Ursula Hänle's Petite Plastic Plane Patch Primer
Most glider inspectors and workshop managers (at least in German-speaking countries) will have heard of Ursula Hänle's famous little booklet "Petite Plastic Plane Patch Primer". You will also have seen it mentioned in various manufacturers' repair instructions (ours for instance) as it contains very detailed descriptions of the different glassfibre repair methods in easy-to-understand terms.
But where can you get if from?
I tried to buy it many years ago, and only after extensive research I found out that Ursula Hänle published this book herself, photocopied it and sent it out. This way she did not manage to sell a lot of copies - at €20 it wasn't exactly cheap either.
I phoned Ms Hänle at the time - I had of course read and heard lots about her. She was a sprightly old lady who knew exactly what she wanted. I suggested to her the publication of the Patch Primer along the same lines as shareware software. The download is free, but a small amount should be paid to use it. She made it very clear however that she was not going to hand over the publication of her little booklet to someone else!
Unfortunately Ursula Hänle, the "Grand Dame of gliding", died on 1st April 2009, aged 83.
Recently I contacted one of her friends about the Patch Primer and suggested that it would surely be in Ms Hänle's own interest to make it available to a larger audience.
After a few months her estate executer agreed.
We are now able to offer this famous but difficult to obtain little booklet for download - on the following condition:
- Downloading the Patch Primer is free (38,5 MB in size).
- Any reproduction or creation of electronic copies is prohibited.
- If you want to use the Patch Primer after download you are urged to transfer €5.00 to the executor's account (that's if the banking charges do not exceed €5.00) as a contribution to Ursula Hänle's work.
Ursula Hänle's Patch Primer
The account details are:
Account holder: RA Mayer --- Hänle
Bank: Volksbank Vechta (national sort code 28064179)
national account no. 206098120
For transfers from abroad:
BIC: GENODEF1VEC
IBAN: DE57 28064179 0206098120
Reference: "Flickfibel"
I would be delighted if because of my contribution this essential booklet were present in all club workshops and Ms Hänle posthumously received an appropriate contribution for it.
I am therefore asking you for a bit of fairness.
- friedel weber - 
Translation: Claudia Buengen