Hi Leon (and everyone else), facts were hard to come by because people weren’t really prepared to talk and no one was prepared to be quoted. I blamed the MAA because my understanding is that it grounded the aircraft and kept them grounded because the paper trail has been found wanting, not because the aircraft themselves are suspect. I know a bit about gliders and – IMHO - as flying machines go, they’re quite simple. Why is it taking so long to return them to service? Furthermore (and with all due respect to my friends and colleagues in BGA clubs all over the UK) I suspect that the ATC Vikings constitute possibly the best maintained glider fleet in Britain.
If there’s really an airworthiness issue, why not take a couple of Vikings to reputable sailplane maintainers, such as Southern Sailplanes or Roger Targett (other sailplane maintainers are available) and get them stripped right down and thoroughly inspected. Will they find a reason that’s kept these aircraft grounded for the last 15 months? I very much doubt it. In fact I’d be prepared to bet a sizeable sum of money that there’s actually nothing wrong with them. After all, the global G103 fleet isn't grounded is it? And as Cows points out, so much damage has already been done – and for what?
That’s the real tragedy.