(Liam Finley) wrote in message
You're pretty quick to launch into this canard about competition
pilots causing the decline of soaring. What did competition pilots
ever do to you? Did one of them steal your girlfriend?

In my experience, competition pilots tend to be among the most
deadicated members of the sport, and are generally very helpfull and
encouraging to newcomers who show a degree of enthusiasm and desire to
learn.

So how exactly are these people causing the decline of the sport?

In my experience, it is the guys who stick to aimless local flying who
get bored and drop out, the guys who get into cross country flying
stay in it for the long haul. The article in question was written, in
my opinion, to encourage the former and not the latter, hence I do not
like it.

It's obvious from your juvenile remarks that it isn't worth having a
discussion with you. The article in question has been around for a
long time and gives some very good advice on buying a first glider.
The main point being that L/D shouldn't be the major criteria and that
other more important practical things should be considered. You must
have not read the article since it certainly was not focused on
"aimless local flying" excluding advice on planes suitable for cross
country work.

As for the decline of soaring, it should be obvious to every glider
pilot in this country that the sport is in trouble. For years the SSA
was dominated by the competition crowd and this certainly hasn't
helped the situation. Having a discussion about soaring's future
would be pointless with a dim bulb like yourself.

With the new sport pilot class ready to take off I predict that
soaring will lose even more prospective new pilots to it and general
aviation.

Thanks for reminding me why I quit soaring for 10 years. I'm asking
myself why I want to return to this sport.