Steve, thats the thing... like Stan said. No one is out there illegally training people ( well there was that one skinny feller in Florida doing that, but someone was a snitch and he ended up with the FAA paying him a visit ) ..... If people want training, they are sent to you guys.
If someone wants a ride at a fly-in, that is not hurting or stealing away anyones business.
Like it has been said many times over, no one is giving rides when you guys aren't. I personally only will take someone for a flight if they are
1. specifically interested in buying or demoing a Dominator.... can't demo a Dominator by flying a RAF or a Parsons
2. they are a personal friend of mine....... Example, If Matt Notovney wants to go for a ride with me, or wants me to take his wife for a ride, I think I should be able to. I shouldn't say No, you have to buy a ride with McGowan or Logan if you or your wife wants to fly here.
3. if the CFI's that are there and appear to be working (and not held up in their camper or off in some kind of meeting or forum) have too long of a list of people wanting rides, but not enough time to do it, I would rather give them a ride, show them what flying a gyro is all about and put that spark in them, than to see them go home without a flight.
Be honest with yourself, how many people have approached you at a fly-in for a flight and you have blown them off? Either told them they are too heavy, or your too busy, or how about they just come to Macon Georgia for that intro flight, etc....
I go to the fly-ins and I tell all the strangers who approach me for a flight, that I am not there as a CFI or there specifically to give rides, but you guys are, and point to Mcgowans and Logans or whoever else is there. I tell the person to go to them for the flight. At least 8 out 10 times, the person comes back and says they were told the instructors are all booked up for the day or that they were too heavy, etc.... If I have the time, and I look at the CFI's and see that they are in fact very busy, then sure I will give someone a ride.
To compare it to grass cutting, a more fair comparison but be to say... there is 100 homes up the street, the homeowners are thinking about they might like Lawnservice. I ride by there everyday in my truck with the mowers in tow. But I am too busy to mow their lawn right now. So you come along and mow them one time, the homeowner may give you 5 bucks to cover your gas, and meanwhile you gave them my phone number. Some of them, maybe 25 percent of them decide that Wow, having someone else take care of the lawn is great and they call me up and get on contract with me. What did you cost me in lost business? Nothing, because I was too busy to go mow those 100 yards. But because you did have the time, all 100 yards got cut and 25 of those yards decided they want full time lawncare and they called me and signed a contract. If anything I should be thanking you for helping generate interest and sending me more work.
Or I could be a dick about it and bitch and complain that your not a professional, you don't have your lawncare rating, your dangerous with the mower, and you stole business away from me because no one is allowed to cut someone elses yard except for me.
It would be different if I were approaching your current students, or telling people who I have given rides to, that I can train them to fly, that they can come see me, that I could train them for 120$ a hour verses your 170$ a hour. That would be stealing your business....
I hope this makes sence.