The advantage of an Experimental glider, is that the owner can do whatever
he likes to it. The disadvantage of an Experimental glider, is that the
previous owner did whatever he liked to it.

Sheesh. A little oversimplification sure can go a long ways.

Maybe I just happened to come across the above sentiments at a weak moment,
but as someone who owned/flew 3 Experimentally-registered sailplanes
(Concept-70; HP-14; Zuni) over 34 years...and never felt my life was at risk
due to anything associated with those ships *not* having approved type
certificates...and who did a LOT of owner-maintenance (all entirely legally)
over those years - and all logged 'because I thought it was the right thing to
do' (regardless of FARs) - part of me wonders if 'the whole EAA thing' (of
which I've also been a member since 1979) is some sort of mirage.

If it floats your boat to 'go only the ATC-ed route' have at it! But to snark
at those folks who *enjoy* 'messing about with things experimental' as
lunatic-fringe-sorts, says a whole lot more about the expresser of those
opinions than it does about the (generally responsible) practitioners of 'the
experimental arts.' Think Stan Hall, Jim Marske, Dick Schreder, George
Applebay, Wil Schuemann, Burt Rutan, et (many-other-'nameless') al...

Perfection ain't an option when it comes to humans, as casual reading of (say)
a year's worth of NTSB Final Reports of general aviation fatal accidents of
ONLY ATC-registered airplanes (and gliders) will unequivocally show.
Suggesting ATC-registered airplane/glider owners are definitionally 'more
responsible' than owners of Experimentally-registered airplanes/gliders is
well beyond fatuous. Please...spare us all.

There - I feel better now!

Bob W.

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