I agree with much of what you say Lennie but the reality
is that the eogotists and the competion pilots are
just as important to the sport as the people who fly
the club hack. I know it is different over here in
the UK where we have very few commercial clubs but
everyone has a contibution to make. Without the egotists
with more money than brains and the competition pilots
trying to keep up with the Jones's (UK joke) the second
hand glider market would die, how else, apart from
their cast offs would I be able to buy a glider which
won four world championships.
It is the balance that maybe wrong and if people feel
disillusioned with something they will stop doing it,
how to stop them getting that way is the rub. I don't
have an answer for that but knocking any particular
faction within soaring won't do do anything to make
the disillusioned any happier. I do know that the more
new gliders bought by those that can afford it will
mean more gliders for those of us who cannot afford
the latest kit.

At 07:36 18 April 2004, Lennie The Lurker wrote:
'Ian Johnston' wrote in message news:...
On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 16:55:45 UTC,
(Lennie
the Lurker) wrote:

: What part of 'This is as much as I'm willing to
spend' do you
: have a problem understanding? 'You will soon get
tired of it and want
: something better.'

Martin seems to be talking about buying a second hand
glass glider and
keeping it for ten years, so I don't think he can
be accused of the
snobbery which undeniably exists...

And I wasn't addressing Martin, sorry if it sounded
like it, but taken
as a general dialogue with others as it had happened.
More like a
sarcastic statement that I wish I had more than just
thought. I doubt
that any at the local field saw it coming, I don't
show anything
bothering me until I explode, then I destroy everything
in sight. And
I know, (Sorry, Judy) that there were many times that
I belonged in my
truck headed for home, not in the cockpit behind the
Pawnee.
Needless to say, on those days I did not fly well.

The number of new people is probably controlled by
outside forces, but
retaining them is controlled from within. there is
no 'magic bullet'
that will cure it, it's going to take a lot of bullets
from individual
effort.