VINTAGE & CLASSIC
BLANIKS 10 JANUARY 2011
– WHY ALL THE FUSS?
By Ian Dunkley
Today the majority of glider pilots dashing around the sky in composite gliders may wonder why there is such a fuss about the grounding of a glider designed in 1956, with a safe life of 3000 hours, following a fatal accident. The reason for the grounding has been covered adequately in the last issue of SoaringNZ and I am sure that most readers will have recognised the inevitably of the EASA decision, which other countries have followed. However as a brief introduction to Philip Plane’s story of a declared Blanik 100 km triangle, I will outline the reasons for the international fuss. The total production of the Blanik L13 and L13a was a staggering 2649 gliders, sold mainly in the former eastern bloc countries. It was the most widely used two-seater in Australia. Over 200 were in use in the USA and it is used throughout the world for basic training and to a lesser but significant extent, for aerobatic training. It is generally used by smaller clubs and so the grounding is a threat to the survival to those clubs who may not be able to afford a more modern replacement. It remains to be seen whether an agreed inspection and rectification will emerge, although I have been informed by a Czech friend that the manufacturers have indicated they will have a ‘fix’ by the European spring. ‘Yeah right’ may be the best response;
Blanik MV
for a technical solution is not necessarily an economic one. At this time I think it is fair to say the market price of a Blanik is zero, unless there are gliding gamblers around. Thus in economic terms, if the cost of inspection and any rectification is significantly less than buying a suitable replacement, then Blaniks could fly again. That is of course an oversimplification, for the rate of depreciation depends on any change in the airframe ‘life’ and income depends on flight limitations, most importantly allowing two-seat operation. If this is not bad enough, then there is a further consideration - the price of older generation two-seaters is starting to creep up due to lower operating costs, to the extent that in Europe there are firms specialising in renovating old two-seaters to new condition. Thus internationally affected clubs have a whole pile of unknowns: if and when the grounding will be lifted, and if it is, at what cost? Will there be new flight limitations? How much will a replacement cost (when they know for sure they need one) and will any be available? Wouldn’t you be very worried and making a fuss if you operated a Blanik? Now over to Phil, for his story about a modern 100km flight that would not have been made, had a Blanik not been available.
100KM 28% TRIANGLE IN BLANIK MV 4 DECEMBER 2009
By Phil Plane
Just to prove that you can have fun in any glider – not just the latest and greatest carbon fibre variations – Philip Plane, a gliding instructor based at Omarama sent in the story of this flight.
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February 2011
Tom Werner, a visiting German pilot wanted to do a declared 100km cross country flight with an instructor for his German glider qualification. He was on a budget, cycling around the South Island, and wasn’t looking to spend the sort of money you need to have a Duo Discus for the afternoon. I suggested if he could hang around and wait for the right day we could borrow the Blanik for the flight. The Blanik used was from Youth Glide Omarama. ZK-GMV was
