I know "UH" or Uncle Hank (Nixon) well enough to know that he is not only a
great sponsor of youth in soaring but a supporter of soaring in all aspects.
Hank does and has supported soaring like few others, he not only is an
instructor of many decades, but also has created and maintained his own
clubs operation, does glider and airplane repairs for himself, his club and
members as well.
What the sport needs more than anything else is more support from people
like UH, people willing to take on the responsibility of instructing,
encouraging and maintaining soaring clubs. It matters little if your
students fly 2-33's or any other glider to learn the sport, and if we don't
constantly tell them the 2-33 is a thing of the past they probably will
still show up and have fun learning.
In our club we have a K7 as our only club 2 seater for training...it does a
great job and does it cheap (We get $5.00 a flight for the K7 and K8) We
also have a Twin Grob on the field that is privately owned but can be used
by members as well...... the K7 is busy nearly every day we fly, while the
Grob typically sits in the back of the hangar... We bought a K8 a year ago
as our only other "Club glider"...students and new pilots love this
glider....it is to them their hot rod.....(again, don't tell them it's old
and a "thing of the past" we like to keep this as a secret...)
The philosophy is simple....provide training and club
gliders.....cheap....everyone has contributed to acquiring these
gliders....if someone wants a newer higher performance glider then "great
for them".....they can buy it with their money, not rob everyone else's
pockets for their personal wants...we have partnerships in the club so for
low cost members can buy into a Club Libelle or Pegasus and not expect
everyone else to be their "sugar daddy" if they can't afford a newer glider
themselves.
But back to the point, we're evolving further into the "me generation" if
you want to see soaring grow or sustain itself it takes more than fancy
gliders, it takes commitment and effort by people like UH that have, and
still do the grunt work. Become an instructor, take some time from personal
endeavors and give something back .. after all, it was somewhere in your and
my history a CFI did what was necessary to get us where we are today as
well.
Tim Mara
Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at www.wingsandwheels.com


A little research would show the 2-33 was introduced in about 1972 and
likely is only second in our active fleet to 1-26's.
I think they have served us well.
UH

I think it's you who's living in the past. I also don't think you are
supporting youth. I think you have conned a bunch of people into
suppoprting a tow plane. The 2-33 excells at that - it falls out of the
sky so it needs a lot of tows. BTW, can't you use your real name?

BTW, the first customer 2-33 I saw was in use in 1967 in Southern
California. My logbook shows I instructed in them in 1970 so your 1972
date is bogus.

Bill Daniels