"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
...
John Jones wrote:

As more self launch sailplanes are built, what will
be the effect on soaring growth?

Will soaring clubs decline? Will self launchers disperse
to many more airports, creating more exposure?

Any thoughts?

....
Type 3: medium time (a few years) glider pilots that also want
convenience, and perhaps especially an entry into cross-country flying
without the retrieve worries.

I know very few of the type 3 pilot, so I'm not sure how much they (as a
group) interact with clubs and other pilots once they have their glider.
I suspect it's much like the type 1 pilot: if they were active in a club
before, they will continue to be active.
....

I'd put myself in this Type 3 category. I've got 300+ hours in
gliders and a few really good cross country flights, but all
spread over many years. If I feel I can spare the money,
or find the right partners to share it, I might some day get
a motorglider so that I could fly cross country on those
less than perfect days that I avoid now to avoid the hassle
of a retrieve.

I can't speak for anyone else, but if I got a motorglider,
I'd plan to stay in our club. The reasons are 1) I value
the ongoing training and safety consciousness that is
a part of our club. 2) I value the assistance that club
members render to each other, and 3) I understand
that soaring in our area depends on concerted actions
by the club to keep facillities open and keep our
aviation and non-aviation neighbors working with us
instead of against us.