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Gliding stories

Old 31st Jul 2014, 07:51
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A few years back out of EGSR in a Robin Hr200 doing PFLs on to the small strip on Lavenham disused. Good student and very thermic day with a massive towering Cu above us, dropped 10 flap and 70 mph and up we went like the preverbal luv sick angel
Many years ago at a very flat norfolk airfield.... most of my gliding experience up to that point had been off the winch,but I had a couple of dual aerotows and was cleared for solo (in a K13)....anyway in those days this club used Condors for towing - not overblessed with power LOL
So I am sitting waiting for launch when the tuggie saunters over and asks 'hows your thermalling on tow? ' - well I'll give it a go says I
The most frightening thing was that we had to use the short rwy which had a big pile of torn up rwy just off the end of it LOL - so we cleared that by at least 10 feet - phew ! and the thermalling on tow went really well and probably doubled the Condor climb rate
So I returned to my own club where they were surprised to find out I had gone solo aerotow and had done a bronze leg - it would have taken me weeks there probably !
I had not gone to norfolk with the intention of flying - I was just keeping my gf company whilst she was doing an SLMGPPL course !
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Old 31st Jul 2014, 08:12
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Thermalling (a paraglider) with sailplanes is fun. We go round the inside, they go round the outside, we wave whilst outclimbing them
Whilst I can see the initial climb rate being better with a paraglider - at Combe Gibbet near Hungerford we always seemed to be higher than the hang gliders and paragliders whilst local flying
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Old 31st Jul 2014, 08:30
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The first 'aeroplane' I flew was T21 (known as 'The Barge'). It could out-thermal anything on the filed, being slow and able to centre in the thermal (like a paraglider!).

But when it topped out (a lot lower than the proper gliders!) its angle of glide precluded it going anywhere!
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Old 31st Jul 2014, 09:40
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O yes, Longer Ron, you wouldn't be thinking of Tibenham, Norfolk, perchance?

I flew there for their first EVER regional competition. The organisation was a bit nervous, wanted to tick all the boxes the first Briefing, and by the time we were all lined up and ready to launch, alas, the sea breeze had kicked in, and the fluffy cu was now some distance away to the west.

I had a bright idea and passed it on to the Director; there is no reason you couldn't let us be towed up to say 4,000 instead of the usual 2,000.....for reasons of safety, of course, the director can be quite creative.

So the first glider took off, and like penguins on a cliff, we all peered up to see what happened to the bold pilot. Ten minutes passed.

And he called down by radio the following message:

"There's four knots of wave up here!"

Wave? over Norfolk? where the hell were the mountains kicking off wave over Norfolk? ours not to wonder why, we all buckled in and took off, I was behind the Condor so it took quite a while to get up there....and we all vanished on task. Except for one pilot who when he reaslised the cumulus had moved inshore, went shopping; when he returned and found us all departed, he jumped in without making enquiries, and thought he was on to a good thing when the tuggie neglected to wave him off at 2,000 - so he was quite smug about getting away from a 3,000 tow.

O yes, one more thing. Don't worry about the pile of rocks at the end of the short runway, what counts is the airspeed of the tug, not the obstacle clearance! I asked Brian Spreckley once, long ago, what should I do if I think the tug isn't going to clear the hedge?

He answered "wait until it hits the hedge, and then pull off.'

Of course it never did. The only time I thought the tug was not going to clear an obstacle I dumped the glider....
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Old 31st Jul 2014, 10:28
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Spot on Mary
And the 'Sheriff of Nottingham' was still there
Actually - Alf Warminger (sheriff of norwich) - lovely guy

Main Runway




My scanner keeps thinking this pic is B+ W LOL




Don't worry about the pile of rocks at the end of the short runway, what counts is the airspeed of the tug, not the obstacle clearance! I asked Brian Spreckley once, long ago, what should I do if I think the tug isn't going to clear the hedge?
That pile would have long gone - it was only worrying because with only 2 aerotows under my belt - it was just one more thing to consider - but the tuggie was doing it right and keeping the airspeed up
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Old 31st Jul 2014, 10:46
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There was a good article in Pilot several decades ago about tugging with a Condor from Tibenham... wonder if I could lay me mits on it...?
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Old 31st Jul 2014, 11:00
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Ahhh, the “Condor moment”.

