At 06:48 15 October 2007, wrote:

Yes, there are many kinds of people! But I can't think
of any other
'sporting' activity that supports using 'antique' (not
my words here)
equipment in their mainstream activities or training.


Yes, you make an interesting point and there are many
kinds of people. But there are also eggs and apples
and oranges. Professional sports/entertainment like
NASCAR racing will always use the latest equipment
regardless of cost [but within restraning rules].
Some sports, like sailing, actually become more accessible
with modern equipment - try pricing a clinker-built
hull today against a glass one. And many pieces of
equipment simply wear out beyond repair and are replaced
with modern equivalents. Soaring does not fit into
any of these categories.

Soaring for beginners does cost more in glass in the
USA today. That may not be ideal, but it is true.
Sharing equipment within a club helps bring costs
down, but a 2-33 is still much less costly than a G-103.
And until the sport starts growing again, economics
will still be a very important consideration especially
for beginners.

There is also a strong argument for primary training
in low-performance equipment. You will learn the importance
of glide ratio faster and deeper when you are short
of L/D. You will have penetration burnt into your
memory when you have none. You will really appreciate
climbing in a thermal when it contrasts with sinking
like a stone in dead air. A lot of navies until recently
still had sailing vessels for cadet training for this
very reason, and most still encourage sailboat training
because it does teach you some things about the sea
that you may never learn in a frigate.

Agreed, low-performance training is not to everyone's
taste. But be-littling the Schweizers shows a certain
narrowness of mind. And remember, you are not compelled
to fly them -you only have to find the operation that
uses whatever kind of equipment you prefer.

I don't think you will find any of the Grob family
visiting remote gliderports. So for historic and sentimental
reasons alone, long live the Schweizers.

Ian