C certificate - you beauty !

[maxamos]

Have finally managed to get my C certificate completed. Didn't rush it though, which is a shame in some ways, as I have missed this season and now have little chance of getting my silver C. On the other hand I now have another goal to look forward to.

 

Have thoroughly enjoyed my time in gliders, and would recommend it to all other pilots as it is a great way to enhance your skills, especially for other novices such as myself. I feel far more confident in my ability to handle slow flight and especially stalls and spins after going through spin training in gliders. In RAA we always fly towards the middle of the speed range and try to avoid the low end, where in gliders you get really used to flying just above stall speed, and really concentrating on the symptoms to ensure that you avoid the stall. Another big bonus is being able to do aerobatics. Yee hah !!!

 

As much as I have been hanging out to get my C certificate so that I can start flying cross country, I have also been really enjoying just flying the glider, with no particular destination in mind, just hanging in the local area of the airfield and just trying to stay up. ;) . Flying for the sheer joy of it, no noise, no real goal, just flying around and loving it. It's even better when the aircraft cost is $20 per hour, and $100 maximum charge. Can I stay up here all day ?

 

One of the best flights that I had was when I converted to single seaters; jumped in the junior for my initial flight and then managed to stay up for 5 and a half hours. The conditions were obviously pretty damn good when a mug like me could do it, but none the less it was a real buzz, especially working my way back up from 3000 ft to 9000 plus on a couple of occassions and it certainly taught me a lot about soaring, and flying in general.

 

Hopefully I will get the chance to have at least one more good day up there before the season finishes, and I will be really looking forward to next season and the prospect of really learning how to fly cross country in gliders.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Congrats Kirk. You are so right about the benefits to your RAA flying of gliding experience. I would add another. If that engine stops, things are much calmer and more manageable if you can treat it as just another glider landing.

 

Well done.

 

Ross

 

 

[Guest Juliette Lima]

Hi Maxamos,

 

Congratulations..... your post implies the sheer joy of soaring.

 

Silver C days are still to be had in the Lake Keepit area through March, if you can get up there.

 

I read somewhere that a pre-requisite of Russian Air Force pilots was

 

certification in gliders....such is the value of stick and rudder skills learned.

 

The Canadian 747 pilot who landed his aircraft fully passenger laden, ENGINES OUT from 36000 ft a few years back without incident other than a couple of blown tyres, was a glider pilot.

 

The story makes terrific reading, particularly how he slide slipped the aircraft into a disused short strip, and in so doing, frightened the s... out of a bunch of guys who were using the strip for drag racing, and who looked up to see a 747 approaching ... no noise!

 

Enjoy the thermals.

 

JL

 

 

[TechMan]

Well done Maxamos. Next is the Gold C. Keep at it, you'll get there. Even the junior should be able to manage 300km ;-) (if not I can sell you a glider...oops, is that commercial advertising?) :-D

 

Have fun up there.

 

Chris

 

 

[Captain]

Kirk

 

You are sooooo spot-on with your comments and attitude to Soaring.

 

As with RAA flight training, the learning & progressive achievement of milestones is great fun and very rewarding.

 

But as with RAA flying, going solo and getting the initial endorsements is just the beginning of the journey and just the start of the real fun and the commencement of even better achievement and rewards.

 

I agree with what you say about flying local in the Junior and I found it identical ..... particularly when you find you can actually soar and centre a few thermals ..... and stay up for 5 hours and knock over your 1000 m height gain, however you become a bit blase when you can do that most flights when staying local ..... BUT when you actually head off cross-country and turn your back on the nest and back yourself to get more thermals etc etc I found it to be one of the most thrilling and rewarding things I have ever done.

 

Just wait until you knock off a couple of cross-country goals and then achieve your final glide on the way home. It is a real buzz every flight, particularly after you get a bit low and have the scratch away a couple of times.

 

I hope your instructors have instilled the thinking that "an outlanding is not a bad thing" and "Cross-country is good".

 

I've road raced motorcycles and cars and I tell everyone I can that the thrill of going cross-country in those initial couple of flights, particularly on a blue day, is easily equivalent to going into turn one at Phillip Island at 220 kph. At least it was for me.

 

Keep us posted on how you go as you have already knocked over 2/3 of the requirements for a Silver C.

 

Regards Geoff

 

PS It's got me buggered why so many people go solo in a glider and then go no further. Somehow solo becomes the goal, not the start point. I wonder if the same thing happens in RAA schools.