I had just finished my work for the season. Being an aerial applicator (crop duster) pilot flying a turbine AgCat in the mid-west, I had been going nonstop for the past 9 weeks taking care of the wheat, soybeans, and corn in North Dakota. Now after 300 hr of flying for work, I was ready for some flying for fun. I had been interested in acquiring another glider of my own. After being a member of clubs over the years and owning a Pilatus B4 while attending college out in Reno, Nevada, I missed having my own ship and going on crosscountry adventures. Now also being rather tight with the coin, and putting my wife through grad school, a shiny new glass ship was out of the question. I started perusing the Wings Sc Wheels website, used glider section. A few of the old classic ships of my lineage - Libelle's, Pik 20s, HP-18s -looked to be affordable, but thinking of the long winter and spring months without any paycheck coming in gave me second thoughts. I also was thinking of our family's future, as it looked like we would be moving up to North Dakota to be closer to my work. Since there are no soaring clubs up there, and I definitely wanted to soar, I was thinking of the necessity of getting a club going. I already owned a 200 hp Stinson that we could use to tow; maybe I should change my perspective and look for a 2-place trainer. There were no 2-22s or 2-33s avail- able for sale, but that brought me to thinking of an old friend - maybe I should look around for a 1-26.
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