At 13:00 17 October 2005, Chester D wrote:
Stefan schreef:

Alexander wrote:

The testing customers were positively thrilled about
the way Diana 2 is
flying. Some feedback: the glider is easy to fly
and also safe. None of
the pilots (among them also competition pilots and
instructors) could
make the glider spin or stall completely.
...
Mr Sharma said to me personally that he had only
200 hours and
no experience on racing class gliders.

Hmmm... Now, you must decide: Is that glider (15m!)
'easy and safe to
fly' or do you need more than 200 hours to be able
to handle it?

Stefan

There are plenty of glider pilots, even with 500 hours
or more who
can`t handle performance gliders. They can in common
situations like a
local flight but when in trouble the plane is too fast,
too nervous,
just too hard for them to handle.

We are not talking open class here, the Diana is a
15 metre glider, unflapped with a claimed LD of 50.

Nothing special about that except the performance so
what is so difficult. I don't hear people saying that
a Discus (1 or 2) LS8 or any of the Scheilcher gliders
are anything but straightforward providing the pilot
has received the proper training.
One wonders what makes this glider so different from
those marketed by the established manufacturers apart
from the seeming determination of the makers to only
sell to those they deem suitable. No wonder that gliding
is in decline if it is so difficult to find someone
who is prepared to treat customers as a valuable commodity.
However good the product an uncaring and arrogant supplier
will put me off every time.



Most of those pilots know that themselves, others buy
a glider and get
scared in flight, few try to test-fly someone elses
glider.

Not the case here is it.