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#1
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LS-4? What about 1-26 or making a cheap sailplane?
A Posit:
If a sudden miracle of economics or foreign exchange rates occurred, and gliders that now cost US $130,000 - $150,000 or more delivered to USA with trailers and instruments were made available at US $30,000 - $50,000 I do not believe it would substantially increase the number of glider pilots in the USA. Think now, for a moment. Is that shocking? Consider this. This is significant. The Premise: A hundred thousand dollar reduction on cost of gliders yet in response to that the glider population in USA would not increase significantly. Why? It is because the appeal of glider flight is to a very special self- selecting population. Do you believe that? I do. While essentially simple in some respects, glider flight requires considerable dedication of thought, experience, practice and frequency, physical risk, equipment risk, money; it requires an appreciation of the beauty and forces of the sky in a way that is appreciated and valued by very few. For in this USA most are accustomed to an Instant Gratification Wo |
#2
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A Posit:
If a sudden miracle of economics or foreign exchange rates occurred, and gliders that now cost US $130,000 - $150,000 or more delivered to USA with trailers and instruments were made available at US $30,000 - $50,000 I do not believe it would substantially increase the number of glider pilots in the USA. Think now, for a moment. Is that shocking? Consider this. This is significant. The Premise: A hundred thousand dollar reduction on cost of gliders yet in response to that the glider population in USA would not increase significantly. Why? It is because the appeal of glider flight is to a very special self- selecting population. Do you believe that? I do. While essentially simple in some respects, glider flight requires considerable dedication of thought, experience, practice and frequency, physical risk, equipment risk, money; it requires an appreciation of the beauty and forces of the sky in a way that is appreciated and valued by very few. For in this USA most are accustomed to an Instant Gratification World and to Spectator Enjoyments at no personal risk; Further, significant gliding requires time, patience, long term ambition, long term skill building, mistakes along the way, skinned knees, grease on shirts, lifting wings, putting together, and taking apart ones good glider daily ordiinarily, hours and hours in hot sun and glorying in that, tolerance or encouragement from one's partner (wife or girlfriend) or doing without a partner or wife (certainly that is the easiest way), a burning desire and need to soar, to rise up upon the sky and to rise with wings like eagles. It is my opinion that the taste of The Fruits of The Sky to be squeezed and distilled from gliding are to be savored and enjoyed much and bountifully by a very dedicated few who are committed for the long term. I do not want it that way yet believe it is that way. We do not want to restrict our joy of gliding and soaring to ourselves, and many selflessly share it, yet it remains scarcely tasted and appreciated. For few are they who would seek to become vintners in this joy, willing to plant, to till and to reap a harvest and to distill it into the cognac of great excellence after much practice and waiting and even apparent wasted efforts. We are who we are welcoming all comers, yet how many will come? With kindest regards to all. Dancing on clouds, Keep it up! Jim Culp USA GatorCity Florida Asw-20C |
#3
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"Jim Culp" wrote in message ... A Posit: If a sudden miracle of economics or foreign exchange rates occurred, and gliders that now cost US $130,000 - $150,000 or more delivered to USA with trailers and instruments were made available at US $30,000 - $50,000 I do not believe it would substantially increase the number of glider pilots in the USA. Think now, for a moment. Is that shocking? Consider this. This is significant. The Premise: A hundred thousand dollar reduction on cost of gliders yet in response to that the glider population in USA would not increase significantly. Why? It is because the appeal of glider flight is to a very special self- selecting population. Do you believe that? I do. While essentially simple in some respects, glider flight requires considerable dedication of thought, experience, practice and frequency, physical risk, equipment risk, money; it requires an appreciation of the beauty and forces of the sky in a way that is appreciated and valued by very few. For in this USA most are accustomed to an Instant Gratification World and to Spectator Enjoyments at no personal risk; Further, significant gliding requires time, patience, long term ambition, long term skill building, mistakes along the way, skinned knees, grease on shirts, lifting wings, putting together, and taking apart ones good glider daily ordiinarily, hours and hours in hot sun and glorying in that, tolerance or encouragement from one's partner (wife or girlfriend) or doing without a partner or wife (certainly that is the easiest way), a burning desire and need to soar, to rise up upon the sky and to rise with wings like eagles. It is my opinion that the taste of The Fruits of The Sky to be squeezed and distilled from gliding are to be savored and enjoyed much and bountifully by a very dedicated few who are committed for the long term. I do not want it that way yet believe it is that way. We do not want to restrict our joy of gliding and soaring to ourselves, and many selflessly share it, yet it remains scarcely tasted and appreciated. For few are they who would seek to become vintners in this joy, willing to plant, to till and to reap a harvest and to distill it into the cognac of great excellence after much practice and waiting and even apparent wasted efforts. We are who we are welcoming all comers, yet how many will come? With kindest regards to all. Dancing on clouds, Keep it up! Jim Culp USA GatorCity Florida Asw-20C Yes, it belongs with the seekers. |
#4
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For once Jim you have made some sense.
