Cheap sailplanes

Hmmm, the George Orwell references are a little over
my head...but perhaps I am on a parallel track and
don't know it.

Soaring ain't going to become 'cool' anytime soon,
and I am not so sure it was in its heyday. So rather
then battling the fact that lumpy white old guys in
funny looking clothes are not a marketing tool...why
not examine who might be interested in an 'uncool'
activity.

The hang-glider population is not getting any younger,
and their landing gears continue to wear out...this
group seems to be making their way to sailplanes on
their own.

Software engineers seem to also be finding their way
to the sport...and the reality of the modern instrument
panel probably intrigues many of them.

I don't see young, fit skiers, snowboarders, parachutists,
cyclists as particularly fertile recruiting ground.


And once the vid-game generation comes of age...things
will probably get even quieter at the glider port.




At 15:00 04 December 2004, Chris Ocallaghan wrote:
Brand,

George wouldn't be proud. Saddened perhaps. Alas, 1984
came and went
and no one's the wiser. Of course, that was the point
of book. If you
enjoyed 1984, you might read his short essay... 'Shooting
an
Elephant.' I'm sure you can google it up. We don't
give Orwell nearly
enough credit, thinking of him more a sci fi writer
than the keen
social observer he was.

I guess what's truly disheartening is that we keep
making the same
mistakes. The least we can do is make new ones, if
for nothing other
than variety's sake.

What has this to do with gliding? Some of you will
get it.

Gotta go. Time to feed the proles.





(Brad) wrote in message news:...
who would be prouder to hear this Joeseph Goebbles
or George Orwell?

Brad



'Roger Worden' wrote in message news:...
'Steve Hill' wrote in message
...
I think we ought to concentrate on finding a venue
to air our
sport on TV...somehow. Anyone know anybody involved
with WINGS??

From AOPA ePilot today:

DISCOVERY CHANNEL TURNS IN ITS WINGS
Discovery Communications will, on January 10, rename
its Discovery Wings
Channel the Military Channel. Stories will focus
on the troops, their
equipment, the Iraq war, and a behind-the-scenes
look at actual military
operations. The channel won't abandon aviation forever,
however. It will
still cover topics like military jet fighters (a
show scheduled for January
28) and the world-famous Blue Angels flight demonstration
team (scheduled
for March 18).

Stewart Kissel wrote:
Hmmm, the George Orwell references are a little over
my head...but perhaps I am on a parallel track and
don't know it.

You have read "1984", have you not?

If not, then run -- do not walk -- to your local library and demand a
copy. It is the prequel to the 21st Century as we are living it.


Jack

Stewart Kissel wrote:
Hmmm, the George Orwell references are a little over
my head...but perhaps I am on a parallel track and
don't know it.

Soaring ain't going to become 'cool' anytime soon,
and I am not so sure it was in its heyday. So rather
then battling the fact that lumpy white old guys in
funny looking clothes are not a marketing tool...why
not examine who might be interested in an 'uncool'
activity.

The hang-glider population is not getting any younger,
and their landing gears continue to wear out...this
group seems to be making their way to sailplanes on
their own.

Software engineers seem to also be finding their way
to the sport...and the reality of the modern instrument
panel probably intrigues many of them.

I don't see young, fit skiers, snowboarders, parachutists,
cyclists as particularly fertile recruiting ground.

Don't be so sure. I paraglide, mostly because of the cost and also
convieniance. You will find the better paraglider pilots all have a
bigger interest in soaring as a whole, and respect and recognise the
skill soaring requires over any other sport (you have to read inivisible
weather systems, learn about areodynamics and so on). By soaring I mean
paragliding/hanggliding/sailplanes. Im sure when I have the money and
stability, I will move in to sailplanes.

Justin

And once the vid-game generation comes of age...things
will probably get even quieter at the glider port.

There are several sailplanes for sale in the UK for less than £2000 complete
with trailers ets. There's no time like the present!

Ian


"Justin Fielding" wrote in message
news:1102698925.a47248e379dbf1a123dc73f01a18448b@t eranews...
Stewart Kissel wrote:
Hmmm, the George Orwell references are a little over
my head...but perhaps I am on a parallel track and
don't know it.

Soaring ain't going to become 'cool' anytime soon,
and I am not so sure it was in its heyday. So rather
then battling the fact that lumpy white old guys in
funny looking clothes are not a marketing tool...why
not examine who might be interested in an 'uncool'
activity.

The hang-glider population is not getting any younger,
and their landing gears continue to wear out...this
group seems to be making their way to sailplanes on
their own.

Software engineers seem to also be finding their way
to the sport...and the reality of the modern instrument
panel probably intrigues many of them.

I don't see young, fit skiers, snowboarders, parachutists,
cyclists as particularly fertile recruiting ground.

Don't be so sure. I paraglide, mostly because of the cost and also
convieniance. You will find the better paraglider pilots all have a
bigger interest in soaring as a whole, and respect and recognise the skill
soaring requires over any other sport (you have to read inivisible weather
systems, learn about areodynamics and so on). By soaring I mean
paragliding/hanggliding/sailplanes. Im sure when I have the money and
stability, I will move in to sailplanes.

Justin

And once the vid-game generation comes of age...things
will probably get even quieter at the glider port.