On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 8:30:53 AM UTC-8, Nick Kennedy wrote:
I've got to say there's some real daydreamers on this thread with their head buried way deep in the sand.
I've operated a tow plane in Telluride Colorado.
I've paid the bills.
Capital costs.
Insurance.
Fuel.
Maintenance and inspections.
New tires.
General repairs.
Airport and tie down fees.
New engine when the old one got a oil leak and seized up.
Scheduled tow pilots.
Bought tow ropes and rings.
Etc
Etc
Etc
That $3750 early buy in price is a screaming deal if you ask me!
Include O2 fills and retrieves.
That is cheap! and its good for A Whole Year!
If I lived near Minden or planned on being there for any length of time I'd send in my check today with a big Thank You note attached.
Its SOO hard for a commercial operation to just break even much less take on the legal liability on top of No Money at the end of the year, we stopped doing it.
God Bless Soar Minden I say.

I agree with Nick. Just my 2 cents worth.
My suggestion for those that want club glider costs (volunteer - FREE - staff) at Minden should give it a go.
However, since Minden is a regional full service airport with expensive hangar space and a ½ mile haul to runway 30 launch area, you might want to remember what a commercial operation has to add. Said spendy hangar / office lease (you aren’t working out of a tent off the dirt road), paid CFIG’s / ride pilots, tow pilots, line boys, receptionist, accounting, along with advertising, soaring merchandise inventory, and insurance just to name a few items. And lest we forget, the operational folks get paid (reasonable living wages) for being on site whether a soaring pilot (or ride) shows up or not. Anybody that has worked a commercial operation knows how bad the number of “no shows” are. There are methods to reduce this number, but they don’t go to zero. Those wonderful no show “individuals” not only don’t pay for their reserved services, but block another pilot from that scheduled time slot. The operation loses.
But go ahead. Start your club operation, find unpaid staff that will be there 5-7 days per week, 9 am to dark, from early spring to late fall.
Good luck with that.