In article ,
says...
How about this question, instead: "Did the presence of the engine
cause you to place higher or lower than you would've without it?" I
think I finished lower; JJ thinks I finished higher. My philosophy is
I've flown a lot of contests, my wife has made a lot of retrieves, and
we're both happier if I accept some competitive disadvantage and we
don't have to do that anymore.

It's not surprising that a motor glider pilot would want to claim that
of course he has a competative disadvantage.

I flew unpowered gliders for 3000 hours before I began flying a
motorglider, which I've now flown for 1500 hours. I suggest this
experience gives me a good basis to understand the competitive
differences of the two types. To the best of my knowledge, the pilots
who think motorgliders have such big advantages have little or no
experience in them, and this why the claims of motorglider pilots are
often dismissed as self-serving.
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Eric Greenwell
Richland, WA (USA)