Bob, you have asked 3 spcific questions which I will answer below, but let me ask you 2. What make and model motorglider have you flown, and how many flights.

#1, does the Purist have to manage his flight differently that the MG pilot..
Yes for retractable pylon motorgliders there is a big diference. If you intend to do a self retrieve you need to quit sooner. When you intend to start in the air you change your high performance open class glider into a ratty 1-26 (at best) with no guarantee you can turn it back. So not only do you need to have a Landing Option in reach but it must be much closer than you clean polar would show. Basically below you. You need to be high enough to absorb this loss of performance and still make a controlled approach with low performance configuration. Now if I was flying my unpowered glider where I wanted to insure an aero retrieve I would be limited to airports (in my club) and flight management would be diferent as well.

#2 I think motor gliders and unpowered gliders should be scored the same. In the OLC there are far greater contributers to the scoring than an ability to self retrieve. Availability to take advantage of the weather is the largest. If you can only fly on weekends or if you can fly when it is good make a huge difference. I am asuming you are looking for a "local" comparison of scores as location might be the biggest contributer to scores. You asked in a diferent thread how to evaluate the difficulty of a flight on olc.. In my case most of my best scoring flights were the easiest. Some good weather and high cloudbase and long flights are "easy". Having a motor does not make a soaring performance easer to me. That said, I have used my motor to fly to sharable conditions to start earlier. But I have taken longer tows to do the same thing. In the same light most all of my in flight starts are relights if I tried to start too early. But no diferent from a well staffed tow operation.



#3 I think this is where we differ the most. I do not think having a motor inhances safety other than hopefully keeping out of offlanding fields. Unfortunately I belive this is born out in accident statistics. Having a motor does not ever factor into my thinking about crossing unlandable terrain. I am only speaking from my personal perspective, but once I hear the engine bay doors close, a sence of relief sets in that I am in a glider again. I dont think about the motor until I start it up to taxi back to my trailer.. If I am getting low I manage my flight as if I did not have a motor, with the exception that I might need more margin.

I had an experience with my unpowered glider that illustrates this. I had to cross unlandable terrain and I thought I had adequate margin (2500 over to an airport) I headed out and got crushed with wave sink. My arrival was rapidly diminishing with no real option but the trees. I finaly crossed the last trees at 300ft with my gear still up. I had a share in a duo turbo at the time. There was no point in that glide where it would have been safe to extend the turbo for a start. Had it not worked I would have been in the trees. The only things where you can just "push the button" (your words) is a Turing motorglider or fes. They might not work so you can't rationaly rely on them, but at least you haven't made thngs worse by engaging "plumet mode (Dave's words)...