As an owner and proponent of the PW-5 my heart is always made to beat a bit faster knowing this glider still has relevance even if it is as a benchmark of what not to do. The glider's place in history will show it has helped advance the sport.

The cost of gliders really doesn't matter. Make them free and after a surge in activity the y will not be flown very much. What gets in the way of flying is not availability of gliders it is the availability of time and the commitment to of this time to fly. Many of us are not blessed with the time needed to enjoy the sport. Find a way to make more time and then we can worry about the availability of gliders..

The only reason to own a glider is convenience. The cost of ownership is relatively high compared to renting or joining a club where ships are made available. The club I used to fly with has a 304 available to members and a few of the owners are gracious to loan their ships to qualified pilots. I was never at a loss for a better glider and went the route of the PW to chase records and go after a world championship. Didn't work out as planned.

When I owned a powerplane the break even cost of ownership vs. renting was flying about 65 hours each year. The benefit to owning was being able to fly when I wanted for as long as I wanted. Economically owning an airplane was not a great economic savings in terms of cash.

The glider isn't much different. Club dues were about $500 and I paid these whether I was an owner or used club ships. Owning the PW cos me about $1500 year including the trailer, insurance, annuals, and any additional expenses of hauling the thing around. My average year was about 75 hours in the PW. Almost every time I flew the club ships were in the box so I flew the PW by choice. Insert your favorite PW slight/bad choice joke here.

Want to fly inexpensively; join a good club, use their equipment and accept the inconvenience.