How much do you spend on soaring?

[Hoot]

How much money do you spend on soaring per year?

Just a ballpark for radios, kits accessories, etc.

[redietz]

How much money do you spend on soaring per year?




Way too much.

[Robglover]

I'm betting that nobody in his right mind will answer this truthfully. Do you know my wife?

[ejett]

I'm not going to add this up because it would cause me too much trauma.

EJ

[WGH]

Drop in the bucket compared to what I've spent on Helicopters!!!!

[chlee]

It's a scary question, but one worth thinking about if you're on a budget or have other commitments. But I do keep track of these things in order to maximize my fun per buck.

I have a two-meter glider, a HLG, two hangar queens, and a moderately well-stocked workshop. I've also started vacuum bagging some wings for a micro HLG. This past year, it worked out to something like this:

two servos, $40
new Rx, $60
Rx and Tx batteries, $30
2-meter kit, $90
covering, glue, blades, etc. $50
foam cores, vacuum bagging supplies $60
epoxy $20
carbon, fiberglass, Kevlar cloth $50
new hi-start, $70
misc. trinkets, impulse buys and repair expenses, $150
AMA and club membership, $90

Total: $700 ish.

I'm now in grad school, so it's possible and desirable to tighten my belt. I think a low, realistic spending rate for me is whatever's required to maintain one 2m glider and one 1.5m HLG in flying order. Here's a high estimate, assuming that I'll destroy one plane and damage some equipment every year:

-one new wood kit per year plus everything needed to build it(covering/glue/paint/blades/sandpaper/etc.), $140/yr
-one new servo per year, $20/yr
-one new receiver every two years, $30/yr
-one basic Tx every five years, $20/yr
-one Rx or Tx battery every year, $20/yr
-one hi-start every two years, $40/yr
-Misc. repair, consumable items (servo arms, gears, nylon bolts, rubber bands, sheet balsa), $100/yr
-AMA and club membership, $90/yr

Total: $400 - 500 per year

If this strikes you as rather spartan, keep in mind that I'm a grad student. :)
- Chung

[schrederman]

LS-4A.......................... $28,500.00
Houston Hawk............... $285.00
Houston Hawks Dues...... $30.00/yr.
Soaring Club of Houston.. $30.00/mo.
AMA dues..................... $55.00/yr.
SSA dues..................... $55.00/yr.
Divorce Lawyer............. undetermined


I haven't bought the LS-4A yet, but it's coming....... beware the soaring bug! Once it bites you....... you're pretty much toast. If like me, it bites you twice...... well..... you get the idea!

Jack Womack

[Hudley]

Compared to being competitive in RC Cars..........soaring/ electrics are reasonable!
Probably spend about $1K/ year on flying.

Hudley

[WGH]

It's not a bug its a mental condition, I started with gliders over 20 years ago, switched to slimmer planks flown all types except jets, last 5 years have been wasted on helicopters and now I'm back to soaring. Of all the other types of aircraft I've flown I still find gliders to be the most fun, there is something magical about catching a thermal and riding it out.

[Soar_dude]

I am a real cheapskate I have been flying glider for the past 4 years all total about 1500$ my most expensive item spent has been my HITEC Eclipse 7 radio. I mostly fly woodies and foam.

Soar Dude

[Radian]

How much money do you spend on soaring per year?

Just a ballpark for radios, kits accessories, etc.


$2115.37 YTD
$3702.24 LYR

Radian

[ejett]

Jack:

I hope you are able to maintain custody of your sailplanes.

EJ

P.S.: I didn't see the other 2 Houston Hawks, the Legionair(s), the BoT, the AstroJeff in the list?

[ejett]

Since I have reminded Jack of some possible other stuff he left out of his list....

I guess I should own up to some of my purchases, but I still am not going to add up the cost (see Jack's post above for why).

2 Aquila standard class ARTF
1 Alcyone 3m ARTF
1 Aquila standard class kit (currently building)
1 Aquila Grande short kit from Dreamcatcher
1 Bot ARF (deceased)
1 Dynaflite Bot kit (currently being bashed)
1 BoT FG fuse from George Voss
1 set BoT ribs from George Voss
1 set of BotF ribs and webs from LaserArts
1 Alcyone 3m kit
1 Alcyone 2m kit
1 Airtronics RD8000 for my RES planes
1 Airtronics Vision frequency module for Woodcrafters (and then didn't go)
1 Chrysalis 2m kit
2 Spirit Elite ARF (one damaged in shipment and one as a replacement)
1 Spirit Elite kit
2 receivers
a shoebox full of servos
AMA membership and club membership of course
Do tools count?
Several cu.ft. of balsa and ply
Enough covering to cover the house.

I may have to have a sale...

EJ

[BeeDee]

yeah what some of these guys spent in the last year I have dropped on a Composite ship and Glass PSS bird just in the past couple of months.... LOL

I have a budget of 150 a month, but that never seems to hold... its more of a suggestion... and then I can skim any OT money and buy more crack I mean planes... (Same diff)

BD

[AustinTatious]

Try DS-ing!

