One of my clubs has been using a Puchacz as its basic trainer for more than a decade now, with excellent results. Compared to the Blaniks we used before, the pupils need a few more hours before solo, but the ship is much more comfortable. It makes the transition to a glass single seater like the Astir CS a bit easier (but we usually have the pupils doing some doubles on a Twin just to be sure).

Spinning issues: the Puchacz spins beautifully and stops spinning correctly, but one needs to effectively apply the controls to terminate the spin, especially if centred slightly rearward. In most circumstances, it won’t stop spinning if you don’t push hard on the opposite pedal and put the stick forward, while a Blanik usually seems to stop as soon as you release the back pressure on the stick. The Puchacz flight manual describes the different spinning modes in function of the centre of gravity and aileron position, so it pays to read it.

Maintenance: the automatic connection of the controls has a downside. The connectors must have a very tight fit to avoid creating excessive play. So there are two extreme situations: tight fit making the glider rather difficult to assemble, or glider easy to assemble but with too much play in the controls… One also has to regularly check the bungee cords in the main wheel suspension system.

Another issue is the very inefficient wheelbrake system. It only functions (and not very efficiently at that) if the wheel axle is perfectly smooth and slippery, as the wheel has to be pushed sideways on it by the mobile braking disk, against the fixed braking disk. There is not much leverage, as you have to pull on a small ball at the end of a very long cable. Without the benefit of a Bowden cable, your hand moves to and fro with the movements from the sprung undercarriage…