Craig, you do make a valid point. But there is something else to consider. Having been someone who lived in Minden for over 20 years, I can tell you Minden soaring does not have a lock on great soaring. It is not a “magical place” where diamonds are free and theres a 10k thermal every mile down the course. In fact, there are many other north american soaring sites just as spectacular. Minden is something of a pain to fly out of nowadays. When it was a small sleepy forgotten place, yes it was a glider pilots shangrala, with light traffic, free camping, great camraderie, and affordable services. Not so now.

Right up the road there is Air Sailing, great place to fly out of, there is Truckee, also a great place to stage flights from. Both offer what Minden does with fair pricing. My point is not to knock the Minden commercial operator, I wish them all the best. My point is just because its “Minden” does not grant it any more of an exalted place in soaring hierarchy, or soaring pricing. I can name a few other places which are just as exalted such as Moriarty, Marfa, Ridge Soaring. These are also “halloed” places in the halls of spectacular historic soaring sites which all do not feel the need for exalted pricing and/or add on pricing. If guys want to spend $1000/day at other places, and those soaring sites can “convince” them its justified, great, let capitalism reign. But a savvy soarer will gravitate toward financially friendlier climes. Others will find alternative means of achieving the same goal. I took to auto towing off of rabbit dry lake when I did’nt have the cash for a tow. Then worked my way upwind into the Minden primary wave to get my diamond. I did not need PASCO or Soar Minden, for that matter. There are few folks nowadays that are as resourceful as I was back in the day, but I grew up under the shadow of “The Boy Who Flew With Condors” era where soaring was LIFE, and a lifestyle. Nowadays, sad to say, many folks will be convinced that they just can’t afford the sport anymore and move on to other pursuits that give them more pleasure per dollar. Its this “convincing” of folks that it takes big money to have big fun in soaring that is the real tragedy.