DGs latest antics

Here we go again.. As expected, DG Flugzeugbau is now trying to
discover/invent deficiencies in the older gliders, in an attempt to
intimidate the owners into signing the "Service Contract".

There are now Technical Notes for older LS gliders about modifying the
canopy jettison mechanism. DG has marked these as "mandatory" but they ARE
NOT MANDATORY in any legal sense of the word.
There is NO Airworthiness Directive from the German LBA, and EASA has NOT
mandated these TN's. - As DG admits indirectly in the current text on their
homepage:

"And that is why we made this Technical Notes "mandatory" - latest March
31st,2013.
EASA responsible for Air Safety (!!!) has not agreed with this and has
therefore unfortunately not issued an AD (airworthiness directive), which
would make the retrofit officially a "Must DO" requirement, and instead
expects the owners of the effected gliders to carry out this retrofit at
their own convenience.
We hope that you are concerned with your safety and that you will carry out
this retrofit. DG has provided all required information for it"

Having said that, it is certainly a good idea to retrofit these gliders with
improved jettison mechanisms based on the Röger Hook. But it is evident that
DG is doing this for the money rather than for safety. If DG was genuinely
concerned with safety, they would naturally offer this retrofit for an
attractive price with which they could cover their costs and make a
reasonable profit. By forcing anyone who wants to retrofit to pay the overly
expensive "Contract", they in effect scare off many owners from even
thinking about improving the safety measures.

... But in a few weeks, thermals will roam Europe again, with or without DG
...

Lars Peder


PS: For those of you on Facebook, see
https://www.facebook.com/DGcustomers...reement?ref=nf