Great reply Eagleflyer - you have brought to light many issues generally neglected by the so called serious modellers.
I have gone through a similar set of experiences - and so now when I go to the field, I put it a few models - The show model with the big engine and bold color scheme and 3D potential, The smaller fun model, with a glow engine and everyday 3D performance, The smaller electric with brushless and LIPO, and perhaps another one for slow puttering around.
At the field I assemble the big model first - for everyone to notice, I have arrived. But its the glow one which is first to fly. Many times the gas model is not even started - and when it is, everthing has to be perfect. No cluttered sky or noisy flight line, everyone anticipating almost another miracle - the biggie is about to fly now. HE is going to start the BIG one now. And thats what keeps me going, first sorting all sort of 'LITTLE' bugs, then swinging the prop hard over till arms feel like bags full of dead mice, pacing up and down the flight line doing a range check, and the list goes on
And then it finally flies - and when it does, everything falls silent - even the jet-skiers at the lakeshore stop and watch - it is just qualitatively different - the gasser beast.
So if you allow me, If you are flyer who wants to fly almost on a daily basis - stick with glow. If you are a flyer who needs to fly in order to live, and dont really mind some public attention at the cost of a LOT more work, go get some gas. OR, why not pack'em all together in your sunday picnic basket, glow-gas-electric and have a ball.

Cheerios
Sid