Somehow we need to sell the concept that gliding is about enjoying and experiencing the enviroment we live in through flight and that whatever your 'flying' aspirations, gliding and soaring can fulfil most of them. Dave Martin At 06:54 14 November 2004, F.L. Whiteley wrote: 'Jim Culp' wrote in message ... A Posit: If a sudden miracle of economics or foreign exchange rates occurred, and gliders that now cost US $130,000 - $150,000 or more delivered to USA with trailers and instruments were made available at US $30,000 - $50,000 I do not believe it would substantially increase the number of glider pilots in the USA. Think now, for a moment. Is that shocking? Consider this. This is significant. The Premise: A hundred thousand dollar reduction on cost of gliders yet in response to that the glider population in USA would not increase significantly. Why? It is because the appeal of glider flight is to a very special self- selecting population. Do you believe that? I do. While essentially simple in some respects, glider flight requires considerable dedication of thought, experience, practice and frequency, physical risk, equipment risk, money; it requires an appreciation of the beauty and forces of the sky in a way that is appreciated and valued by very few. For in this USA most are accustomed to an Instant Gratification World and to Spectator Enjoyments at no personal risk; Further, significant gliding requires time, patience, long term ambition, long term skill building, mistakes along the way, skinned knees, grease on shirts, lifting wings, putting together, and taking apart ones good glider daily ordiinarily, hours and hours in hot sun and glorying in that, tolerance or encouragement from one's partner (wife or girlfriend) or doing without a partner or wife (certainly that is the easiest way), a burning desire and need to soar, to rise up upon the sky and to rise with wings like eagles. It is my opinion that the taste of The Fruits of The Sky to be squeezed and distilled from gliding are to be savored and enjoyed much and bountifully by a very dedicated few who are committed for the long term. I do not want it that way yet believe it is that way. We do not want to restrict our joy of gliding and soaring to ourselves, and many selflessly share it, yet it remains scarcely tasted and appreciated. For few are they who would seek to become vintners in this joy, willing to plant, to till and to reap a harvest and to distill it into the cognac of great excellence after much practice and waiting and even apparent wasted efforts. We are who we are welcoming all comers, yet how many will come? With kindest regards to all. Dancing on clouds, Keep it up! Jim Culp USA GatorCity Florida Asw-20C Yes, it belongs with the seekers. |
#5
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At 03:30 14 November 2004, Jim Culp wrote:
The Premise: A hundred thousand dollar reduction on cost of gliders yet in response to that the glider population in USA would not increase significantly. Why? It is because the appeal of glider flight is to a very special self- selecting population. Do you believe that? I do. I agree. But I also believe that the proportion of such people in the USA at least equals that in Germany or Poland. And for some of us, money does make a marginal difference. Ian |
#6
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Dave Martin wrote in message ...
For once Jim you have made some sense. Somehow we need to sell the concept that gliding is about enjoying and experiencing the enviroment we live in through flight and that whatever your 'flying' aspirations, gliding and soaring can fulfil most of them. snip Soaring is a wilderness experience. That concept appeals to many. Matt Michael |
#7
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I would like to suggest why soaring is dwindling. In the modern era of
instant gratification, how many people want to go around in a circle at 40 mph, without going anywhere in particular? Although I like going low and slow, I admit I am a bit different. I get a kick out of spending $200 an hour to hover in a helicopter 3 feet way from where I started while not being able to take my hand off the controls to wipe my runny nose. Let it drip. The secret is not to make the sport cheaper, but make it more exciting (I am a rabble rouser at heart). And, get rid of the tow pilot. What about a steam catapult, to rocket the passenger up at rocket ship speed, then let him glide back to earth in a ship with a L/D of 6. The less lift, the faster they come down and the more often you can rent the ship out to make money. I would plunk down $200 for a 10 minute ride, then spend 20 minutes to get it ready for another launch. If they are small, they can have a ballistic parachute attached when something bad happens. With enough money coming in, business people will buy then and set up their own parks. We can promote it by saying that we are getting people ready for space travel. Or for a more exciting ride, how about a hydrazine rocket - well guess Germany already tried that. Colin N12HS --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.783 / Virus Database: 529 - Release Date: 10/25/04 |
#8
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---------- Dans l'article . net, "COLIN LAMB" a écrit : ... The secret is not to make the sport cheaper, but make it more exciting (I am a rabble rouser at heart). And, get rid of the tow pilot. What about a steam catapult, to rocket the passenger up at rocket ship speed, then let him glide back to earth in a ship with a L/D of 6. The less lift, the faster they come down and the more often you can rent the ship out to make money. I would plunk down $200 for a 10 minute ride, then spend 20 minutes to get it ready for another launch. If they are small, they can have a ballistic parachute attached when something bad happens. With enough money coming in, business people will buy then and set up their own parks. We can promote it by saying that we are getting people ready for space travel. Or for a more exciting ride, how about a hydrazine rocket - well guess Germany already tried that. ... I am doing the best I can to promote our sport, this includes spending money to get my instructor rating and instructing for free as this is the most frequent case here in France. However this is in some way completely egoist. I know that I will be able to continue to fly gliders only if a sufficient number of pilots continue to do it, so I have to help if I want that our sport don't vanish. However the kind of flight you are describing in your post has very few to do with soaring as I like it. It may bring some money to some commercial operator but I think it has no interest for me nor for the gliding community as it is presently. It would rather be an inconvenience for traditional gliding, as it would take some space and some money which could otherwise be used in our sport. |
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