Glider Pilots of PPRuNe

[glider12000]

How many do we have here? What experience and club?

I`ve done several solo`s, completed first Bronze leg, with written test coming up.

I am a member of Southdowns GC, was also a member of Leeds Uni GC (Current UK University Champions!)

[RatherBeFlying]

There's a bunch including tow pilots.

Fly out of SOSA at Rockton -- trying for 300km and visiting the odd farmer. Several lovely farmer's daughters have sat in glider and had piccie taken -- all under 12

[glider12000]

I`m sure it`s a shame they aren`t a few years older!

[IFMU]

I fly at Harris Hill soaring in the states.

Harris Hill Soaring Center, Elmira, NY

I own a Schweizer 1-35C



I used to fly with Nutmeg soaring

Nutmeg Soaring Assn - News

I have yet to do any real x-c, hard to devote the time required with a young family. But it's fun, great people and great flying. I consider myself more of a recreational glider pilot, with a couple hundred hours. Plus I tow, which is how I got into soaring in the first place.

-- IFMU

[glider12000]

Nice looking machine, tend not too see many of them over this side of the atlantic..

[jgs43]

I fly from Portmoak in Scotland, home of the Scottish Gliding Union/Centre. Tugmaster and Full rated gliding Instructor. Also BGA Senior Regional Examiner
and CRI. Approx 4,000+ hrs. Fly Libelle, Falke 2000, Pawnee -235 and anything with wings that people will let me fly.

[Slats One]

Are any of us glider pilots?

Heads up, Slats One here- I have the gliding obsession. Indeed I am currently in Australia on a gliding holiday and my last vario reading was +12 with averagerer at +10 and it took ages to get down, even with airbrakes...

Incredible flying, but the thermals can be violent and I now understand why the Aussies use the Low Tow -much safer for Mr Tuggie.

If anyone is in the South West of the Uk and fancies a Prune glider pilots tall tales at a pub one day this summer, shout.

[shortstripper]

I started off gliding and will most certainly go back to it, but have been flying powered SEP and TMG exclusively now since 1990. My last solo glider flight was in a K6CR in Germany in 1989

I'm very tempted to join up at Parham and start up again ... maybe this year!

SS

[glider12000]

Shortstripper, you`d be most welcome.

We are a great, friendly club, with a wealth of experience, with top Cross-country pilots and Aerobatics instruction too.

We also, this week, completed the purchase of the airfield so we are now owners, which is a massive step forward for the club.

[rusty sparrow]

SGC - Firle

I started gliding atSGCs old site at Firle Beacon, before they moved to Parham in the 70's. Flew their old Swallow and once (at Parham) got a vertical line on the bargraph as I rocketed it up from 800' to 7500' in a stonking thermal.

Is that Swallow still there?

Gliding is a great way to fly - but I have found that some people in UK gliding clubs can be very officious and there's less freedom to be a pilot than in power flying. For power, I can exercise the responsibilities of my licence with far less hassle.

I''ve got a bronzze C and Silver height - alos PPL (A) with tailwheel endorsement

[Humaround]

Former member of Bidford Gliding, did 130 hours between 1996 and 2005, including Silver "C". Loved it and consider recent non-gliding as a temporary phase.

I have to say I do a lot more hours per year now with a PPL and share in a Permit aircraft - about 60 per year, compared with only about 15-20 gliding hours. IMO you need to have more leisure time available to do a serious number of hours as a glider pilot compared with power. It was common to spend 1/2 day at the club with maybe only 20 minutes in the air.

[gliderkev]

Hi
I'm a silver c pilot at Rattlesden and I love soaring. Why dont more power pilots come and give it a try?
Kevin

[RatherBeFlying]

Why dont more power pilots come and give it a try?

Power flying you go to the airfield at your booking time, take up the a/c, bring it back and go home. Takes two hours out of the day plus driving time.

Gliders is at the very least a half-day exercise. That's for the students who show up early in the morning, pull out the towplanes and gliders and leave after lunch. Other studes show up later and stay to put the toys back in the box

For those doing an XC, towing or instructing, it's often a full day.

There's a number of glider pilots who take a break from gliding to raise a family -- time and money being limited resources.

For a student, gliders can be more expensive than power flying. Think several score 12-18 minute flights along with the tow fees before you get your XC legs.

