The glider was purchased for private use but keeping the standard
certification would be paramount to its resale value. This was
recognized by the small aircraft directorate at the FAA in Kansas City
and is part of the reason that the U.S. type certificate was modified
in 2006 (see above). As an experimental the aircraft cannot be used
for commercial rides. When giving rides for fun and not for pay as we
always do we will have to announce to the passenger that this is an
experimental and as such does not have the safety of a standard
certified aircraft. We will be limited to a 300 mile range of usual
activity. We cannot fly over populated areas (Phoenix suburbs).
Without requesting and receiving written permission from the FAA we
will not be able to fly outside of the 300 mile radius of a stated
home base in a usual manner.

The aircraft was purchased from AMS directly. At the time of the
initial certification problems we contacted DG and purchased a 2 way
ticket for a DG/German FAA inspector to come to the U.S. to inspect
and place a German airworthiness certificate on the aircraft. We paid
a special German FAA (LBA) fee for after factory inspection, bought
the airline ticket, and 4 days hotel fees. When the FAA decided to
grant the standard certificate without jumping through this hoop we
called off the inspector but lost all this money since none of it was
refundable (expedia ticket and reservations).

Now Mr. Dirks and Mr. Weber at DG have stated that the only way to fix
the problem is to send the aircraft back to Germany apparently for re-
issue. We feel that the AMS and DG oversight to distribute the
aircraft with proper paperwork to meet standard certification as
agreed upon in the purchase deal, and the flip flopping of the FAA 2
years after the fact has placed an undo burden on us as buyers.