Andreas didn't tell all of the story: The cheap flying
at his club isn't the only thing included in the price.
The dues also includes a bunch of friendly people
and great food! The folks who work in the club house
kitchen preparing Saturday evening and Sunday noon-day
meals did a terrific job when I was there, and I bet
that tradition has been kept over the years. And,
of course since the club is in Germany, the beer selection
on hand was, and continues to be, first rate! Man,
do I have great memories from my membership in that
club!

At 16:24 12 November 2003, Andreas Maurer wrote:
On 12 Nov 2003 00:42:29 -0800, (Clint)
wrote:

There are lots of excellent gliding club websites and
most of them
give an indication of the rates for flying. It struck
me that the
Goldfields Gliding Club must have the cheapest rates
currently
anywhere in the world. Entry fee is about $14, annual
membership is
around $60, a winch launch costs less than $3 and an
minute is $0.14
(including K7, K13, ASK 21, ASK 23, ASW 19 and ASW
20). Instruction is
by an instructors panel which includes national team
members and world
record holders and is provided free of charge. The
club owns its own
airfield with hangerage available for private gliders
for $12/month
(thank goodness I don't have to rig my LAK every time
I want to fly).
The club has no dept and we try to keep the rates as
affordable for as
many people as possible.

$0.14 per minute... makes $8.40 per hour.
This translates into $420 per year for 50 hours. Add
$60 for the
annual fee and, say, $175 for about 70 winch launches,
you end up at
$655 per year.

Which is about twice the sum you'd have to pay at my
club.

In my club any winch launch is free, as well as flying
time. All you
have to pay is the anual fee of 128 EUR (64 EUR for
students) and a
fee of 255 EUR (for 50 hours) that covers all winch
launches and all
flying time.

We have ASK-21, DG-505, Ka-8b, 2*DG-300, ASW-24, ASW-27,
Super Dimona,
Robin Remorqueur). We also own our airfield as well
as three hangars.
Yes, we can also offer national team members as instructors,
and
instruction is for free....

I don't think that my club is an exception for a German
gliding club.

Unfortunately our weather can't match yours (half the
cloud base -
half the prize... lol).
But you are correct - the examples illustrate welll
how a healthy club
can offer a lot for little money.



Bye
Andreas