Looking at an old Ercoupe today...

Shirl:
I wouldn't describe it as "very inexpensive", either! It can go either
way. Sometimes, "inexpensive" is hardly the case, with paying for the
tow and the minimum hourly rental for what ends up being a 20-minute
flight (approximate duration of a tow to 3000 feet with no lift). When
learning and doing several "pattern tows" in a row, it can get downright
expensive very quickly.

Shirl (licensed in gliders before airplanes)

Brian:
As with nearly any sport you can pay as much as you want. Getting a
glider license can be expensive but if you shop around and are
flexiable it can be inexpensive especially for a transition from
power. I had a freind transition about two years ago for less than
$800.

My annual expenses for about 50 hours of glider time per year have
been less than $1000.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
HP16T

I'm not trying to paint gliders negatively -- I agree that they're
great, and they *do* enhance power flying. But realistically, not
everyone has even ONE sailport within a reasonable drive from their home
with a vehicle, trailer and today's gasoline prices, let alone being
able to "shop around", and even living in Arizona, 4-hour flights are
possible a few months of the year, but they still don't happen with
*every* launch -- sometimes takes at least a couple of launches to
actually go soaring, and if you pay a minimum of $35/tow, that's at
least $70 for two launches and you may or may not find enough lift to go
soaring for an hour or two. Again, not knocking it at all...just saying
from what I saw at the facilities here (3 gliderports, each about an
hour drive in different directions), 50 hours for $1000 would definitely
have been the exception to the rule.