On 8/14/04 8:31 AM, in article , "Eric
Greenwell" wrote:

Liam Finley wrote:


What do you call a dozen busted 2-33's?

A good start.

I'd call it a sad loss to the sport, as most of those gliders would not
be replaced at today's prices. Each one likely added several glider
pilots to our roles each year, and that won't happen if they are busted.

The 2-33 is a poor sailplane, but a great training glider. It fits its niche
perfectly, as a bulletproof trainer. It is a great introduction to the sport
for many people.

Lots of clubs couldn't exist if they had to use more expensive trainers.

Blaniks are also fine aircraft, but fragile in high volume training
operations. Witness the recent experience of the Air Force Academy: their
switch to Blaniks has just about shut down their operation. 90% of their
2-33 (TG-4A) flights landed on the grass; they broke so many Blanik's doing
that that now 90% of the Blanik flights are going to the paved runway. They
are requiring a through-flight inspection by a mechanic after every flight.
This really slows the training pace, reducing the number of cadets who can
soar at all, let alone solo (they're not saying "soar for all" anymore,
either).

Think about the milestones section of Soaring every month: how many proud
teenage first-solo's are standing in front of 2-33's? Answer: most of them.
Without the availability of an inexpensive trainer, they probably couldn't
afford to fly, and many of their clubs or commercial operations couldn't
stay in business.

You may have grown beyond the 2-33: most of us do after a while. But it fits
it's niche very well, and will likely continue to do so for many years.

Bullwinkle