Don't concern yourself with flaps. You have lots to learn about weather,
strategy, finesse, subtlety. Lots of top pilots fly standard class. A
good, used standard class machine will help you learn, allow you to make
mistakes, dings, and scratches, and after you have spent five years with
it you might be ready to get something shiny and new. That way you will
be less likely to scratch it up.

At 22:22 17 June 2008, noel.wade wrote:
On Jun 17, 9:00=A0am, " wrote:

anyone ever said "I should have waited to buy my first glider" and
everyone regrets not buying sooner.
Welcome to the club, "sweetie".
R

R -

Too late, I already bought my first glider a year ago. She's a bit
ugly, but I've ridden her hard and she rides well (Russia AC-4). Did
165km on Sunday in 2-4 knot lift, below 4000 ft most of the day... not
bad for stubby wings and only flying gliders for a year, if I do say
so myself... :-)

BTW, I've *never* seen an ASW-24 come up for sale online in the nearly
2 years I've been on the market... They must be good; but they're
hard to find!

The issue with the performance is that I feel like I'm already
outgrowing my Russia after just a year of flying it - and I'd hate to
feel that way about a standard-class ship after a couple of years
(whereas a flapped ship will have a steeper learning curve which - as
a twisted wierdo obsessed pilot - I like).

But the tide of opinion here and in my club is carrying me along
towards buying the less-expensive glider with the better finish and
known resale value - even if its unflapped and has a higher (i.e.
worse) handicap... I'm not a racer, I just want to feel like I'm
maximizing the day's opportunities and make some decent distances in
our relatively weak conditions here in Seattle. I'll fly in the
desert a few times a year; but I started out thinking that ergonomics,
safety, and maneuverability are the important factors - and it seems
that I'm being guided back around to that mode of thinking by all of
you. Ya gotta admit, though, performance is a seductive mistress!

And now that people know the glider I want is for sale, I'd better
hustle! :-P

--Noel