Plenty of time to savour it...
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Old 31st Jul 2014, 14:19
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Hi Mary
Well yes T21 at RAF Cosford and another machine at RAF Wattersham in 67/8
but was also doing PPL at that time. However my first love was Austers followed by Tigre Moths and as I wanted to be a Lightning driver thats the route I tried for but never achieved (apart from a T5 ride in 68). Remember some good days on the field and also some very good beer ups in the evenings. Have looked at the 3 North Essex clubs and there 1/5 day offers,
but think that will be one of my '''roundtoits'''.
Happy Landings
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Old 5th Aug 2014, 10:10
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There was a good article in Pilot several decades ago about tugging with a Condor from Tibenham... wonder if I could lay me mits on it...?
That would be interesting if you could find it .....

Obviously the tuggies would have liked a little more ooomph and istr that the wingtip on at least 1 condor had ' half scale Pawnee ' written on it

I never liked being towed by a low power tug - but did enjoy being towed by a Large engined Pawnee when flying a lightweight single seater - twas almost like a winch launch lol and impossible to get a 'bow' in the towrope !
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Old 5th Aug 2014, 13:22
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Actually you'd be surprised how often we connect with wave over East Anglia. Not strong but consistent 2 - 3 Kts and quite smooth. I went to 8500' the other day and dropped out as it was getting dark.

Sometimes it's not actually wave I think but a strong but slow moving sea breeze front that eventually pushes through and leaves you behind - thinking 'where did the wave go.... ??'

Arc
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Old 6th Aug 2014, 00:38
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Many, many years ago in Sailplane and Gliding magazine there was a picture of a high powered tug towing two gliders. Alongside the picture was another (made up) of two Condors towing one glider. Wish I had saved it.
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Old 6th Aug 2014, 03:22
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180 Degree Thermals

At this summer's Cowley [What] Wave Camp, there was quite a bit of discussion about 180 degree thermals where we climb like mad for 180 degrees, then hang on for another 180 degrees until we connect again.

On the last day it looked like we were in the crosshairs of an approaching thunderstorm; so threw the gliders in their trailers -- and drove into a hailstorm to the north.

Now opening hail claim with auto insurer

Gliders and trailers OK
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Old 7th Aug 2014, 07:08
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A few years back (yes this is another gliding story!) I was climbing in a nice thermal near Boscomb Down Empire Test Pilot School, and inadvertently invaded their airspace. It does get your attention when a couple of fast military jets appear on either side of the glider! They quite enjoyed my reaction, getting the chance to chase an intruder made their day! I only wish I had been switched on enough to snap a photo with my turning point camera.
Didn't get round the 300k attempt that day, but did get back to Booker without landing out.
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Old 7th Aug 2014, 20:21
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Mary, I am glad you deleted the post blaming sexism for the removal of your story from R&N. In fairness it was probably removed as it did not contribute to the thread.

I have it be honest and say I am glad it was removed as it doesn't paint the gliding community in a great light, being intercepted after busting airspace isn't really a good wheeze and a giggle.

The airspace is there for a reason.
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Old 8th Aug 2014, 08:33
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RBF,

Be fair, the Cowley Wave Camp is in the Fall - the week before (Canadian)Thanksgiving. I've always known the camp you attended as the Cowley Summer Camp.

Having said that, I did my Diamond altitude climb on a blue wave day in July. Thermaling over the Porcupine Hills and reached 13,000' when things suddenly went very smooth! Climbed to 16,000' in the secondary and then penetrated west towards the primary. Ran into horrendous sink and turned and ran back to the Porcupines and started again!

