In article ,
Jim Beckman wrote:

At 23:29 08 November 2010, bildan wrote:

As a former ride pilot, I can assure you "Those People" aren't
"dilettantes", they're just people - mostly very nice people, who
decided to give gliding a try. Judging them to be dilettantes is just
one of many examples of how we chase people away.

I was referring specifically to potential rides who walk away from the
opportunity when they see that the vehicle is going to be something less
than what Thomas Crown (latest version) flew. Those folks, if not
dilettante, are something even denser.

I assume everyone posting to this thread with this attitude is flying a
1-26, a PW-5, or something similarly economical, right? I'm sure none of
you would be so shallow as to have spent a bunch of extra money on a
shiny glass slipper....

Appearances matter to almost everybody, to different degrees. This is
simply a fact of life that we have to deal with. If you don't want those
people, that's a perfectly valid desire, but it does mean greatly
limiting your pool. Having something shiny and modern to show off isn't
a fault, and the people it attracts can still be valuable members to
have.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon