Hmmmmm, This is terribly sad to read (and my prayers
will be for their family and friends) but also very
pertinent as last Sunday, I took an aerotow to 3000'
and did my 'spinning' and some further exercises in
spinning. What aircraft did I have all this fun in.
. . You guessed it, a Puch. . . . Hmmmm, slightly
sick feeling in the stomach. . . It will be interesting
to read some more detail of the cause and specific
details if they are known. My experience was very positive,
the a/c span very quickly under the instructor's control
as I had been briefed. I just did what it said on the
can and was very pleased to feel the G as I recovered
and found the a/c behaving as per the briefing.

Having said all this and to end on a postive note,
I am hoping to get my first flight in a single seater
this weekend, probably tomorrow, hope you vastly experienced
guys (& gals) can remember just how excellent I'm sure
that must have felt! Any tips???

At 15:06 23 January 2004, Todd Pattist wrote:
Al Eddie wrote:

The issue is more likely to be of type familiarity
and recency in general, not the fact that a particular
aircraft type is totally predictable in its behaviour.

Upon what facts do you base your conclusion that the
aircraft has spinning characteristics that are 'totally
predictable?' Questions have been repeatedly raised
about
the spin behavior of this aircraft. I don't know if
it has
any problem, and I don't know if it has more accidents
than
any other type.

I do know that it is possible for an aircraft to have
unusual flight modes and spin modes that are difficult
to
enter and may occur only rarely in specific flight
attitudes
or other seldom encountered conditions. Unfortunately,
we
don't have perfect knowledge about what happens in
all
accidents. I don't think you can rule out unpredictable
behavior in the spin, nor attribute the accident to
a lack
of 'type familiarity and recency in general.'
Todd Pattist - 'WH' Ventus C
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)

David Pye
Kent Gliding Club
Charing

Mob: 07946-302975
Home: 01732-873088
East Malling, Kent, UK