"Jim Beckman" wrote in message
...
On another topic, bagmaker wrote:

Mr Daniels is right on the money, youngsters now have
a new phone every 2 years, a new car every 3 years,
a mortgage no-one can really afford, 3 ipods, a PDA,
$250 sunglasses
and a wardrobe of jeans the cost of which would support
a
small african country.

Do you honestly think they will be enticed into gliding
if
offered an antique 2-33?

And are those honestly the type you want to entice
into gliding? Or are they inclined to get as much
from a club as they can, and contribute as little as
possible?

Another consideration - does your particular club exist
to provide everything for everybody? Or does it, more
like my own, provide the cheapest entry into soaring,
including cross-country trips, and then leave it to
the individuals to move themselves into higher performance
gliders? The second approach is a lot cheaper than
the first.

Jim Beckman



Let me get this strait, youth is very underrepresented and pilot numbers are
crashing globally and you want to be choosy? Any kid that wants to fly
gliders needs to be encouraged as much as possible, bling or no bling.

Kids, even more than adults, will know the difference between a 2-33 and
anything else. They will want to impress their friends that they are flying
a 'cool' glider. 2-33's are VERY uncool.

The typical 'cheap' club spends heavily on aero tows and cuts corners on
gliders. How dumb is that? If you divert 3/4's of the expenditures on
aero tows to gliders, new glass gets afordable. A winch really earns money
for a club while a tug sucks it down a black hole. Earn money with a winch,
spend it on new gliders.

About the instructor shortage; Instructors like nice gliders too. I know
many instructors, myself included, who will not instruct in 2-33's. It's
too dangerous. Sitting with your spine vertical over an unsprung wheel will
sooner or later result in back injury. Mine is permanently sore. Then
there's the fact that the 2-33 wing blocks your view into turns from back
cockpit. Buy a modern glass trainer and and a winch - instructors will come
out of the woodwork.

Bill Daniels