PH-316 is not for sale. She stays in the family.
My Schleicher Ka 6 CR, registration PH-316, competition number 50, has become part of my life story. For a while I thought moving to Australia meant I should let her go. I have changed my mind.
Why number 50 stays
The Ka 6 is exactly the kind of glider I love: wood, simple systems, honest handling and direct feedback from the air. There is no need for a complicated cockpit to have an unforgettable flight. A good thermal, a quiet cockpit and a few hours above the landscape are enough.
One of my favourite memories is a flight of almost eight hours around Hosín in the Czech Republic during a vintage gathering. Comfortable, relaxed and completely absorbed in the sky – exactly why I still love this sport after so many years.
A glider for the next chapter
When I am back in Europe, I want to be able to fly PH-316 myself again. And as Mélinda builds the experience and qualifications she needs, I hope she will fly her too. I like that thought much more than seeing the glider disappear from our lives.
Mélinda has grown up around gliding. She has spent time at airfields, flown with instructors and experienced the vintage gliding world with me. Whether she eventually flies PH-316 often or only occasionally is up to her. What matters to me is that the possibility remains.
Keeping a classic flying
Owning a wooden glider also means looking after its future: inspections, maintenance, documentation and airworthiness all matter. PH-316 has modern practical equipment including a transponder, PowerFLARM, radio and a 12-volt lithium battery, while still keeping the character of a classic Ka 6.
The aim is simple: keep her safe, serviceable and in the air. A vintage glider should not become a static object if it can still be flown and enjoyed responsibly.
So, to be clear: PH-316 is staying.
For Mélinda. For me when I return to Europe. And hopefully for many more quiet hours in good air.