Wise words Bob - thanks.

Hana Zeidova is a good friend of mine.
She often flew my ASW-27 in Tocumwal and even if pushing the
glider to it's limits, she never made a scratch. Hana has a very good
risk management and she is a very good pilot. She is as well a good
professional photographer.

The manufacturer can solve the problem easily and he had already
six month to do so. Instead of blaming the pilot of having faked the
sent photographs, which were take to document all the problems
the factory could agree in fixing the problems in the factory and
agree to pay for the transports. I saw the problems personally and
the photos are not faked!! it would go as well against Hana's work
ethics and I understand her to be upset about these allegations.

The condition of the glider was so problematic, that only the owner
Hana and World Champion Ingo Renner got the permission to fly
it. Everybody knows that for example CG position is a very important
issue. Whenever I got a plane from the factory, I sat myself fully
equipped into the glider and we optimized CG position. I cannot
understand why this was not proposed.

It is understandable that harsh words might have been exchanged
about this issue. But I understand than the pilot of the plane is very
upset about what happened last year. The problem started because
the manufacturer refused to communicate and to cooperate. What
is so difficult to answer an email? to give some tips? to send some
needed technical data and information? I am sure both sides will
exchange apologies after a healthy business relationship has been
reestablished. But the first step has to be done by the Diana
factory.

Diana can get better publicity, as soon as the manufacturer says:
Sorry we messed it up, but we will now help to find out what
caused the problems and help to make this Diana-2 perfect for
your plans to fly further world records. Then it can be said that all
existing Diana's fly good. An apology to Hana's sponsor could
smoothen the second problem and hopefully get it's support back.
Nobody talks about lawyers when cooperation exists. Lawyers
are just bloody expensive and the money can be better for better
purposes.

I do not see how this should be so difficult.

I am happy also to report the positive issues about Hana's Diana
in futu That's nothing but fair. It only has to happen.

Chris
__________________________________________________ _

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Kuykendall"
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.soaring
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 3:28 AM
Subject: Diana-2 VH-VHZ, stranded in Australia (pic links only)


Reading all available accounts (not there are that many), I'm inclined
to believe that there is more than just a grain of truth to Mr.
Hostettler's accounting of the situation.

Developing a front-running competition sailplane of 15m span is an
incredibly difficult task. I find it very easy to believe that an
early production or pre-production unit would be behind schedule, over
budget, poorly trimmed, and in general not completely sorted-out to
the promised degree. I find it especially easy to believe that such
would be the product of a company with limited (that is, not Schempp-
Hirth or Schleicher class) development and production resources.

The important thing to understand is that sailplanes are specialty
products, not commodities. The are all hand-made. But some sailplanes
are more special than others. The Diana and Diana 2 sailplanes are
based on some very innovative design features, developed solely to
improve performance. These are lightweight, high-aspect-ratio (low
wing area) ships that push the envelope of what you can do and what
you can get away with. Doing that is expensive and risky - the kind of
venture shunned by the more conservative established firms and
embraced by the bold and the foolhardy. The real trick with getting
involved in such risky business is finding the measure of the boldness
and foolhardiness in yourself and in your partners.

Here's the key question in my mind: How is Mr. Hostettler's Internet
activity affecting the situation at hand? Is it helping or hurting Ms.
Zejdova's probability of achieving satisfaction from Design Office
Bogumil Beres? On the one hand, you could say that it is raising
awareness of unsavory business practices and prodding the company to
action. On the other hand, you can say that it is supressing demand
for Diana sailplanes, placing the manufacturer in such financial
straits as to make it unlikely that they could ever meet Ms. Zejdova's
legitimate demands. The answer to that question determines what kind
of friend Mr. Hostettler is to Ms. Zejdova.

Thanks, Bob K.