Dear Mr. Lange,
My partner Gregor and I have been the proud owners of our Antares with serial number 19 since October 2005. We have now flown almost 400 hours and it is time for me to give you, as the designer, and your team some feedback. I am delighted with the Antares and would like to congratulate you and your employees on this great achievement!
At first I was rather skeptical about all the sophisticated technology, operation and reliability. As a flight captain on the Airbus A340 and A330 (my partner is also a retired captain), I am used to operating and using highly developed and networked systems and I was prepared to face various potential problems. To my very positive surprise, however, these are precisely the areas where the Antares shines, and after some experience in operation, I can say that the technology works reliably and operation really can be described as “child’s play”. But wait, I don’t want to talk about technology!
You understand them much better than I do anyway, and every flight and test report talks about it in a much more competent manner. I want to tell you what a great achievement you – in my view – have made with the design of the Antares and how many wonderful flying experiences this extraordinary aircraft has already given me.
The flying experience stands and falls with a few basic requirements the pilot has of the aircraft: I want safety, performance and comfort. In terms of safety, I can say that the Antares gives me a solid and reliable feeling and that the drive system also works reliably. In my experience, the performance is simply inspiring! I can – at any time and even in the tightest thermals – keep up with all gliders, no matter how light.
In the glide, however, the performance is exceptional. The Antares plays its trump card with its very fast flight between thermals. And I get to experience all of this in the great comfort of the Antares cockpit, be it in terms of visibility, the smoothness of the controls or the comfortable seating position, even on long flights.
I am sending you a few photographic impressions of some of my flights to let you and your team participate in my flights with the Antares. I wish you and your company continued success!
Fredy Schaffner
Anwil, June 22, 2007
Cover photo: On the Aletsch glacier / Photo F. Schaffner