Let me see,

2 Electrons - $190
2 enigma Dlg's $460
1 Art hobby Thermik $125
1 Thermal Eagle $450
Blaster DLG $330
Sophisticated lady $25
Moth $ 60
Trip to CA $600


Building supplies
and servos and misc >$300


> $2140 and thats a years worth! ohh man.. I shouldnt have added that up....

I still ahve the eagle , the blaster, and one of the electrons. The enigmas served their purposes and did right well till I launched the first one with the TX off... I did the same thing with the second one but it survived.. then I promptly launched it into a tree. It did not survive retrieval... they both went on to become very fast DS ships until they met their doom.

Also there was more incentive for the CA trip other than flying, but that was a big part of it. If I had not flown, I would not have needed the Hotel or would have spent as much money while there. IT also cost me the electron and an Enigma DS.... ok ill stop trying to justify everything now. lol, damn...

[Red Baron]

I thought I was bad, but some of these make me look like a cheapskate!
Most of mine are second hand, so I did ok out of them!!
Here's some prices for the Brits on the forum

Lets see.
Models;

PMP Synergy-£55 less the radio gear
Mogan (60" home brew) second hand, £40 including radio gear (brilliant aerobat)
1/6th scale LS3, £40 including radio gear
1/4 scale LS4, £40 less the radio gear (good light wind sloper)
1/6 scale Icare DG 600, £175 less the radio gear (very fast plane, luvit!)
Zagi, £35 less the radio gear
That 140" model that I need to build new wings for, £70

Radio gear;

Multiplex cockpit Tx, £135
about 5*receivers at £30 each
somewhere in the region of 20 servos, rangining from £8-£28
about £130 total on batteries
£30 on silly things like Y-leads and switches

Materials;

Estimated £200 worth of materials and glues

Other stuff;

£18 per year insurance with BMFA

All this was over 3 years, and I'd like to point out I've never sold a plane, but I haven't included any of the fullsize stuff either.
Ok, I'm not as cheap as I thought I was!!!!
But if you love doing something and you have the money, why stop :D ?

Conor (a now empty pocket student!!) :o

[Soarbird]

I think I may be lucky here and I don't intend to add it all up!

My wife is into her fly fishing and her golf. There seems to be an unspoken law that we will not question each others expenditure on our pastimes which suits me fine. Building the second large glider this year and have just bought a full Kontronic motor, gearbox, ESC plus a pack of zapped and matched cells, a few new servo's, etc, not to mention the actual building materials. So won't add it up just in case she reads this somehow :eek:

The key thing is we both enjoy it.

Cheers

[scalesoar]

If you are adding and totaling costs, you are not seriously addicted ...yet.
People spend what they can on any hobby/sport. Compared to golf, full scale soaring, scuba diving in Bora Bora, R/C soaring can be a bargain, or not.
90% of "hobbyists" spend as little as they can to get their "fix".
$500-1500 per year I would guess. The remaining 10% spend what they need to get the best, the most, or the latest, regardless of cost.
It is about fun, not dollars.

For example if you think you are a serious TD competitor you will have 5-6 molded competition ships at $2000.00 each or more.
If you are serious about scale you might spend $5,000.00 on one sailplane, and have two, three, or a dozen. Perhaps you will also have a towplane worth $2000.00 to $7000.00.

The majority will have a park flyer or several, one nice $500.00 plane (conservative guess), a few junk planes or beaters, and one hitec transmitter, and will lie to their wives how much they spend. Well maybe we all do that...

It's all fun. Don't add, go fly.
JD

[Hawksnest]

I'm betting that nobody in his right mind will answer this truthfully. Do you know my wife?

No, but my first wife didn't like model airplanes, full size planes/gliders, archery, guns, boats, motorcycles, etc. either. :D :D :D Bill G.

[hbielich]

I have 2 kids in college and they have to pay their own way because I spent their college funds on soaring. They'll appreciate it more, right? Yea, that's it. I'm doing it for their sake, not mine.
What kind of father am I anyway?!?

[sailhigh]

If I add it all up, it will be too much. But it's a lot cheaper than a therapist.

ss

[Red Baron]

After adding it all up, I'd say it's cheaper per year than my girlfriend was! Having said that, we split up because I prefered my Krause LS4 to her. I figured out that they both had slender bodies but the LS4 didn't nag (Sorry, just kidding, but I couldn't resist!) :p .

[Tim Jonas]

I used to spend a boat-load, but now I am getting back into all wood nostalgia stuff. It keeps the heart rate and expenditures down.

[schrederman]

It is really fun to go beat up on a bunch of high rollers with a $250.oo glider... Kind of like taking money off a guy playing Pings when my Wilson K-28s are old as I am... DOH!!! I had better shut up about that... If anyone finds out I know anything about G _ _ F, I'll be in real trouble....

Someone other than Jack Womack... using his logon...

[Bud Morrison]

One Spirit Elite Arf $119.00
Six Servos $120.00
One Reciever $55.00
One Battery pack $12.00
One Transmitter $200.00

Pucker factor of first Zoom off the winch PRICELESS!

