FES selflaunch

Walt

It does not become an ASEL, its type certified (or experimental) as a
glider. Now it might be possible if somebody really wanted to have
some touring motorglider certified under either - and some may well
have been.

Asking for them to be ASEL would be the *last* think I would want, but
I am concerned that the self launch endorsement training can be
problematic - its possible for somebody to sign a pilot off but as
Bill says some of these are complex and things like system
understanding, pre-flight/simple maintenance and emergency procedures
need to be really gone through well. And all this vary widely between
types--especially between a typical retracting mast and touring style
motorglider. And chance to practice emergency procedures in a complex
single seater without the instructor being there is reduced, but this
at least better get talked about, and the instructor better make sure
you know where to put your fingers when things go pear shaped.

I've met motorglider owners who seem oblivious to about simple stuff
like the proper oil to use, how the lubrication system and different
alarms on the engines work -- scary stuff. Did they ever read the
pilot or maintenance manual?

I used to have a power license, I did my formal self launch sign off
in a Grob 109, not at all relevant to the ASH-26E that I fly, but both
the (very experienced) instructor and I knew that and he pushed me on
a nasty windy day. In reality it was really a ASEL taildragger sign
off, but we talked though some of the nasty stuff with retracting mast
motorgliders. Then through the ASH-26E owners community I ended up
sitting down with a current very experienced owner and did an informal
ground school then talked things over with an instructor/examiner who
signed me off in the ASH-26E. I felt like I had pretty good training,
but YMMV.

There are some good instructors out here who can teach this stuff, but
there are just not many of them, and not many two seat motorgliders.

Darryl