The Fulfillment of a Pilot`s Dream
(This Article has been written in 1997 already.
It is not at all "brand new" but still nice to read!)
One should not believe that it is enough to buy a glider factory in order to get an excellent sailplane! During the previous winter (1996), I had the use of a beautiful DG-400. In the meantime, a partner and I suddenly became the owners of DG Flugzeugbau and was soon to receive a DG-800B. OK; first get the factory into production and then look after the customers who were anxiously awaiting their orders. Naturally the boss was glad to step back and take care of the clients first. Then there were technical problems and, in the end when the DG-400 was long since sold, my DG-800B was taken as experimental platform for the development of new winglets.
But one should never give up hope.... Finally on the 28th of February I took over use of my new DG-800B on the way to Vinon in southern France.
Actually, I should have worked in Bruchsal that day. But Wilhelm Dirks wanted to make a couple of comparison flights to test the new winglets so naturally I suddenly became available. The results were absolutely unequivocal. We can recommend flying with winglets in 15 and 18 meter configuration to every customer .
In Vinon everybody was very surprised to learn the history of my DG-800B. They were also very interested in the story of the rebuilding of DG Fluzeugbau. My glider was surrounded by other pilots who asked all sorts of detailed questions about it. Some only wanted to admire the red leather interior. One of them produced a sketch book and drew a detailed picture of the collapsible wing dolly so that he could build one for himself.
And then came the moment of truth: the first launch. All of my flights in factory gliders up until now had been with some sort of technical task to perform. None of the flights were for the pleasure of unfettered flight that we all love so well. But now I was on vacation and could finally experience that for which the price was the entire factory!
How could I describe in detail my feelings when the motor roared to life and long before the end of the asphalt taxiway I was climbing steeply into the sky!? Immediately in front of me another motorglider with retractable motor had started. I don't want to say anything bad about competitive products but when we both put the engines away at the same time I was high above my colleague and very satisfied!
In the following days I learned to know my glider better and better. I could not verify the published performance figures, but the bird seems to have a glide ratio which is flatter than the curvature of the earth........ At the same time it out-climbs the other gliders in thermals. Actually that had been expected and was not a surprise. The wonderfully warm feet, even at 6,000 meters, due to the large canopy was also well known to me from previous flights.
The only real surprise was that the machine achieves its high performance even with flying characteristics that one normally expects only in a beginner's glider. Regardless of whether you are circling in a thermal, racing along a turbulent mountain ridge, gliding very slowly, or flying at red line in wave, you never have the feeling of being unsafe or of the necessity for continual control movement. It simply flies itself! Even during motor use, you can leave the motorglider to itself and enjoy the scenery. It climbs quietly straight ahead without any tendency to bank which is seen in airplanes with high motor mountings. I flew with the CG about in the middle of its range and it was not possible for me to spin it. Everybody who has experienced mountain conditions knows the safety margin that brings.
For me personally, something very special happened in addition: During all of my time flying I have been air sick during the first week in Spring. Later in the year, with more flying time, the problem decreased but never quite disappeared. Now it's gone without a trace! Is this due to the control harmony? The unsurpassed flight characteristics? The comfortable feel of the higher wingspan? Or perhaps all of these together? Let's just say,
"It's due to the DG-800B."
Already in the first flights, I succeeded in flights that for years had been unattainable. And these distances had not even been planned in advance, rather I simply progressed rapidly and flew farther and farther. Upon reaching my goal, the question came up as to what to do with the second half of the day........
After a few days, I called Mr. Dirks from 2,400 meters on my cellular phone and said, "I want to tell you something that you can take home at the end of you work day: You have designed a wonderful glider - the best motorglider in the world!"
He was glad to hear that.
- friedel weber, march 1997 -
(translated by: D. Noyes, Ohio, USA) 
translator's note: I think he likes it!
One Year Later:
I went to Vinon again this spring as in previous years. It was supposed to be a vacation but one is always a sort of "test-pilot" and information center for all DG pilots on the airport. So there was a lot of discussion and a whole lot of new and useful suggestions for improvements that would make our gliders better and more reliable.