[cats_five]

Silver C completed last August, no power flying and no intention of any except as a passenger.

[MIKECR]

Nice to see some fellow gliding fans. Initially started flying through the glider scene and then moved on to power flying. Silver C, Tug Pilot.., fATPL.

[gpn01]

Originally Posted by RatherBeFlying

Gliders is at the very least a half-day exercise. That's for the students who show up early in the morning, pull out the towplanes and gliders and leave after lunch. Other studes show up later and stay to put the toys back in the box

Not necessarily the case. I fly with Booker GC (just to the West of London). We provide bookable slots for students. Reality is though that gliding is a sociable and fun activity and part of the experience is helping out, chatting to people and learning at the same time. I always say to prospective students that if they want to turn up at the alloted time, do a series of flights and then go then they can. But they're going to get far more value for their time if they help out and become a participating member of the Club. If that's not for them then I recommend that they take a look instead at doing a PPL with one of the resident aeroclubs (Wycombe Air Centre and BAFC).

Me personally, 800Hrs+, Two Diamonds, Full-Gold, aerobatics enthusiast and Full-Cat rating. I fly anything available in the fleet (K-21s, K-13s, K-18s, Juniors, Discus, Pegasus, Duo Discus) have a half share in a Std Jantar and am always eager to try out different types whenever anyone will let me have a go. Flown from quite a few UK sites (thermal, cloud flying ridge and wave, winch and aerotow).

There's something absolutely awesome to fly a task of 300Kms+, using just nature's energy and without an engine.

Have also learned that for some power pilots that gliding is actually quite difficult for them because it involves a good level of handling skill, the ability to assess constantly changing conditions and a need to develop judgement skills without relying on either ground communications or a lever that allows you to 'go around' if you don't get the approach right first time, every time. I get plenty of field landing practice each year too and so there's a lot of adrenaline flowing with selecting a suitable field, etc. I guess for some that's a bit too stressful!

[wings on stornoway]

Motor glider

Hi everybody,

Just seen this topic in the forum!

I am looking for a motor glider + Trailer that is out of permit rebuilds no engine no problem! if you know anyone with a motor glider that they are wanting to sell you can P.M.me on here! or look on the L.A.A site all help will be appreciated!

regards gary

[Blinkz]

ah its nice to finally see a decent gliding thread! The first time I ever flew an aircraft was in a glider, and the first aircraft I soloed in was a glider too! Good times were had!

I did all of my glider flying out of Portmoak with the Edinburgh uni gliding club, flying K13 initially and then K8 when solo. I have around 50 hours in gliders but never quite managed to get up to bronze since I then started my powered training and didn't want to mix the two!

I now have a fATPL and fly the A320/A321 for Aer Lingus based in Dublin. I keep meaning to go to the Dublin gliding club and get back into my gliding roots!

[IFMU]

Originally Posted by glider12000

Nice looking machine, tend not too see many of them over this side of the atlantic..

Thanks. They only built about 101 of them, good in their day but can't really match the performance of glass. But at 400 lbs empty, 36:1 glide ratio, its a great recreational machine with ability to do x-c and thermals great. Plus it's metal, so I can tie it out. On a nice day when I decide to play hooky from work, I have a 10 minute drive to the field, preflight, bs with my buddies a little, get in line, and I can be airborne within 40 minutes after leaving my desk. I only assemble once per season.

Originally Posted by RatherBeFlying

For a student, gliders can be more expensive than power flying.

There is truth in this, but in the long run it can be a lot cheaper. I like to fly at least 2.3 hours a clip, mostly because our tow fee to 2000' is $23. At 2.3 hours that is $10/hour, or what my Dad used to pay for a Beech Debonair way back when. Cheap. Of course you have to factor in insurance costs to come up with a real hourly cost, but why spoil the fun.

-- IFMU

[Dan Winterland]

There's lots of glider pilots about on PPRuNe. A gliding forum has been mooted several times, but has been rejected by the mods.

Personally, about 650hrs, gold with one diamond, lapsed Full-Cat. But haven't flown a glider since 1996. Miss it now and again.

Dangerous sport though. Thought one of my students (female) was quite cute. One thing led to another, and twenty three years later, we're still together and have two teenage sons!