Discussion
Come on then, introduce yourselves!
Where abouts do you fly, what do you fly, are you any good?
I'm in the process of re-soloing after a three year break, and hope to blast my way through Bronze and Silver this season, with the intention of flying some competitions next year. I'm a member at Long Mynd and have mostly been tooling about in a K21 of late, but in a few weeks I should hopefully be sneaking my way around the sky in a K8 or K23!
Where abouts do you fly, what do you fly, are you any good?
I'm in the process of re-soloing after a three year break, and hope to blast my way through Bronze and Silver this season, with the intention of flying some competitions next year. I'm a member at Long Mynd and have mostly been tooling about in a K21 of late, but in a few weeks I should hopefully be sneaking my way around the sky in a K8 or K23!
I've done a few flights from RAF Halton. Haven't had a chance to get up in the air recently as we fly at weekends, which are normally difficult for me with other commitments etc. Obviously I'm new to the pursuit (sport?) but the instructor thought I showed potential on my most recent flight, asked if I'd done flying before. Had to be honest and admit my experience was limited to FSX!
Ooh, glider thread.
Ok, I love flying, me. With a PPL holding Father and a BA Captain mate who used to live next door, who in his spare time used to build ridiculous light-aircraft in his garage, I'm lucky to have been up in all sorts of stuff over the years, including the jump seat of some tasty big jets (before the 9/11 stuff ruined all that) and loved every minute of it - especially when I've been front-seat with them and heard the words 'you have control...'
Plus more recently, thanks to a very generous and accommodating mate through his job - I've had what amounts to around 50 hours in the back of a Jet Ranger, flying low-level surveillance over about 2/3rds of the UK.
Been a lucky boy, but never got round to doing my own PPL as it happens...still on the to do list
Anyway - never been in a glider, but always wondered what it's like, and the whole point it of so to speak. Not being flippant - I'm genuinely interested.
So, can you expand and enlighten me a bit about the whole idea and experience please? Ta!
Ok, I love flying, me. With a PPL holding Father and a BA Captain mate who used to live next door, who in his spare time used to build ridiculous light-aircraft in his garage, I'm lucky to have been up in all sorts of stuff over the years, including the jump seat of some tasty big jets (before the 9/11 stuff ruined all that) and loved every minute of it - especially when I've been front-seat with them and heard the words 'you have control...'
Plus more recently, thanks to a very generous and accommodating mate through his job - I've had what amounts to around 50 hours in the back of a Jet Ranger, flying low-level surveillance over about 2/3rds of the UK.
Been a lucky boy, but never got round to doing my own PPL as it happens...still on the to do list
Anyway - never been in a glider, but always wondered what it's like, and the whole point it of so to speak. Not being flippant - I'm genuinely interested.
So, can you expand and enlighten me a bit about the whole idea and experience please? Ta!
I used to fly out of RAF Odiham a few years ago. Got time in K13, 18, 21 & 23.
The first solo was the most daunting, and also unexpected. The winch and towcar were out of action, so we were on aerotows only. They were £10 to 1000', so as I was training, that's what we were doing. I had my 3 flights, and then helped out the rest of the day on the strip.
Turned out to be a great day, and we got to go round the flying list again. I wasn't that flush at the time, but the enthusiam for it all just took over. After the forth flight, the instructor said do I want another. I declined, as I had no money. I was then convinced otherwise by Taff, my instructor. Up we went again, and did a bit of flying around, and a circuit.
On the ground, Taff said to do one more. Again I declined due to money, and was unstrapping myself. After somemore encouragement, Taff convinced me to go once more. As I strapped in, I could hear/feel some comotion behind me. Next thing was Taff outside the glider and by my side. "You can f
king do it yourself this time then" he said. He talked me through it, and off I went. It's just weird that first time up by yourself, with no one yelling in your ear.
On final approach, everyone was lining landing area waiting for my first solo landing. It was perfect. A great feeling, but then I had to buy the beers in the clubhouse that night too. A very expensive, but utterly fullfilling day only matched by my first powered solo.
The first solo was the most daunting, and also unexpected. The winch and towcar were out of action, so we were on aerotows only. They were £10 to 1000', so as I was training, that's what we were doing. I had my 3 flights, and then helped out the rest of the day on the strip.
Turned out to be a great day, and we got to go round the flying list again. I wasn't that flush at the time, but the enthusiam for it all just took over. After the forth flight, the instructor said do I want another. I declined, as I had no money. I was then convinced otherwise by Taff, my instructor. Up we went again, and did a bit of flying around, and a circuit.
