Eric Greenwell wrote in message ...

This might be true, but is irrelevant when discussing SparrowHawk owners.


Tangential, perhaps, but not irrelevant in the overall picture?


I made no mention of racing or keeping up with an LS8. I was indicating
the people buying the SparrowHawk are very much interested in
cross-country flying. I don't think they are "anti-racing", just not
especially interested in it. Racing and keeping up with an LS8 are YOUR
priorities, not theirs.

True. But based on what I have seen out here, unless you have a group
flying similar performance gliders, you will lose some (a lot?) of the
"individualist" beginning XC pilots. If you are lucky enough to have
a critical mass of Sparrowawk (or similar) ships, then those lucky
pilots will have a lot of fun, no doubt about it.


And I've seen people get that high performance ship, scare themselves
with a high speed landing in a field, and go back to floating around the
airport in it. The glider and the pilot need to be matched to the
situation; it's not one size fits all, for sure.


I've seen that here several times - with such docile ships as ASW-19s!
I suspect the problem is training - the curse of the 2-33 strikes
again! Anyone who says a modern Std ship (which includes the LS4) is
any harder to fly than a 1-26 is delusional and/or poorly trained.
But it is true that all some people want (or can handle )is a simple
floater to putt around the glider port.


Are you saying more choices are problem? I don't think so. We already
have a lot of companies "doing it the same". The people I've seen buying
the SparrowHawk are not dewy-eyed newcomers to soaring, but serious
pilots looking for something different.

No, more choices are fine if the market can support it. I'm not sure
the Sparrowhawh adds much new to the equation, however - it has a high
enough wingloading that it is more of a "small, light, regular glider"
than a different approach to soaring. I would like to see something
along the lines of the Carbon Dragon that could really use microlift -
that would fill a hole in the current range of gliders, IMHO.


You have a lot company, as there are lots of pilots can't see past their
habits and preferences to that big picture.

True, but that knife cuts both ways - there are a lot of "advocates"
of specific ships/classes/types of flying that think that there way is
the only way.


And I wouldn't have your glider - no motor - it's easy to get addicted
to flying when you want to, where you want to, the whole convenience and
independence bit! I can see why you like it, however.

I would love to have a self-launch, as long as I didn't give up any
performance - when I win the lottery I'm buying an Antares! But it
would be in addition to my pure glider - I love the whole routine of
soaring - arriving early, rigging, waiting for the best time to
launch, the tow (or winch launch), getting home or landing out (and
the adventure that ensues), then putting everything away in the
evening. Self launch seems to me to trade convenience for solitude -
I like the company of other gliders! Again, thats a typical US
"lonesome cowboy" attitude (and there is nothing wrong with that!) -
unlike the european social approach to soaring. I've done it both
ways, and much prefer doing it with friends!

Kirk