Note: The figures below are not for any particular glider or glider club but are presented here to illustrate the relative costs of soaring. It is possible to fly at lower cost than shown below but soaring is not inexpensive and the figures given here are realistic. For example: the aerotow cost listed here is probably too low. The insurance on the private glider does not include hull insurance and would be about twice as much with it. Maintenance and housing is probably a low figure also.

These are estimates for a casual pilot flying an average of 1/2 hr per flight and an active pilot who averages 2-1/2 hrs per flight. I am using moderate cost as determined from 15 years of experience flying at many different facilities. Costs of owning a glider are for a used older glider with moderate performance. - The cost of club membership is difficult since it depends on the number of members in the club and the launch methods used, and who maintains the equipment. I assume a healthy club where the members do much of the maintenance and operations.

From the cost results below you can see that casual flying can not justify buying a glider. However, it would be worthwhile owning only a share (1/3) and the pilot would gain easier access to soaring. An active pilot is far better off financially if they have their own sailplane. Obviously, the more you fly, the more it costs, however, the costs per hour of enjoyment goes down. The costs to the active non-owner may be over estimated since some sailplanes can be rented on a daily basis at a lower rate. Also it is more difficult to get a club glider for many hours at a time unless it is used during the week when there is less flying.

I have include transportation costs to and from the airport. These are not usually included in soaring but with the cost of fuel these days, it should not be ignored. Of course if you are going to drive to another activity include the cost in the other activity when making a comparison. Basically this casual pilot averages 45 min flyinbg each day at the airport while the active pilot averages 80 minutes. Transportation adds $40/hr to the casual pilots cost while it adds $9/hr to the active pilot's. It is obviously better if the pilot lives near the airport and drives a fuel efficient car or motorbike.