I would have to agree with most of the comments made here, including
the one about there being better ships out there for about the same
money. After all, when I put my money down, I didn't buy a 1-35.

I have never had the PIO problem that someone pointed out, but then
with the primary-subject sailplane, the landing flap is just pulled
back as the stick is moved forward.

I never had the float problem, either. I guess I have always used
enough flap and slowed her down to nothing before dumping any of it
off.

The comment about narrow runways with a slight downwind takeoff roll
and a weak towplane... That's asking for trouble in any sailplane, and
perhaps more so in one of tese ships, but I would think an SZD-55
wouldn't be any easier.

One comment that stuck out was the set 'em and forget 'em thoery. I was
taught to modulate these flaps just like spoilers. If the airspeed is
maintained, there's no appreciable loss of altitude in leveling the
nose while removing the flap. I have had 2 instances where I wasn't
seen in the pattern and was VERY glad to be able to back the flaps off
to 0 and extend about 400' and continue my final. This was of course
followed by a debriefing of the offenders about scouring the pattern
for approaching ships. So far, I've had 12 hours in my PIK, interrupted
for the summer by a surgery, but I've had no problems in modulating my
flap input throughout the pattern to maintain proper speeds and
altitudes.

Again, I wasn't knocking spoilers, either, but I do wish those knocking
flaps only ships would really look at the situation or just be quiet...

Jack Womack