Motorgliders (long)

Motorgliders fly at permanently higher wing loadings - not fair!
Motorgliders have to make the decision to start at least 500' above or 6km
before the non-mg does - not fair

But having a turbo means that I can attend a comp without having to drag
someone else along to sit around on an airfield whilst I enjoy myself. It
means that I can go and fly midweek and know that I can get home. If
motorgliding is keeping our sport alive then it's essential that we treat
the pilots of motorgliders fairly. I'm not suggesting that we allow them an
advantage just welcome them into the fold.

Is the problem not at the door of the task setters or rules that expect task
setters to attempt to get 10% of the field to land out? If the task is just
too long for the day then it's not the motorgliders advantage it's to
*everybodys* dissadvantage. We all get up-in-arms about safety but we all
accept being put in this position. A motorglider is as likely to sustain
serious damage following an engine failure over unlandable terrain as a
*pure* sailplane. Surely competition tasks where the tail-end charlies
finish at 120kph against the winners 150 kph are just as much of a race as
those where the winners come in at 120kph and the also rans come in at 80.

I'm a tail-end-charlie, I go out to have fun and I don't particularly mind
coming last provided I've learnt something or at least had a good weeks
flying and tested my limits. Knowing that I'd always be pushing my personal
envelope I went and bought a turbo so that I could still compete ( try to
get crew when you are seeded 50th in a field of 30! :-) ) I go to the comp,
make up the numbers, pay the dues, enjoy the company and learn a bit every
time.

PS: I wonder how many current MG/Turbo pilots were crews in their early
days? How many of them, like me, on some some dark, evil night in a remote
field , up to their ankles in mud with the rain lashing down, the pilot
asleep on the back seat of the retrieve car and a 250km drive home on
unsurfaced roads, swore that they would never, given the option, subject any
crew to that type of treatment?

Ian

"Duane Eisenbeiss" wrote in message
news
"JJ Sinclair" wrote in message
...
There are several questions concerning motorgliders on this years SSA /
SRA
pilot poll. Some of the questions may have been spurred by my letter
dated
7/11
03 which follows
........... None of us had enough altitude to
attempt a final glide home. Two landed at the turn point, but the two
motorgliders started a final glide for home over mostly unlandable
terrain.
They were hoping for a bump to get them home. Not getting the bump, they
both
started their engines a few miles from home and got distance points to
the
location where they started their engines. A few years back, I tried a
similar
final glide without sufficient altitude in my non-motorized Nimbus 3. I
ended
up a mile short with a broken ship.

I contend this is clearly an unfair advantage. I recommend we consider
returning to the rule that allowed the motorglider to have their engine
available for in-flight use, but they must land to get distance points.
Any
in-flight use would result in zero points for the day. ..............
JJ Sinclair

15-20 years ago when I was writing the rules I was probably the strongest
opponent of allowing motorgliders in sanctioned contests for the very
reason
that you state. When the pure sailplane finds no lift over unlandable
terrain there is a probable crash. The motorglider in the same situation
simply starts the engine. The pure sailplane pilot most likely would not
venture into such an area. That is definitely an unfair advantage. I
did
not think that it was proper to disable the engine because that would put
the SSA in the position of suggesting pilots fly their sailplane out of
certification limits. Therefore the rule was made to not allow
motorgliders
in sanctioned contests at that time.

Over the years the rules became more liberal.until we have arrived at the
current situation. I find it interesting that your comments are similar
to
my logic of long ago. Your suggestion of zero points for any "in-flight"
engine start is the correct way to go. This allows the motorgliders to
enter contests, but, still provides for a fair competition.

Duane