On Aug 14, 4:11 pm, Greg Arnold wrote:
When buying new, what lead you to get a second DG-1000 rather than
diversifying by getting a Duo Discus?
[snip]

I don't think we would have thought fleet diversity was a benefit.
With relatively low time pilots joining out club and working towards
flying the DG-1000S the less differences in the fleet the better. It
saves hassle with extra checkouts. And in a club all the little things
about procedures on how you rig gliders, charge batteries, connect
PDAs, where things get left, tied down etc. all is a pain the more
things are even the slightest bit different can cause lots of
problems.

I suspect some members would have also resisted getting the Duo
because of the differences in effectiveness of spoilers, worrying if
they might be pilots who get over-reliant on the very effective
DG-1000S spoilers. I know this not an issue on the Duo-X. Owning
several Pegasi the club is aware of the downside of less fleet
diversity with ADs or other issues hitting several gliders in the
fleet at the same time.

BTW BASA requires 60 flights and 30 hours PIC in a "high performance"
glider (L/D 33:1) for members to fly the DG-1000S but try to give
new members lots of opportunity to fly in the DG-1000S, including
cross country, with other members. Up until then new members (mostly
freshly minted pilots training in 2-32s) can fly in the club Junior or
Grob 103. BASA has an all plastic fleet, does not do flight
instruction, that is handled at local commercial schools. The club
does a lot to encourages cross country flying, encourages mentoring,
allows members to take gliders on XC training camps or safaris,
participate in local league contests in out gliders, etc.

Personally if I was buying a two seater XC machine I'd buy a Duo-X
just for the much better handling and thermalling 'feel' of the
glider, flying the DG-1000S feels like a truck at times compared to
the Duo (I've flown a Duo probably over 50 hours, but I've not flown
the Duo-X yet but friends who have describe the aileron force and
general feel as about the same as the Duo). For a club with an exiting
DG-1000S I think it is a no-brainer to get another DG-1000S. (also
nice for members including me who want to acro it.)

Just my personal opinion, I don't speak for BASA.

Darryl


Darryl