The key to life is not accumulation. It's contribution. Hands that serve help more than the lips that pray.

Friday, October 24, 2014


No IP7, IP 8, Artik 4 .... etc....   :-)

The truth, the plain truth, and nothing but the truth … ?

After my personal and honest Niviuk Peak 3 test in May 2013, i was received in Saint Hilaire festival on the Niviuk stand by an angry and hysterical Niviuk owner…
All i could say angrily, is that i am still convinced by what i wrote and everything went smoothly afterward.

In June 2013 i ordered an IP 7 and followed it up ,but never received to this day…!
In early September i ordered an Artik 4 25 but didn’t get a answer. In Saint Hilaire 2014, i confirmed again with the export manager at the time that didn’t show me the Artik 4 25 …Two minutes later, It was claimed by a pilot who got it while i was still on the stand !!!  ;-)   

Later after many exchanged emails. I understood that Niviuk won’t send me any glider to test fly …May be after one year of sales …  ;-) 
Olivier Nef is the coolest, kindest and among the most “gentleman designers” you will ever meet !  I respect him, and he has nothing to do with this whole mess.
Companies has structures…
I fully understand Niviuk policy as an act of respect and recognition, which reminded me of this funny ,true story.  :-)

My aunt Rose is a natural born cookie baker. She can bake different kinds of delicious cookies.
On special occasions, the whole family gather around to taste her cookies.

Some cookies are really good, some are a bit less. She’s rushes sometimes a bit to be ready for the event… ! and forget an ingredient, but they are still nice to most.

When gathered around she always ask about the taste…We don’t want to make aunt Rose angry if she rarely forgot the sugar or else …so we always say  “Delicious as always !  thanks” !  ;-)
But my other ‘always smiling’ aunt Mary who’s seven years younger than aunt Rose is very picky and direct and she always like to tease her.
All the family awaits silently aunt Mary’s comments…Some people gets angry of her criticism and always question her intentions by saying :
“Why do she always wants to say anything? lets eat, celebrate, try to digest ;-) and go on…after all this is just an event ! ”  ;-)
But she always keep telling her personal, true taste …We all laugh afterward…  :-)

Despite some direct criticism, Ant Rose respect and love her sister immensely as she said :
‘She keeps me on my toes when i’m cooking’,
But I noticed that she always gave her the first cookies only when she’s sure that they are flawless…  ;-)   Of course family cookies are free …  And that’s a different story…


11 comments:

Thom said...

Ziad, I hope you get to test those wings. I, as many of us I am sure, look forward to your reviews of all wings. We hardly get demos here in Hawaii so we rely on your trusted reviews. Thanks for you blog, your information is always well received here. Just wish you were my size so I could buy your cast aways. Please eat some more of your aunt Rose's cookies ........ a bunch of them. Aloha.

Unknown said...

Hopefully this doesn't influence your wing reviews from now on. Like many people it is impossible for me to demo a bunch of wings before choosing one. When selecting a wing to buy, all I can do is read your and other people's reviews and read what the manufacturer writes about the wing. Of course, all wings are spectacular and the best when you read the manufacturer's notes, so going by that alone does not give me a very fuzzy feeling usually, it needs to be augmented by actual user experience.
Thank you for writing these honest reviews and for taking flack when needed! You are also an asset to the manufacturer's, its keeps them on their toes and if they stand behind the product they deliver then they should not be embarrassed by your or anyone else's review.

Ziad Bassil said...

Than you ! .... ;-)

Ziad Bassil said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ziad Bassil said...

Hi Tom,
Thank you for your nice comments!
This won't surely affect the future tests. On the contrary, I will be much more picky... I've got nothing to loose and nothing to gain....just having fun...The sun will always shine :-) ....

Unknown said...

"After my personal and honest Niviuk Peak 3 test in May 2013, i was received in Saint Hilaire festival on the Niviuk stand by an angry and hysterical Niviuk owner…" Now that's what I call a recognition.! You are on the right track Ziad!

gilber_tico said...

Ziad,I really appreciate your work, your test are amazing. Don´t worry, keep flying. As we say in Costa Rica Pura Vida my friend.

Matthieu Constanzo said...

Thank you for your honest tests and your independent comments. This is how we appreciate fairness. If manufacturers don't understand this, they don't understand that consumers want the truth (it truth can be said) and not lies. Because this is what makes products be improved : tests, feedbacks, reviews, comparisons, compΓͺtition and not necessarily adverts or "nice" articles in newpapers which depend on paid adverts...If there is no Artik 4 , mature consumers or Hook 4 will go for other brands...

Ziad Bassil said...

Thank you for your support....Luckily it seems that a very nice pilot is going to send his Artik 4 to a test flight :-)

Unknown said...

Ih 'm really looking forward to the report of the Artik 4 .

Greetings from Germany

Unknown said...

I am a possibly interested in Niviuk wings as many friends fly them, but how can I get an unbiased review if Niviuk company people act like children. Simply I will avoid Niviuk completely until I can have an unbiased review. My personal and very grateful thanks to Ziad. Like many, who don't say it but would like to, Thank you so very much for your reviews. As you always say, it is your review but everyone flies different. Peace and safe flights, Rob/ Dougie