Marc Ramsey wrote:


But I, for one, don't believe the sport will long survive in the US,
if the cost of tows and new gliders continue to rise at the rate
they have been....

There are plenty of gliders around. The sport will survive without regard to the
availability of uber-models, if we develop a program for introducing new (young)
people to the sport.

Learning to fly in a glider is an excellent way to learn to fly and relatively
inexpensive. As there are new US-built powered aircraft coming on the scene, the
development of new US sailplane designs promises to solve the performance v
cost equation favorably.

As you say, Marc, those who can afford the most expensive ships are not
affected. They are also not the ones we should be looking to for reinvigoration
of the sport.



Jack