On the ground, Taff said to do one more. Again I declined due to money, and was unstrapping myself. After somemore encouragement, Taff convinced me to go once more. As I strapped in, I could hear/feel some comotion behind me. Next thing was Taff outside the glider and by my side. "You can f
king do it yourself this time then" he said. He talked me through it, and off I went. It's just weird that first time up by yourself, with no one yelling in your ear. On final approach, everyone was lining landing area waiting for my first solo landing. It was perfect. A great feeling, but then I had to buy the beers in the clubhouse that night too. A very expensive, but utterly fullfilling day only matched by my first powered solo.
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Anyway - never been in a glider, but always wondered what it's like, and the whole point it of so to speak. Not being flippant - I'm genuinely interested.
So, can you expand and enlighten me a bit about the whole idea and experience please? Ta!
I guess the most obvious example is that gliding is to powered flying what sailing is to tooling around in a motorboat. The latter is a way of getting from A to B with the minimum of fuss, with a bit of fun along the way. The former is a mental challenge of reading the sky/water to get to where you where you want to go, usually ending up in the same place at the end of the day. So, can you expand and enlighten me a bit about the whole idea and experience please? Ta!
Many of the 'management' skills required for powered stuff (differing levels depending upon the size of the thing you're flying) are 'replaced' by basic stick-and-rudder skills. Note the 'rudder' in the former statement, powered-flying friends
As I said I'm relatively low-hours with very little solo flying behind me at present, but it really is tremendous good fun to scout around for thermals, bolting through sink towards a new wisp of cloud that's appearing in the hope of finding lift, doing your damndest to get into wave lift and often failing...not to mention there's nothing like having no such thing as a go-around for making sure your landings are spot on...!
The other side to gliding is of course that it's a very sociable 'sport' - the clubs are run for the benefit of their members rather than as businesses; you're expected to help unpack and pack the hangar, rig gliders, tow and push them around the airfield, launch them, and - like I spent most of this afternoon doing - fetching them out of fields when the #1 instructor of the day doesn't make it back to the airfield on the second launch of the day...!
Check this out for a fantastic video and nice little 'summary' of the UK Junior Gliding 2012 season - we have a good laugh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFaCs_3JoA
I'm a (recently qualified) BI at a big-ish club in Oxfordshire. Don't have my own aircraft yet (But soon...), I make do with the club Discus when I can get into it. I've also got a share in a Europa for the not so good days.
Came back to it (having solo'd up north on my 16th birthday) because my Fiance was always working weekends and I wanted something to do when she wasn't around. She now has weekends free. Oh well...
I get around the UK a fair ammount, have flown at Denbigh, Nympsfied, and Portmoak in the last few months. Am going to try and do Eden and Parham before the end of the year...and maybe Sisteron next year. Maybe...
Came back to it (having solo'd up north on my 16th birthday) because my Fiance was always working weekends and I wanted something to do when she wasn't around. She now has weekends free. Oh well...
I get around the UK a fair ammount, have flown at Denbigh, Nympsfied, and Portmoak in the last few months. Am going to try and do Eden and Parham before the end of the year...and maybe Sisteron next year. Maybe...
I'm a pre-solo pilot and I fly out of a club based in Wiltshire. I've been ready to go solo since October last year, just waiting on the right weather/instructor to finally do it.
I find gliding frustrating at times. Last summer the weather was terrible, but now and again you get those exceptional days that make it all worthwhile.
I find gliding frustrating at times. Last summer the weather was terrible, but now and again you get those exceptional days that make it all worthwhile.
sanguinary said:
Ex pilot here. I used to fly from Aston Down, but a lack of time to keep current and the love of track days took over the gliding and slowly took me away. I'd like to get back into it in time though.
The best way to pull a glider to the runway ;-)
Nice '15. The best way to pull a glider to the runway ;-)
I'm crewing for someone at this year's Standard Class Nationals at Aston Down actually
I am a trainee pilot at Nympsfield, home of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Gliding Club - the next door neighbour to Aston Down.
For training, we have a ASK13, Grob Twin Astir, ASK21 and a gorgeous DG505 Orion. I have 9 hours P2 spread over all of them roughly equally.
Solo pilots have the choice of 2 Grob 102 Astirs - a Club, or the more advanced CS with retractable u/c - and K8 that surprisingly nobody chooses
We also have a Pawnee for aerotowing with.
As a previous poster mentioned, gliding is like sailing. A lot of days you can turn up, spend a lot of time hanging around the clubhouse waiting for the weather to clear, and not much goes on.
