From: Wayne Carter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
When we drool over a 50+, dream of a 70+ and imagine a possible 100+ L/D ship -all quite feasable- we must face reality that the technology used in our sport is at the expensive forfront of aviation design. When this technology is safely available to the public we buy it, but there must be a large base of consumers to keep it economically viable, thus the increase in participants is essential. When the old ships are damaged, and there are few replacements, even your club will go down, as a new ship will cost even more, due to declining sales. Can you imagine what the cost of the first new model Holden off the line is? $B! -yet we pay only $20k+. Although our own lifespans will see gliding easily accessable, our kids and grandkids will not unless the figures are changed.
With due respect, that's nonsense, Wayne. The average age of my Club's trainers was about 30+ years. The cost of the new one (21801) is about the same (in real terms) as the oldest one (13008) was when it was new. If you go back to the old AGs you'll find Blaniks being offered for around 5000 pounds at a time when I earned 1300 pounds a year. The absolute frontiers of the technology are now well over $1m but very few could ever afford the frontiers and we still can't. Only one Glasflugel 604 ever came to Australia. One day an Eta will come.
Gliding is less attractive to people now than it was when aviation was an exciting new technology and all club-based sports are declining currently. The cycle will move on though. There are already signs of this. New trainers are being bought in increasing numbers, new single-seaters are appearing. The national prosperity of the last 10-15 years has come through to gliding and it will experience a mild renewal of popularity and accessibility for the next 5-10 years. After that, who knows?
Regards, Graeme
Safe, Wayne _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
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