[aeajr]

I started about 17 monts ago. I fly sailplanes and electrics. About 1/2 of what I have spent so far has been in soaring so I will only count that.

Not counting what has been given to me as B'day, Father's day, Xmas, and the like ...

I would guess I run about $20-50 per month, though I think I will be slowing down as I now have 12 planes (6 electrics) and enough stuff to get them all flying and less than half are flying. I have actually reached the point where I am saying "no more planes".

Really, I have actually said that. I went to the WRAM show in February and came back with no planes. (servos, receivers, ... are not planes)

(Wow, look at that .....! Love to have one of those!)

I just gave away one 3Ch AM so a friend's son has his own radio as he learns to fly. I offered to sell a friend the used Prism 7X I got on e-bay as my first computer radiio ($65) but I will probably keep it after all. (like an old friend)

A lot of the electronics came off e-bay and about 1/2 were used, with no problems so far.

$25 per month will probably be a reasonable run rate if I plan my requests for B'day, Father's day, Xmas properly. Better than sox and ties!

[Daemon]

As I saw in a quote somewhere recently.
"There's a fine line between a hobby, and a mental illness."

Answer: way way way too much.. but luckily I don't have to justify
it to anyone but myself.
Let's see.. Just a rough cut at what's is or was in my collection.
(and yes, most of the planes here are slope or at last slermal planes)
Zagi 3C - gift
Omega HLG $160
Bowman JW - $60
Bowman Scooter - $40
Nemesis - $260
Jazz - $60
Bluto 48 - $60
used Miraj F3F - $650 (with servos, RX and battery included)
Bluto 56 - $70
Bolo DLG - $300 (built)
Coyote - $100
Moth - $60 x 2
M60 - $90
XP-3 DLG - $280 x 2
used Dogan F3B - $300 (built, including battery and 6 decent servos.. flies like a brick)
used Sting F3F - $900 (built, and included battery and 6 MicroMaxx servos)
Mini Weasel - $35
Windrider Bee - $40
DAW 3m Ka6E (half built) - $189
MiniBlade - $200 x 2
and I'm sure I'm forgetting *something*.

Ok.. so let's add that up.. $4400 in the last 3 1/2 years.
BUT.. that doesn't take into account servos, batteries and rx's.
Let's say the average servo is $30, average RX $45 and battery $15 (that's cheap but I didn't have to buy servos for my big crunchies).

11 - 2 servo planes.. $660 + $495 + $165 = $1320
7 - 4 servo planes $840 + $315 + $105 = $1260
3 - 6 servo planes but they all came with servos and batteries.. and one with an RX so just $90 in gear on the other two

Then subtract about four 2-servo planes worth of shared gear..
4 X (2 servos + rx + battery) = 4 x ($60 + $45 + $15) = $480..

Figure a dozen rolls of fiber tape at $5 / roll = $60
Another dozen rolls of ultracoat/solartex at $15 / roll = $180

Where are at so far.
$4400 + $1320 + $1260 + $90 - $480 + $60 + $180 = $6830

So lessee.. $6830 spread over 42 months.. is $162/month
Hey, that's not so bad. That's only half my car payment.

Of course that doesn't take into account:
Lots of replacement servos, CA, more tape, tools, wires, fiberglass,
chargers, carbon fiber, balsa, epoxy and other misc gear..

And you know what's really scary? I know people who would make
my investment look small. Folks who spend $1000 per glider sans
gear, and then blow a couple of them up on the backside
DSing every year. ;)

Basically I thow quite a bit of money at a large collection of high perf
foamies, medium sized collection of hand launches, and then am
pretty careful about big crunchies, preferring to buy proven models,
used, often with gear. None of my planes are hangar queens, and
generally if I'm not getting any use out of one any more, I'll give it away
or sell it cheap (Omega HLG, Miraj F3F for instance)

Anyway, there you have it. An honest assessement of cost.
The great thing about the sport is that you can really spend as
little or as much as you want and do as much or as little building
as you want.

ian

[hbielich]

Let's see - auto fuel and tire wear, to and from the flying site (45 min each way or more depending where I fly). OK, so I have a Prius. I still have to get gas once in a while!
And all of the above...

[Daemon]

Let's see - auto fuel and tire wear, to and from the flying site (45 min each way or more depending where I fly). OK, so I have a Prius. I still have to get gas once in a while!
And all of the above...

Oh man. Don't even talk to me about gas. ;)
I work from home thus requiring zero commute. I put a tank of gas
in the car every week mostly due to driving to/from flying spots.

ian

[Hawksnest]

[QUOTE=hbielich] OK, so I have a Prius. I still have to get gas once in a while!
QUOTE]

Yeah, bummer, I had that once too, also got gas, but I got shots for mine and it cleared right up :D :D :D :eek: BG.

[jkeppeler]

Easy Riser kit............$40
Aquila Grande kit at Goodwill.......$15
Wing lumber and covering for Grande.....$45
Omei 2000EP......................$80
Electronics for all planes........$280
Glues and misc...................$60
Hi-start stuff.....................$80
------------------------------
total over 4 years.............$600

Nuff Said!