On other days, you can turn up on a smashing day and the place will be a hive of activity with launches and retrievals going on at full pace all day. I love it!
I am regarded as one of the super-keen members of the club - when it is not my turn to fly, I am always the first to leap into a airfield 4x4 and run errands or retrieve landing gliders. I view it very much as a give and take - us University Gliding Club members get discounted membership, launch and soaring fees so I think the least I can do is help keep things running as smoothly as possible.
Here's a few pictures:
1300ft over the Severn estuary at sunset:
The start of a busy day getting out and DI-ing the DG (far left), G102, Twin Astir and K13
All go at the launch point (a Merc hopper bus full of signal lights and radio gear)
The RB44 is used to pay out winch cables and move the winch about. For those not familiar with gliding launches, generally they are launched by what amounts to a very big engine connected via a fluid flywheel to several thousand feet of cable on a drum (or two)
The University Gliding Club gets a mention, and I win the competition to design a logo
...and our own BUGC glider, another Grob Astir (they're popular!) being rigged up for the day. Only the airfield's main gliders are left rigged up in hangars. Every else's are stored flat-pack style in their transport trailers.
My first proper landing, performed in the big Grob
Pleased with myself at said landing. The instructor for said flight was a man called Steve - my favourite teaching pilot at the club. a) because like most of the senior (full cat) instructors at the club, he will let try to you sort out your own mistakes (as long as you are not endangering the aircraft, pilots or anything else). This is in contrast to some of the junior instructors who are perhaps understandably slightly more nervous, and will immediately take control and rectify situations by themselves.
b) because he is quite mad! I've seen him deliberately spin pupils off the top of a winch launch, and do 100kt passes down the runway into schendell turns before a downwind landing
A club member's private single seater launching:
For training, we have a ASK13, Grob Twin Astir, ASK21 and a gorgeous DG505 Orion. I have 9 hours P2 spread over all of them roughly equally.
Solo pilots have the choice of 2 Grob 102 Astirs - a Club, or the more advanced CS with retractable u/c - and K8 that surprisingly nobody chooses
We also have a Pawnee for aerotowing with.
As a previous poster mentioned, gliding is like sailing. A lot of days you can turn up, spend a lot of time hanging around the clubhouse waiting for the weather to clear, and not much goes on.
On other days, you can turn up on a smashing day and the place will be a hive of activity with launches and retrievals going on at full pace all day. I love it!
I am regarded as one of the super-keen members of the club - when it is not my turn to fly, I am always the first to leap into a airfield 4x4 and run errands or retrieve landing gliders. I view it very much as a give and take - us University Gliding Club members get discounted membership, launch and soaring fees so I think the least I can do is help keep things running as smoothly as possible.
Here's a few pictures:
1300ft over the Severn estuary at sunset:
The start of a busy day getting out and DI-ing the DG (far left), G102, Twin Astir and K13
All go at the launch point (a Merc hopper bus full of signal lights and radio gear)
The RB44 is used to pay out winch cables and move the winch about. For those not familiar with gliding launches, generally they are launched by what amounts to a very big engine connected via a fluid flywheel to several thousand feet of cable on a drum (or two)
The University Gliding Club gets a mention, and I win the competition to design a logo
...and our own BUGC glider, another Grob Astir (they're popular!) being rigged up for the day. Only the airfield's main gliders are left rigged up in hangars. Every else's are stored flat-pack style in their transport trailers.
My first proper landing, performed in the big Grob
Pleased with myself at said landing. The instructor for said flight was a man called Steve - my favourite teaching pilot at the club. a) because like most of the senior (full cat) instructors at the club, he will let try to you sort out your own mistakes (as long as you are not endangering the aircraft, pilots or anything else). This is in contrast to some of the junior instructors who are perhaps understandably slightly more nervous, and will immediately take control and rectify situations by themselves.
b) because he is quite mad! I've seen him deliberately spin pupils off the top of a winch launch, and do 100kt passes down the runway into schendell turns before a downwind landing
A club member's private single seater launching:
Edited by mat777 on Monday 29th April 20:44
Big News said:
Oooh it's not an ASW15! A Wassmer Squale eh? Can't say I'd ever come across one of them before!
Yup, you don't see many nowadays. The picture was taken at least 10 years ago now and the aircraft was old back then. Not as old as the T21 that we flew from the club. That was always an experience.One of my old instructors spent a few years Summer instructing at Nympsfield. First name Danny, but I can't for the life of me remember his surname. I really must get down there again sometime, but by now most of the older members would have moved on I guess...
