Debacle: Flight test of Diana-2

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

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.

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

Chester D wrote:

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.

If a 500 hours pilot can't handle a certified (which means something,
handling wise) 15m glider, then he should quit gliding *immediately*.
Or, he oher way round: If a 15m glider is so nervous that a 200 hours
pilot (*any* 200 hours pilot!) can't handle it, then I wouldn't call it
"easy and safe to fly", which was my point.

Stefan

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:09:02 UTC, Stefan
wrote:

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?

200 hours in 1250 flights is quite suggestive, don't you think?

Ian


--

On 17 Oct 2005 20:02:50 GMT, Ian Johnston wrote:
fly" or do you need more than 200 hours to be able to handle it?
200 hours in 1250 flights is quite suggestive, don't you think?

This _might_ mean that he is instructing a lot.

Bartek

In article ,
brtlmj wrote:

On 17 Oct 2005 20:02:50 GMT, Ian Johnston wrote:
fly" or do you need more than 200 hours to be able to handle it?
200 hours in 1250 flights is quite suggestive, don't you think?

This _might_ mean that he is instructing a lot.

And on a winch, to boot.

It seems inconceivable that any pilot could have such a low average time
otherwise. I just looked at mine out of curiosity (gotta log electronic
logbooks...):

Crew Flights Time Avg
==== ======= ====== ===
P 88 115:21 79
P1 141 96:11 41
P2 102 36:28 21

I'm not an instructor. So what you can see is that my average flight
while under instruction (including subsequent two seater ratings, site
checks, and BFRs) is 21 minutes. Average flight time when taking
friends for rides is nearly double that, and average single-seater
flight times are nearly double again (I'm a bit embarassed by how low
that 79 minute number is, actually).

--
Bruce | 41.1670S | \ spoken | -+-
Hoult | 174.8263E | /\ here. | ----------O----------

Ian Johnston wrote:
On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:09:02 UTC, Stefan
wrote:


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?


200 hours in 1250 flights is quite suggestive, don't you think?

Ian


...and so is your considered, insightful analysis.

Paul

On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 07:00:33 UTC, Paul
wrote:

Ian Johnston wrote:
On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:09:02 UTC, Stefan
wrote:


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?


200 hours in 1250 flights is quite suggestive, don't you think?

..and so is your considered, insightful analysis.

I have deliberately avoided giving any conclusions. I just think the
statistics are interesting, and that's not in a particularly negative
way.

Ian

Ian Johnston wrote:
On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 07:00:33 UTC, Paul
wrote:


Ian Johnston wrote:

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:09:02 UTC, Stefan
wrote:



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?


200 hours in 1250 flights is quite suggestive, don't you think?


..and so is your considered, insightful analysis.


I have deliberately avoided giving any conclusions. I just think the
statistics are interesting, and that's not in a particularly negative
way.

Ian


Well the conclusion is strongly implied. However if you did not mean to
suggest that the guy must be a poor pilot due to his low average flight
time, you have my unreserved apology.

That of course begs the question, what was the point of your post?

Kind regards

Paul

Ian Johnston wrote:
On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:09:02 UTC, Stefan
wrote:


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?


200 hours in 1250 flights is quite suggestive, don't you think?

Ian


...and so is your considered, insightful analysis.

Paul