On Monday, 6 April 2015 03:29:47 UTC+3, son_of_flubber wrote:
Branching from a thread where FES related comments are not welcome...

On Sunday, April 5, 2015 at 7:55:55 PM UTC-4, jfitch wrote:

I do not own a sustainer, rather a motorglider (ASH26e) but some of the experience is relevant. 1) If you are looking at any auxiliary engine as a safety device, I think you will eventually be disappointed if not injured. 2) An engine significantly increases the pilot workload at just the moment you would like it to be reduced, that is when low and looking for lift or a landing site.

I've seen statistic that 5% of outlandings result some sort of damage to glider (usually minor). My personal statistics agree with this. Question is not whether engine increases risk compared to no-risk outlanding, but which of the risk is greater, landing out, or failing to start engine and then landing out.