Eric Greenwell wrote:

[snip] Remember how sailplane pilots used imagine hang gliding did=20
so well compared to sailplanes was because it was a much cheaper sport =
(...).

It seems that the cost in any amateur sport or hobby tends to increase =
to a limit defined by the average available income in the specific =
country/society. Therefore, serious participation may involve comparable =
levels of committment and expense, be it in models gliders, =
hang-gliding, sailplanes (or target shooting, potholing, scuba diving, =
alpinism, whatever...)

Notwithstanding, the barriers to entry are lower in HG and PG than in =
soaring.

Regards,
F. Almeida