I have never put in so many flying hours in two weeks as this year.
Most importantly, I had a wonderful glider of the best design,
which worked perfectly!
The period of development problems is apparently over and the DG employees are relieved by this. "Wilhelm's List" of improvements has apparently had a good effect.
Even in mediocre weather conditions, I was able to climb into the high mountains, find good lift, and return home safely. That is truly:
"The fullfillment of a pilot's dreams!
- friedel weber, March 1998 -
referring air-sickness Marc Silverman sent the following advice to me:
Karl,when I read your article on the DG web page in witch you mentioned getting airsick at the beginning of the soaring season I thought you would be interested in an article I posted to r.a.s.:
Good flying ,Marc Silverman
I wanted to give you some ideas that might help you. I have been dealing with the same problem for the twenty years I have been in soaring. Its no fun getting air sick. It takes the whole fun out of it.
What is fact ,is that many experienced pilots will get sick if they are not flying the plane but being the passenger. So being occupied with flying has something to do with not getting sick. At the beginning of the season I get sick easier because I haven't flown in the winter. It takes a while till my body get's used to the air again. Usually I will get sick after 1-2 hours of flight and part of the reason is I get bored just hanging around the airport. Once I start cross-country after those first flights I'm fine because the x-country flights are much more interesting.
Things I've tried in the past are Ginger, Dramamine type remedies (not recommended), sea sick wrist bands (available at boating shops), Keeping your eyes out of the cockpit and not on the instruments, not eating (not recommended).
Of these keeping my eyes outside helped the most. Good ventilation might help a bit. Also ginger would be harmless to try. You get it from the healthfood store. Some people claim good results. It didn't do anything for me but maybe I didn't take enough.
You might just get more accustomed as you get more air time.
Hope this helps, Marc Silverman WV
Another One Year Later:
For the ninth year in a row, I flew at Vinon. We had, incidentally, perfect weather with thermal flights up to 11,000 ft and wave lift up to 24,000 ft in the “Lure window”.
But honestly, what do I do up there? The world doesn't look much different at 24,000 ft than it does at 13,000 ft. And in order to fly farther north, one has to come down to FL 115 because of a busy flight corridor.
The outside temperature was -40 degrees C. That doesn't matter to my polyurethane painted glider and also my feet stayed relatively warm under the large canopy. But underneath the parachute, my “tail-bone” got pretty cold.
Well, you just had to have been there!
Many of my friends know what I do outside of my vacation time, and their comments usually fall into two categories:
1. The DG-808B has become the best aircraft of its type and sets the standards for all others.
2. The DG Internet presence is excellent.
That makes the “guilty party” happy!
Especially pleasing to me was an experience I had at the end of this vacation:
A pilot was pushing an 18 meter glider across the field all alone. I went to help him and, as he turned around and saw me, he greeted me by slapping me on the shoulder so hard I almost went to my knees on the soft ground. It was a Swiss pilot that had stood in front of me a year before and ripped the DG-808B up one side and down the other.
I can still hear his tirade today, “The ‘800 at 90 knots is a lead sled that has the glide angle of a brick......”
This time he greeted me exhuberently with, “I take it all back! My opinion of the ‘800 has changed 180 degrees. I have seen the ‘800 in many contests including the German Nationals. Now I realize that it is the best in its class.”
I did not want to hear it stated so bluntly and said, “Slow down a second. Let’s just say that the gliders were all born the same and that normal pilots cannot see any difference in the flight characteristics.” “No!” he insisted, “I saw what I saw. I judge a glider quite rationally. How fast it flies, how well it climbs, and how well the pilots can handle it. And the ‘800 comes out as the best glider in the world!”
Naturally, that made me especially happy and, because I considered this to be very big of him to clearly tell me that he had changed his mind, I invited Herrmann Trunk to dinner on the DG expense account. Thank you, Herrmann, it was a delightful evening!
Altogether it was a wonderful vacation.
But this should be the last report from my Vinon holidays. It would be similar one to the other....
- friedel weber - march 1999 -