Sparrowhawk handling

On Friday, August 7, 2015 at 9:12:10 AM UTC-5, Hartley Falbaum wrote:
Is the Sparrowhawk handling suitable for a low time glider pilot who flies infrequently? How is pitch and roll sensitivity compared to say, a Discus B? One of our club members seems to have a big problem staying in position on tow. He does just OK in a K21. I need to know how to help him or conversely, suggest he do something else. I have 1-26 , 1-34, LS4, ASW20, ASW 27, DG808, and Discus CS experience.

Thanks in Advance

Hartley Falbaum CFIG, USA

I have a fair amount of time in a Sparrow Hawk and believe that if you can handle a 126 you can fly a Sparrow hawk. The stick forces are light and it is a pleasure to fly and easy to land and will fly when other can't.

Early in my soaring history I acquired 6 hours in a SparrowHawk. It is still the most fun of any glider that I have flown! I now have in excess of 800 hours glider time. The SH is by far the most responsive glider that I have flown- it has almost zero inertia, meaning that when you give a control input, the glider almost instantly goes to the new orientation and does not go past your desired orientation- it is like you are wearing it or it is part of you. The rudder is extremely responsive. On my first flight I was all over the place immediately after lift off and a little bit scary. I learned to lock my knees on the second takeoff and everything was fine. I stayed up out over the desert on my first flight for 45 minutes when no one else could fly. It can thermal on cigarette smoke! Cross country it penetrates much like a PW-5, however, it feels like a Ferrari while the PW-5 feels like a pickup truck and a Grob 103 feels like a big Cadillac. Two weak areas are the canopy and the landing gear- it is my understanding quite a few repairs have been needed in those two areas. A big surprise can happen on landing.. Since there is no suspension for the landing gear it can be quite noisy on touchdown when the fuselage attachment flexes- think of a .410 shotgun going off in the cockpit. I still have great fondness for the SH and someday if I feel that I no longer need long XC flights, I may try to find one to buy. I feel it is safe for a low time pilot, provided he has had some single seat experience and is aware of how responsive it will be on liftoff- it has more rudder than anything that I have flown!