Think about how many people you might like to attract on each day, taking into consideration the clubs capacity to deliver, and plan accordingly.

The project lead needs to agree with the committee what the club is going to deliver on the day. For example, an attractive (special offer) price including all membership opportunities that your club has to offer to people who participate in your event.

Ensure you have sufficient volunteers for the day to help ensure the smooth running of the event and show gliding in a positive light. Try to especially to ensure that you have some women club members involved.

Book/organise the gliders and launch capacity for the event.

Try to ensure that participants come dressed for being on the airfield, ie clothing suitable to keep the wind out and ideally trousers for flying.

The event weekend

As most people will not want to be around all day, on the day of the event, clubs may want to have two registration/welcome sessions, e.g. one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Make it obvious where to park and where to meet up.

Organise a friendly welcome. The right person facilitating that plus coffee and cake will help! Cold, damp or noisy surroundings are not conducive to listening.

You will probably want to meet in one area, which will encourage all to meet and chat with each other. This is important. Getting the engagement and discussion right, including introducing your club, and describing why people would consider getting involved is as important to organise well as the later safe and fun flight.

In one session – ideally not ‘death by powerpoint’ – the group can cover topics such as safety on the airfield (and reassurance that visitors are looked after), the standard introductory flight safety briefing, teamwork required on the ground, and of course the amazing opportunities, fun and excitement gliding can bring – as well a career opportunities in aviation for those who are looking. Please avoid a ‘boot camp’ approach that can inadvertently occur when some club members get involved! People like to know what’s going on, but don’t like being over-organised.

Most of all, be safe and have fun!

Following up after the event

After the flight and before they head off, give each participant a flight certificate and club information, including how to join the club. To retain the interest of participants who want to do more, it may be helpful to provide a clear and “all-inclusive” priced product and be clear about the club’s structured and flexible approach to learning to be a glider pilot.

If you’ve asked for permission beforehand, you may want to follow up expressions of interest as the spring and summer progresses.

And if the weather is a problem…

If you have a simulator that can be used during the planned weekend, it could be used as a backup if the weather prevents gliding. Don’t forget to arrange for someone to be on hand who is expert at running the simulator.

If you do need to cancel, please remember to do so early enough in the day direct to those who registered. And let them know you’ll be in touch to offer an alternative date.