There are at least three gliding forum places, one of which Mary has referred to above. Dealing with that first, it is on gliderpilot.net, and has two fora within it. One is “UK recreational aviation soaring” (“uras”) which is now intended for serious discussion (
Glider Pilot Network > uk.rec.aviation.soaring ). The other is “urasb” which is intended for banter (hences the additional “b”).
Unlike Mary, I find it quite useful. Just a matter of taste I suppose. It is almost, but not entirely, subscribed to by UK glider pilots.
The predecessor to that is an American-based site, with a mainly American but to some extent worldwide constituency of contributors, "ras" - recreational aviation soaring.
(
Discussions - rec.aviation.soaring | Google Groups ) It is one of many recreational aviation fora on Google groups. There is also a link to it on gliderpilot.net.
The third area I have in mind was set up by a British expat who now lives in America and flies gliders there. He used to be a significant contributor on ras, and still occasionally posts there, but was evidently dissatisfied in some way with that and set up his own group of fora. I look at it occasionally, but it doesn't seem to be very well used. (
Silentflight.com )
There may be others that I don't know about, for example I strongly suspect that there is one in Germany.
Regarding I0540's last point, about organisation and political clout, I don't know exactly what we do differently from anybody else in general aviation. What I have noticed, when attending meetings or venues where volunteers are required from air sports or general aviation participants, there seem to be a higher proportion of glider pilots who come forward than others. I have no idea why this should be the case.
Just as one example, when I was at a Royal Aero club parliamentary committee meeting one day, everyone round the table was asked to introduce themselves for the benefit of one or two new people, and say where they came from. More than half the people who were attending that day and had volunteered to work on that committee were glider pilots, all known to me personally, because we have been working together there and elsewhere over many years for the common good as we saw it.
I saw the same thing at the FAI, which is the world governing body for air sports. I first went there as the UK delegate from the Royal Aero Club (not for gliding particularly) to attend the newly-formed FAI environmental commission. Once again, I found most of the people who volunteered to work on that commission were glider pilots, though some also flew power.
Chris N