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  #36  
Old August 13th 17, 01:19 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Michael Opitz
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Posts: 318
Default ASW27B prices falling

At 01:04 13 August 2017, Tim Taylor wrote:
I will throw a different opinion out. Yes, it is supply and demand;

but
no=
t that the 27b or V2a&b have been replaced by better aircraft.

This shift is because we have a small and shrinking population of

racing
pi=
lots and an ever increasing number of classes. The std class was

the
first=
to go. We now have about four catagory one pilots left in std.

class.
15=
m is being replaced by the 18m class. Most of the competitive

pilots that
=
were in std. class and 15m have now purchased 15/18m gliders.

The balance
s=
hifted in about 2015 with more of the pilots moving to the 15/18m

gliders
r=
ather than straight 15m. This shift was also exasperated by the

creation
of=
the 18/21 class of glider. These gliders now overlap in 18m and

open.


In the US this is made worse by the distances required to drive to

a
contes=
t. A multi class glider means you don't have to drive as far to

compete. =
=20

The bottom line is those buying a new glider are going to buy a

15/18m or
1=
8/21m glider. The demand for a straight 15m is going to fall. The

FAI
mott=
o is "We never met a class of glider we won't create a new class

for". At
=
the same time it continues to price pilots out of the game and

reduces
numb=
er of people participating in the sport.

And for those of us who can't afford to buy a new $150K competitive
glider, we are left with the handicapped classes where one can still
be competitive with an older and much less expensive glider.
Standard class is handicapped, but limited to only Standard class
gliders, whereas Sports and Club classes have broader ranges of
gliders allowed. Having 3 handicapped nationals per year allows the
contests to also be geographically spread out, which cuts down on
travel time and expenses too. So that is where you will find the
pilots (out of this ever shrinking pool) who want to compete but
can't afford the minimum $150K entry price in Open, 18m & 15m...
Of course this kind of "racing" won't sit well with the "purists" who
just want to go "head to head" with other pilots, but I suppose that
those folks could also go race 1-26's for a cheap one design class...
I am staying with my STD class glider because I can fly STD, Sports,
and Club classes with it, and be competitive in any of them...
RO