Jim wrote:

On Saturday, June 2, 2012 2:14:05 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
Sure, a lot "senior citizens" fly gliders. But how many of them soloed at 55?

It's apparently much easier to learn to fly at 16, but a new student aged 55 is more likely to have the time and funds to commit to the sport and stay with it. That late middle aged guy/gal is more likely to step into the shoes of the winnowed ranks of the even older guys/gals that presently sustain the sport. A 50-something who is prepared to retire is more likely to step up to fill the ranks than an underemployed 20-something who is struggling to get established in career, family, and community during a prolonged recession and uncertain economy.

But my question is this, can an "old person" learn to fly and does the soaring community have the patience to teach them? Are there special challenges to developing an older student and how well are those challenges addressed?

WTF? Are you serious? Of course they can! Or, at least they have the same odds for success as the general population(regardless of age). Age is not a factor for the ability to master the challenges of piloting and flying gliders cross country. I agree that how fast one picks up the basic skills seems to be affected by age in some but that doesn't even justify your question. I have seen very young pilots acquire the required skills to fly but frankly I cringe at their blind courage to make some risky decisions without having any wealth of experience behind them.

I learned to fly gliders in my 50's with only about 100 hrs in SLE to transition from. I now have over 1000 hours in gliders, have flown them in contests, have several 1000k OARs and had flights from dawn to dusk.

Hank said it concisely that the "aptitude, motivation, and maturity" to fly gliders is certainly independent of age.

-Jim

Our (now retired) CFI always maintained that it was the late-learners
who had the "stupid" accidents. Although "aptitude, motivation, and
maturity" to fly gliders is certainly independent of age, put them in
a situation they never encountered before and the power of analytical
thought is much too low.

I am 73, soloed at 17, and have 4000 hours, but am acutely aware of a
deterioration over the last 10 years.