This time I climbed to 18,000' in the secondary, which enabled me to fly upwind to the primary, which I contacted at about 12,000' and then went up to FL240.

I've also had the Cowley hail experience. I was driving from Pincher Station back to the field when I drove into a hail storm of such intensity that I thought the windshield was going to break. Had to stop due to zero visibility. Luckily, at the field, everyone had de-rigged before the storm hit.
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Old 8th Aug 2014, 10:02
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I had a nice Easter in Aboyne flying the club Vega in wave and thermals but the last flight I landed back into a snow blizzard that was just dumping on the strip. Everyone was huddled in the caravan and no one was prepared to come and help me shift the glider off the runway. Softies!
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Old 8th Aug 2014, 14:54
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Aboyne. Autumn wave. Tops out of available climb and dumps brakes for quick return to let someone else play (I know. Why?). Canopy mists and freezes. Cue BIG slowdown and sideslip peeking through the DV panel for only visible horizon. Note to self....
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Old 15th Aug 2014, 17:42
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Thanks for the stories so far Lady and Gents

What got us interested in gliding ??

One of the stories that got me hooked on gliding was the 1953 Derek Piggot T21 height record - 'The Ascent of Red 31' - this is an excerpt from 'The Powerless Ones' by Michael Cummings...


Excitement? Red 31 was being thrown about the sky. She was
being coated with ice. It was bitterly cold in the open cockpit.
She was still climbing. Visibility was nil ahead and to the rear;
only the wing-tips were just in view. The cloud hung round
them like fog beside a river. Yet the only feeling Derek Piggott
transferred to the A.T.C. cadet was one of excitement. Why?
The answer was to be found in the gliding record books. He knew
that Old Red-Nose was coming pretty close to establishing a new
gliding record if there was any more lift to be had from the
towering bank of cloud that still engulfed them. From this
prospect, Piggott drew the strength and the will to carry on.
At 11,000 ft. there was a glimmer of a smile on his face as he
asked the cadet: "Have you got any idea how the gain-of-height
record stands for two-seaters at present?"
Whatley, who knew only that he was bitterly cold and
miserable with nothing to see and nothing to do, mumbled: "I
haven't a clue, Sir."
Unlike the boy, though, Piggott had a fair inkling that Red 31
was already close to the altitude achieved by Austin and Bedford
the previous year when they set up a new British gain-of-height
record. The gain-of-height is the difference between the height
actually reached and the height above sea level from which the
glider was launched; for example, a glider winched up from
Camphill and reaching an altitude of 6,300 ft. would have made a
gain-of-height of 6,300 ft. minus the height of the [/URL]


P165 onwards

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...513dg1kwO4teCQ
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Old 15th Aug 2014, 18:43
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Perhaps of interest - the 'Austin and Bedford' gliding record was actually
R. Austin and A. W.
Bedford, 12,750 feet
A W Bedford was 'Bill' Bedford - he was an accomplished glider pilot and holder of at least 2 records...later of course better known for his 'Unter and 'Arrier flying
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Old 16th Aug 2014, 13:51
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Terrific story, Ron. Thanks for posting the link to the book. I must try to get hold of a copy.

Camphill is my club so I'm going to send the link to the editor of Camphill News, our in-house magazine - I think he might enjoy the story, although he was probably around at the time of the 1953 Nationals and may know it already.

It reminded me of a tale told by one of our top pilots who flew into a promising Cu only for it to develop into a CuNim once he was in it. He wrote-up the story for Sailplane and Gliding magazine who printed it - anonymously, of course. Whilst in the cloud he was thrown around so violently that, although he knew what heading he needed to get out, he couldn't do anything about it. He topped out above 21,000 ft. - and he had left his oxygen gear in his trailer!!! His maximum recorded vertical speed was in excess of 34 knots. He had come out into bright sunshine and landed back at his departure field only minutes later in a deluge.
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