You can't necessarily blame the problems of clubs on the prices of new
gliders. The clubs could as well buy second hand gliders - it's the club
members (or managers) who *want* the most expensive toys, very often without
regard whether the club members really need the difference between 47:1 or
40:1.

But the effect is the same - less and less youngsters between 16 and 25 who
are supposed to be the future of soaring :-(


"Michel Talon" wrote in message
...
Andy Blackburn wrote:
income -- at least for the 'new glass' target demographic
of top ~5% income earners.


Sorry to say this is a very US centric point of view. Here most of the
practisers are members of clubs and don't belong to the top 5% income
earners.
Of course increase of price of gliders implies that clubs are more
expensive,
and so that people who don't earn a lot, particularly young people, have
more
and more difficulties to soar. I think it is an obvious constatation that
clubs are more and more stuffed with old guys, and in my opinion, this is
a
*very bad trend*.

Only problem is that much of the rise in HH income
is due to the rise in two-income families, so you may
be more likely to need to get some of the money from
your spouse. ;-)

I will be happy to see a spouse who accepts that even small part
of her earnings goes to a sport that she dislikes by principle :-(

--

Michel TALON