Purchase of a training aircraft

 The aviation club Unterweser Bremerhaven e.V. has been training young people from the age of 13 to become glider pilots on the gliding site in Hellingst for many decades. The training is extensive and usually lasts about 2 years.
Since 1974 we have been using a two-seater ASK13 training aircraft (built in 1974) and a Ka7 training aircraft (built in 1957).
Both aircraft are serviced and repaired in our own workshop by the student pilots and other members under the supervision of our three licensed workshop supervisors. The maintenance of the aircraft is very complex and time-consuming, since the aircraft fuselage and the surfaces are covered with fabric. Unfortunately, the amount of work on these aircraft has become so great in the last 2 years that we can no longer carry out the repairs on time due to the pandemic and the contact restrictions.
The possible uses of the old school machines no longer correspond to today's requirements, among other things, the payload of 180kg for students and teachers and the space available for large pilots is no longer sufficient. In addition, since last year there has been a restriction imposed by the manufacturer, which limits the use of the aircraft in training and still requires an additional inspection, which takes two days of work per aircraft. Due to the intensive use, this additional maintenance has to be carried out in the middle of the flying season, which means that the aircraft are then not available for training.
In total, the two training aircraft have each completed more than 32,000 take-offs in the last 47 years.
A training double-seater now has to be replaced. A renewed general overhaul, which would take at least 8 months, is no longer economically and personnel-affordable.
Due to the points mentioned above, we see the need to purchase a modern, low-maintenance plastic two-seater for beginner training, otherwise we will no longer be able to meet our goal of promoting aviation.
By equipping it with "rudder actuation by hand lever in the front cockpit", we will also be able to include people with disabilities, who are restricted in the freedom of movement of their legs, in gliding training in the future.