Looking at an old Ercoupe today...

On 2008-05-15, Shirl wrote:
You didn't say how much you paid for the 38:1 glass ship!

And to have fun in gliders it doesn't have to be a 38:1 glass ship. I
imagine Iowa has many great thermic days, where going cross country in
an old wood and fabric Ka-8 (which will cost around 4 grand for one in
mint condition, much less for an average one) is not all that difficult
and a lot of fun.

I just did my silver duration in a 38:1 glass ship though, in Scotland
of all places, in thermal lift - further north than the entire
continental US, and much of populated Canada. (And the 38:1 glass ships
don't have to cost the earth - I did my silver duration, which is 5
hours soaring flight, in an ASW-19 that's 30 years old).

Some pictures:
http://www.alioth.net/pics/Aboyne-Ma...s/Image25.html
http://www.alioth.net/pics/Aboyne-Ma...s/Image31.html

The glider certainly doesn't look 30 years old!

I wouldn't describe it as "very inexpensive", either! It can go either
way. Sometimes, "inexpensive" is hardly the case, with paying for the
tow and the minimum hourly rental for what ends up being a 20-minute
flight (approximate duration of a tow to 3000 feet with no lift).

But inexpensive compared to power planes. My 5 hour flight was much
cheaper (in a club ship, not one I owned) than flying 5 hours in a
relatively modest powered aircraft. If you live somewhere with lots of
soarable days, it's a very worthy consideration if you want an aircraft
if your destination is "up", or your destination is a cross country
flight just for the sake of making one. If you already know how to fly
then it doesn't take long to get a glider private. And it *really*
teaches you about weather and airmass - many 25 hour glider pilots have
better appreciation of weather and airmass than 2500 hour power
pilots...and if you're also a power pilot, this translates to better
skill as a power pilot.

--
From the sunny Isle of Man.
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