Hello everyone,

I am still a student, very close to getting my glider license, but
knee surgery has set me back for a month or two. I am in central
Florida. I have been flying solo for about a year now.

So, sitting around immobilized from knee surgery, wishing I could fly,
I decided it would be a good time to sell all of my junk and start
saving for a glider. I'm getting tired of renting and waiting around
for the Blanik. I may have another kid on the way, so I am frantic
sell mode before all of my extra cash is tied up in baby expenses. My
wife is ok with the purchase since I am basically selling off my old
hobbies to buy the glider.

I had originally decided on a 1-26 for a first glider. The price is
right, parts are out there, easy to find, easy to fly, and very easy
to land out in tight places. At the moment I have about $5,000 saved
towards my glider and I see quite a few in this price range. Problem
is, I am 195 pounds in shorts and a T-shirt without chute, and around
215 pounds with chute, handheld radio, water bottle, breakfast, etc.
As far as I can tell a chute would put me over max or very near max
pilot weight in a 1-26 depending on the version. Also, recovering the
1-26 which would likely be required could add a couple of thousand to
the cost... more than once. So a $4500 1-26 could really end up a
$7000 project and mean not flying for most of the season while the
work is done.

My next option is to save another two to three thousand (I am not
finished selling old toys) and hope to find a good deal on a 1-34. No
recovering required, better performance, no weight issue, could tie it
down through the season, but not an easy plane to find, or to find
parts for. This is the plane I really would like to have ... but
availability is extremely limited, parts are expensive, and I don't
see them often.

I am in hot humid rainy florida, so a wood glider is not something I
am willing to consider, this rules out gliders like the Ka6.

I am sure there is an old but great glider I am missing .. a 1-23D or
E? I feel like this is like the 1-26 with slightly better glide
ratio, but same best L/D speed, so performance similar to a 1-26.
This could mean more tows on windy days and more expense in the long
run, and I am not sure about parts availability.

Any advice appreciated. I realize 5K - 8K USD isn't much but I know
something is out there.

Thanks
Tom