The pilot who sent me solo, Malcolm Gay, was sadly involved in a fatal air collision in 2001. That was a tough time for the club.
sanguinary said:
Yup, you don't see many nowadays. The picture was taken at least 10 years ago now and the aircraft was old back then. Not as old as the T21 that we flew from the club. That was always an experience.
One of my old instructors spent a few years Summer instructing at Nympsfield. First name Danny, but I can't for the life of me remember his surname. I really must get down there again sometime, but by now most of the older members would have moved on I guess...
The pilot who sent me solo, Malcolm Gay, was sadly involved in a fatal air collision in 2001. That was a tough time for the club.
I've seen that T21 in Aston's hangar. Do you know if they keep it airworthy? I'd love to have a go in it on a warm, thermic summer's day, must be a great experience!One of my old instructors spent a few years Summer instructing at Nympsfield. First name Danny, but I can't for the life of me remember his surname. I really must get down there again sometime, but by now most of the older members would have moved on I guess...
The pilot who sent me solo, Malcolm Gay, was sadly involved in a fatal air collision in 2001. That was a tough time for the club.
I've not seen or met anyone by the name of Danny at Nympsfield, but we do still have a lot of experience pilots that have been here for many many years so you might know them! I've spent a lot of time flying with Graham Morris (senior instructor, tug pilot and a bloody good glider pilot!), he says he's been flying from Nympsfield since the 60s. Apparently, back then they used to send new pupils up for short hops down the runway in a Primary whilst the instructor cycled alongside shouting instructions
Well folks,
It is exactly a year (Wednesday 16th May 2012) since I first went gliding - a coursemate badgered me into going with him to one of the summer term "evening parties" at the airfield where they fly until sundown. As soon as I flew in a glider, on my trial lesson, I was hooked.
Today, 10 hours/51 flights later, and I went up with the same coursemate, for another evening party. I ONLY BLOODY WELL HAD MY FIRST SOLO FLIGHT!!!!
I'd been at the stage for a week or two where my progress card was all signed off, but the last time I went the instructor had said I needed a few more "just fly, fly well and pretend the instructor isnt there in the back" competency-proving flights. Therefore, after my first flight of the day, a normal 10 minute up, circuit and down affair, so once we had been retrieved I was expecting the instructor (different instructor to the "more flights" one) to rejoin me in the cockpit for a repeat. Instead he started talking in an odd manner, such as "now, you'll fell it pitch up a lot more in the launch on this flight, and if you're intending on going out over the ridge then the stall speed should be about 40kts". I wondered why he was saying this now instead of in flight, and why he seemed to be taking an age to fiddle with the rear seat straps. Then it dawned on me!
"Wait, what? Am I going solo this flight?"
"Yes you are, have fun!"
And with that he picked up the wingtip and waved me off!
It is exactly a year (Wednesday 16th May 2012) since I first went gliding - a coursemate badgered me into going with him to one of the summer term "evening parties" at the airfield where they fly until sundown. As soon as I flew in a glider, on my trial lesson, I was hooked.
Today, 10 hours/51 flights later, and I went up with the same coursemate, for another evening party. I ONLY BLOODY WELL HAD MY FIRST SOLO FLIGHT!!!!
I'd been at the stage for a week or two where my progress card was all signed off, but the last time I went the instructor had said I needed a few more "just fly, fly well and pretend the instructor isnt there in the back" competency-proving flights. Therefore, after my first flight of the day, a normal 10 minute up, circuit and down affair, so once we had been retrieved I was expecting the instructor (different instructor to the "more flights" one) to rejoin me in the cockpit for a repeat. Instead he started talking in an odd manner, such as "now, you'll fell it pitch up a lot more in the launch on this flight, and if you're intending on going out over the ridge then the stall speed should be about 40kts". I wondered why he was saying this now instead of in flight, and why he seemed to be taking an age to fiddle with the rear seat straps. Then it dawned on me!
"Wait, what? Am I going solo this flight?"
"Yes you are, have fun!"
And with that he picked up the wingtip and waved me off!
Edited by airbrakes on Thursday 16th May 01:33
Ginetta G15 Girl said:
Well Done!
Welcome to the club of Solo Aviators.
Now starts the hard work towards the Diamonds
Thanks!Welcome to the club of Solo Aviators.
Now starts the hard work towards the Diamonds
The plan is to do bronze then silver endorsements, so I can get a BI rating at my club that will enable me to take friends up in the 2-seaters. I'll see where I go from there - first things first, P1 hours for the bronze
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