"F.L. Whiteley" wrote in message ...
"Tom Seim" wrote in message
om...

Although I'm a purist, I agree with Eric that the effect overall is
beneficial for soaring. However, if you buy used first and second
generation equipment, you will likely spend an equal or greater time
maintaining your equipment to a high standard than actually soaring.


Only if you fly less than 10 hours a year.

The required engine/propeller maintenance (change the plugs &
re-torque the prop bolts) on my DG-400 can be done in 1 hour.
Additional time depends upon what breaks. As the engine is only run
10-15 hours a year things don't have a tendency to wear out much.

PIK-20E is notoriously time consuming. Our local DG-400 is showing a
similar tendency regardless of the requirements. Has something to do with
the prior owners, but the problems have included electrical and fuel and
steerable tail wheel over the years. Doesn't seem to fly as often as I'd
expect, though the current owner is very enthused, though rather perturbed.


Make no mistake, foregoing necessary maintenance will catch up to you
in the end. Some problems go on for years because the owners are
inexperienced and/or ignorant. Some aspects of maintenance are
peculiar to motorgliders (the extension mechanism, for instance). As
an example, I was experiencing numerous retraction problems that
required that I use the emergency override (it's helpfull to have 3
hands in this situation). Everything ALWAYS worked fine on the ground.
I eventually solved the problem by adjusting the prop position sensor
(it seems that subjected to the forces of airflow the gap increased
slightly). There is a DG users group that discusses these maintenance
issues.

It's about a 50/50 split between self-launching pilots I've met that can
soar effectively and have no clue.


Come to Richland some time. I can't over exaggerate the convenience of
noticing the cu building in mid-morning and leaving work at lunch to
go play for the rest of the day.

Drove through there twice earlier this week on a road trip to deliver a
glider to Cle Elum. Monday afternoon (early) looked pretty good for April
though the high stuff was coming in pretty quickly. The terrain between
Ellensburg and Yakima looked very intimidating.

We flew off our winch yesterday. Of the 20 or so launches, more than half
hooked soaring flights (We weren't pushing back to the fence, so 1600agl was
typical launch height). Nice cu to 11,500 despite all the media howling
about the snow storm (tracked further south than expected, 3ft in places).
$8/launch.


I'll have to come up and get my "aerotow only" restriction lifted on
my license (see my other comments on how to reduce the cost of a
glider license).

Tom