Beginner questions about buying a sailplane...

On May 5, 9:39*am, vic20owner wrote:
No, I am not planning to buy anything for at least a year ... but I
have often wondered what other "hidden" expenses or obstacles there
are associated with buying a used glider.

I regularly see older planes in the $10K USD range (which is well
within my price range). * BUT, for future reference, what inspections
are required for the glider to be considered air worthy, and what else
should I know before considering such a purchase aside from obvious
structural damage or electrical problems? *How much damage should I
consider "normal wear and tear" such as delaminating wing tips, bent
rudder, etc which is a relatively easy repair versus something which
is major (wing struts, etc)?

Also, is there any specific paperwork (flight hours, maintenance
records, etc) I should insist on seeing, etc. *Is it common to pay
someone else to inspect the aircraft prior to purchase?

Lastly, are there any specific gliders one should avoid as a first
used glider? (such as homebuilt kit planes, etc)?

Thanks
-tom

If you plan to fly alot, buy a single seat ship. If you turn out like
most of the pilots I know, you'll probably fly solo a majority of the
time. For the occasions when you want to take someone for ride, rent
the club two-seater.

Do not base your purchase options solely on the ships you learn in.
There's way too many possibilities for a better fit for your needs
than to be limiting yourself so much.

To help get you started in your research for your first ship, pick up
a hard copy of the sailplane directory. There's a nice section by
Derek Piggot regarding different ships and handling qualities/
suitability for low-timers. It also gives other good information like
cockpit size, rigging difficulty, ground handling, etc. You could
also take a look at Piggot's book "Gliding Safety". It also has some
good information about the suitability of certain ships as a "first
glider".

Good luck!