On May 19, 3:40*pm, "Morgans" wrote:
As a student pilot, thinking more about gliders lately, I started reading
this group. *I can't help but notice that talk of contests seems to dominate
the subjects here.

I think I would enjoy gliders just for the fun of flying, and seeing what
you could do individually, and for the beauty of silent flight. *Is it so
necessary to fly in contests to have fun?

How many people here just fly gliders without flying contests?

Role-Call?

Fly mostly in contests -

Fly occasionally in contests -

Never fly in contests -

Where do you all stand? *Curious, I guess.
--
Jim in NC

I don't fly contests but I give my full support to those who do. It's
just another aspect of a sport that has many facets. I enjoy reading
about it. The folks who write here about contest flying are just
hooked on their favorite activity - they're not putting anyone down.
Those who say, "try it and you'll get hooked" are right - I've seen it
happen. Contest flying is also potentially a great source of
publicity for the sport - the international Gran Prix circuit is an
example of that.

The neat thing about glider racing is that the cost of entry, while
not cheap, is low compared to other air sports like the unlimited air
racing at Reno or aerobatic competitions.

As you are a student pilot, contests are probably a few years away but
you can take it that there's plenty to this sport and no matter how
long you participate, there'll still be challenges - contests are just
one of them.