JJ,
You've got a really good point there.
Part of the problem I'm personally struggling with is cost effectiveness.
I've got a glider that's in the low 20's range and it's got long legs, and
it's a joy to fly. BUT, I'm lucky to be able to have 6 months useable
weather and that only on the week ends because there is no convenient
commercial operation. This year the week ends were out of phase with the
weather so flying was seriously curtailed.
The only avenue for competition is the sports class and those opportunities
seem few and far between these days.

A friend of mine is loaning me a Champ to fly.
I could buy one like it for less money than I have in the glider. I can use
it year round and I can take my wife, who is also a pilot. in it. She could
have the use of it too. It would cost me about the same to fly it , hanger
it , insure it and maintain it as the glider. I wouldn't have to belong to
club or have a membership in a national organization to get a reasonable
rate on my insurance and I could totally avoid the "Yacht Club Politics"
that seem to surface so readily in soaring activties both on the club and
national level. That and the less than welcoming attitude I have experienced
at the few recnt contests and conventions I have attended as a spectator.

Why do I still have a glider?
It has always been my first love and though I learned to fly in gliders, and
owned several different ships, it was out of reach for a period of time. I
still love flying gliders but the Champ and others like it are beginning to
have more luster.

Cheers!
"John Sinclair" wrote in message
...
In the 70's I got started with Duster kit that sold
for $2000 including trailer...........I paid $2000
for my first Cambridge GPS!

We would spend New Years at Calistoga and you could
hardly find a place to park.........................a
good 30 ships would be there, all common Joe's.

Out regionals at Minden would fill up (65) we can't
get 12 entrants now days from this region. Where did
they all go? I think they slowly dwindled away................cost
too much to stay competitive................flying
other than contests wasn't all that exciting or rewarding.........
............Jobs, kids, 2 incomes required to keep
one's head above water..................you name it,
but I believe most of it in economic.

We are left with us die-hard old farts, flying expensive
toys and wondering where did everybody go?
:) JJ

So, while making the sport less $ expensive is a valid
and reasonable
argument ... I don't know if it will generate the desired
increase in
community