I just read Mark Mocho's post I and I agree with everything he wrote.
Pure gliders aren't going anywhere.
1. There affordable to many many many more pilots.
2. Very low maintenance. This spring I'll pull my LS3a out, wax it, lube a few bearings, wipe it down, inspect it [ 1.5 hrs ] and fly it all summer and never do any more work to it unless I ding it up.
Total time for all this: 6 hours!
3. Its much more of a real adventure to me, to get, say, 200 miles from home in my LS3a.
4 Sure I have to travel to get tows, but I like to travel so thats OK by me.
5. I'm not a Old Rich White Guy and never will be, so my LS3a with a nice roomy cockpit and 40/1 fits into MY world as being something I can afford and have a ton of fun with.
I've been to the Parowan Motor Glider meet and let me tell you there's a lot of wrenching and the conversations generally steers toward the engine and issues with it.
If I was a ORWG I'd probably own a ASH 25E but I'm not.
Nick
T