Which 18m FES sailplane to buy?

Hello again everyone,

You all made my point, precisely. So just how many units of various models of FES equipped sailplanes do we need here in North America to reach critical mass, or, where a 'fleet' of aircraft is large enough to make it feasible to have a reserve of batteries on hand somewhere, anywhere? How difficult is it, for example, to have a large and wonderfully successful sport aviation components company the likes of 'Spruce and Specialty', or even our beloved 'Wings and Wheels', to stock a 'reasonable' number of serviceable batteries, either new or reconditioned? Appropriately enough, some of these same company already carry a line of batteries, with all manners of exotic chemicals, from lead acid, to Nicad, to gel, to lithium, to.....whatever the industry needs, and they possess the shipping expertise to deliver these dangerous goods 'overland' pretty much anywhere within a reasonable delay.

Now, please don’t think I am unsympathetic to the enormous efforts made by Luka in resolving these HUGE technological challenges. Quite au contraire mes amis, but before I pluck out anywhere between 120 000 and 200 000 American dineros on new glass, equipped with this marvellous new technology, I and many others need to see improvements in this area. And I wholeheartedly agree with Matt, this IS the future, however a dose of realism is required here. Please chime in here Lukas, yours is the voice that counts the most.

And to the other view expressed about relaxing transportation and handling regulations; as an airline pilot for our national carrier, that is the last thing I want to see happen. On any given flight, we are already carrying anywhere between 50 and 400 kg of lithium batteries IN THE CABIN as it is, depending on one's estimate. Our low cost division alone loads them by the trolley full as part of our on-board entertainment system, which on the narrow body jet is 20 kg or more just for this purpose, and from there it just escalates. Why just on the flight deck, with our jepessen airways and company manuals which are now fully iPad integrated, there is another 5 kg, if you count our personal smartphones and tablets.....anyway, you get my drift.. If anything, expect the regulations to get more complex and convoluted, not the other way around.

Thank you, it is a real pleasure.

John Hebert