Jack Womack

I love soaring... and I always have. I just bought an expensive model with all the trimmings, ie. digital servos, 5-cell pack, etc. Shipping and all came to $2,027.39 US Dollars. It's a beautiful, carbon-fiber model. Expensive? Yep... Worth it? Yep... Expensive? Well... not so fast... I bought another CF glider once... and it was 30 years old... and I bought it in owner's distress and still spent almost $14,000.00... OK, so it was full-scale, but it really was 30 years old and needed work. The fact is that if I wanted to buy a new, competitive sailplane today, I'd spend at least $150,000.00 by the time I got it shipped into the US, registered, etc. Contests are 10 - 14 - day affairs and you have to have a crew member with you, and pay for his/her lodging and meals, etc.

Golf... Fishing... etc... etc... all seem to me to be more expensive than flying model sailplanes... even when buying moldies and going to 2 - day. away contests.

OBTW... I have a VERY nice bass boat for sale for $13,000.00 right now... anyone interested? I'm a fly-fishing convert...

Jack Womack

davey53

looking at all the responces a mixed bag only time will tell if the hobby changes or not  thanks guys for your comments

feefo

Every penny I've got

austintyler

Its simple economics, more interest in the hobby (demand) will allow manufactureres to build in larger numbers and therefore decrease their operating costs which will translate to lower kit costs. The price of shipping will never decline unfortunately.
In the states, primary hobbies for adults are things like golf. I live in scottsdale az, it has the highest golf course per capita in the country. Even some LHS's dont know what warmliners, F5B,F3J are!

We need more demand to improve this hobbies prices

So, you must convert everyone you know into Soar Heads!