How many here fly gliders too?

[Tomo]

Just thought it would be interesting to see how many of us here fly gliders, or have flown them in your past.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

wouldn't mind having a go at it. put me down for bucket list

 

 

[Tex]

I have a had a few hours, not licensed but so all with an instructor.

 

 

[rdarby]

I started in gliders, did it for about 3 years but never solo. Purest form of flying, I found moving to an engine to be easy as you didn't need to tow it, wash it and keep using the rudders in flight! But I miss having a parachute to lie back on, it was comfy! In South Africa gliders use parachutes. Ryan

 

 

[denist]

Got about 150 hours, Silver "C"

 

 

[kgwilson]

Flew Hang Gliders for 20 odd years starting in 1976 when they were mostly home built though Bill Moyes & Steve Cohen had started selling their designs by then as well. A lot of the early HG boys went on to Gliders, many still at the top of their game now.

 

 

[pylon500]

A lot of the early HG boys went on to Gliders

That would seem the logical progression, but I'm always different.

I started in gliders and then went to hang gliding.

 

Got going back in the 70's in a Kookaburra while in the Cadets.

 

Ended up with about 127 hours, Silver 'C', and 19 different types.

 

Was actually the secretary of the RAAF Richmond club for a couple of years.

 

Would like to combine my ultralighting with gliding and get a Sinus, just need to keep saving I guess...

 

 

[Tex]

Would like to combine my ultralighting with gliding and get a Sinus, just need to keep saving I guess...

That is my goal as well

 

 

[HeadInTheClouds]

Paragliding is on my to do list, does that count?

 

Wouldn't mind having a go in a glider one day too.

 

 

[Tex]

Paragliding is on my to do list, does that count?

As a hang glider pilot........NO!

 

 

[robinsm]

Started in Gliders 1in 1968 at the upper valley gliding club north of Wellington in NZ. In those days it was in Whitemans valley behind Trentham but has been moved to Upper Hutt. Did my training in a Rhonlerch (wood and fabric), and a Rhonadler. (this was about the same time that the Blanik was a brand new glider on the market. Flew in 1968 and 1969 (20hrs) then graduated from the institution I was attending at Trentham and never got back into them. Always regretted that. (always wanted to fly a Slingsby dart but never got the chance (the club single was a K8).)

 

Cheers

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Did a TIF in one, a while back. Enjoyed it but, I prefer powered flight.

 

 

[facthunter]

Have done, would do again. The last glider flight for me was 1969. I think gliding requires an especially good pilot. If I lived a Tocumwal I'm sure I would get involved. Where does one find the time for all the things there are to do? Nev

 

 

[Guernsey]

Did about 15 hours in Blanicks (don't think I've spelled that correct) in Waikerie 40 years ago.

 

Loved it.

 

Alan.

 

 

[HeadInTheClouds]

As a hang glider pilot........NO!

Not a fan of paragliding?? haha

 

 

[Tex]

Not a fan of paragliding?? haha

All flying is good! just your standard inter-discipline rivalry... HG and PG love to rag on each other for one reason or another: "If you lived in the ocean would you rather be a shark (HG) or a jellyfish (PG)... PG call HG coathangers, HG call PG shopping bags... etc etc ala Surfboards v Boogie boards, skateboards and roller blades, fixed wing v rotary

All flying is good and has advantages and disadvantages PG just has more of the latter (HAHA) JUST JOKES!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-BvNh3jr8Y

 

 

[HeadInTheClouds]

I see... Now I get it

 

 

[XP503]

I want to!!!!!!!! Very much so!!!! Take me up tomo

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I have about 80hrs in gliders back in the mid 1980's...I loved it but then I got married and it all stopped

 

K13, Bergfaulk, IS28, twin Astir, std Astir, T53B

 

Mark

 

 

[kaz3g]

Just thought it would be interesting to see how many of us here fly gliders, or have flown them in your past.

Got a Silver C and gold distance and duration, about 200 hours over 600 takeoffs (and landings) and an Assistant Instructor's rating but last flew one in 1987.

 

I did 5 hr 07 mins with an 8000' height gain to get the Silver C in an Astir CS KYP, and I did 4 hr 28 Min and 250 km out and return in Blanik GOY to win the Rose Week Festival with Peter Johnson. Also quite a bit of time in an Rf5 Fournier MG which helped me with bouncy taildraggers later on. Mike Valentine, John Viney, Ingo Renner and Peter Johnson are some of the names in my log book... great pilots all.

 

A wonderful sport but it seems to have lost a lot of followers in recent years.

 

kaz

 

 

[facthunter]

With that background Kaz, you have undersold yourself. You should be a master of that pussycat Auster with the bungee chord U/C. Nev

 

 

[Guernsey]

Got a Silver C and gold distance and duration, about 200 hours over 600 takeoffs (and landings) and an Assistant Instructor's rating but last flew one in 1987.A wonderful sport but it seems to have lost a lot of followers in recent years.

 

kaz

It must have been those damn ultralight contraptions that came onto the scene.

Alan.

 

 

[pylon500]

I think the guy that made the paraglider video must have seen me standing in that line up at Stanwell !

 

While I enjoyed gliding back in the 70's and 80's, I look back and realise that it took me three or four years before I looked out and noticed I was having fun.

 

Up till then the drive for performance flying kept me so busy that it was really hard concentrating work, and I only said how much fun it was, once I was on the ground:juggle:

 

Maybe this reflects in my current training to make sure the students are enjoying themselves while learning.

 

Arthur.

 

 

[kaz3g]

With that background Kaz, you have undersold yourself. You should be a master of that pussycat Auster with the bungee chord U/C. Nev

Thank you, Nev... wish it were true

 

 

I was much younger and sharper then.... I stopped flying in the late 1980's to put the kids through school, university and their obligatory trips o/s. Started again about 10 years ago and was surprised how much effort was needed to get back into the swing of things aeronautical and regain some of that more youthful confidence.

 

I have always loved TW aircraft and my very first flight was as a 7 yo child in 1953. We were in a DC3 flying over Melbourne at night to see the "coronation" lights and I was allowed to go up the front and stand behind the pilot for a few minutes. An amazing thing for a kid not long at school!

 

Sailplanes are easy to land neatly. The Rf5 was bit of a challenge because it could bounce like a ball if you touched even just a tad hard. During those early years I did some power time in a Maule M5 and then in a Decathlon, including basic aeros in the latter, and always felt totally in control in them.

 

The Auster? Well, she is a girl and has a mind of her own. She doesn't like being taken for granted. She is very independent and will try to go her own way if allowed. She consequently requires lots of attention and frequent compliments on her landings lest she throw a little hissy fit just when you don't need one.

 

A challenge? Yes. But an irresistable character, too!

 

kaz

 

 

[facthunter]

Yes I've flown a few Austers. Including an Archer ( No flaps 2 seats CRR).. Is yours a J1/n?. Can't actually remember much trouble except they can bounce on take-off. But I was young then too. I always flew them pretty slow on approach and virtually always did 3 pointers, but I came from a DH-82 so apart from having brakes and a funny flap lever there wasn't much difference. They had such a bad? reputation then that I was surprised that it flew quite well, particularly low speed handling.. The one I flew mostly was quite a dog as it was a neglected banner towing plane from Bankstown. BDQ and when you stalled it it would always drop the right wing even with quite a bit of left rudder. It wasn't rigged correctly. BOTH these planes are still flying 50 years later. Enough rambling Keep the faith!. Nev