On Saturday, December 23, 2017 at 3:15:06 AM UTC-5, Paul T wrote:
http://www.spr.aero/wcc-main-news/e-...-for-electric-
gliders.aspx

Greetings to all from a very snowy and cold Montreal;

I think you all fail to grasp the reasons for the creation of the 13.5m class in the first place, and now the debate is shifting towards 'powered', or 'assisted' flight within that class. It's really very simple: membership and participation in our sport/hobby/passion is waning, and any approach, wether influenced by technology, design philosophy, ergonomics, aesthetics, and perhaps most important of all, cost, taken towards shifting this tide, or at least curbing it, should be encouraged and not poo-pooed. God forbid had Wilbur and Orvil stuck to this glider-only mode of flight just to assuage the purist's sensibilities and a return to the ways of Lilienthal.

Would any sailing enthusiast out there forego the flexibility offered by an outboard motor on even the smallest of watercraft to get in and out of the marina for a club race against his buddies on a warm summer evening after work just for the sake of adhering to some old rule or concept? And how about the 'traditional', hand tool-only woodworker in a modern suburb? Do you honestly think he could put together a masterpiece without someone else using a chainsaw to cut the tree, a sawmill to prepare it, and at least one or more power tool to prepare the stock, and modern chemistry to perfect his adhesive? I digress.

I suggest that anyone who would argues against adoption of technology go out and create a glider class of their own, or join the 'Vintage Glider Association'. There are a lot of very happy blokes there, but they are not winning any races with their classic birds, and they could offer you many design 'suggestions' for your new class, to wit:


-No motor or propulsion of any kind
-No electronics of any kind, either for navigation or lift detection and thermal centring
-No radio to talk with ATC, towplane, glider port or retrieve crew
-No mobile phones (see above)
-No transponder or FLARM, so other contestants have no idea where your going
-No parachute, because they are for sissies, and neither Otto, Orvil and his brother had one
-No relief tube, as your flights will be short anyway
-No food, snacks or water (see above)
-No rubber undercarriage, skid only
-No instruments, yaw string only
-Steel tube, wood and fabric construction only
-No towplane, winch only, as we are in an environmentally and noise sensitive neighbourhood
-Open cockpit, NO canopy allowed, windscreen only. ( Maximum dimension 8" by 10" with 1/16" maximum thickness, to allow the birds a chance of penetrating the cockpit during high-speed final glide)

Gentlemen, nobody is forcing you to hang a motor on your beautiful 18m plastic whirligigs. But I would offer you my own reservations against the status quo: with the current world-wide pilot shortage, it is increasingly difficult to find 'experienced' young pilots willing and able to fly our aging fleet of tow aircraft. Too many times on weekdays when soaring conditions are good, I am the only one left to tow while all my 'mates' are off having a jolly good time while I am left festering in the corner of the field awaiting their triumphant return. Well not really, as I'm too busy sulking, but I can go up for a quick 15 minute sunset hope at the end of the soaring day when another tug pilot shows up after work. But maybe, just maybe, someday I could alight from the tow plane and hop into my little self-lauch 13.5m glider and enjoy the rest of the day.

Thank you for following through my diatribe.

John Hebert
Montreal, Canada