How many here fly gliders too?

[nomadpete]

Another reason to go gliding - two flights, two hours - $150.

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

Our last culb long weekend a 3 day flying, I flew over 12 hrs in my SF27m self launcher one flight was 210km and it cost less than $20.00 , I have started building a 18m self launch which will be of same cost to fly about 3 ltrs a flight. I have been looking at doing a design for a cheap 11-13m self launch with a motor that at $1 a launch now thats cheap flying.

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

Many people in clubs think a motor on board is not a real glider, and they dont like them, but at the end of the day we will have to go this way, how about the glider club like a power aircraft ,you ring up make a booking ( 2pm) turn up fly and off . A one man opp with a self launcher, may be one that can tow up a glider as well. times have changed life style is a lot different to what it was 40 years ago, and we have to change with it. My new self launch will be set up for a one man rig ,so i can go mid week and to other centers to fly.

 

 

[Guernsey]

How's the new motor glider coming along Gary?

 

Alan.

 

 

[Guernsey]

Still waiting Gary.

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

The Cheyenne is sitting on the ground, waiting on a permit to fly. The paper work re doing things to try to please people. Back in may it was inspected last when placards where inspected and photos where presented , now to put 2 into one, weight and balance was given to the nsw guy ,and 2 months ago resent and only now do i have a signed one I also are trying to get my own w b ticket to save drama next time. I used the SAAA test flying guide for doing my test flying list this was knocked back, so I have now wiped out 75% of my programme, where they would have a good amount of info on how it flies now it will have very little. Risk assments I had trouble getting it to casa way untill i got some other assments .it takes time as i have other matters to attend to. all the paper work is now being prepared to send in. I am being told about the mud on my name, and it sticks, many times and the very restricted way of getting on with it doesent help at all , and that is all im saying about that. And the restricted flying on what i can do also is making things harded.

 

 

[Mike Borgelt]

Dafydd Llewellyn and Gary Morgan are right. Gliding in Australia is facing a demographic cliff. You only need to visit a gliding club to see why.

 

The fracturing of sport aviation in Australia is one possible reason for this. Take a look at the numerous different bodies, different airworthiness requirements, pilot requirements etc.

 

In my opinion flying training for gliding should be done in small powered aircraft. If the instructor is a glider pilot he or she can slant some of the training towards the thinking required by glider pilots. Once you can actually fly reasonably well, going gliding then only requires a conversion course. Gliders are hopeless on the ground and generating any significant sortie rate involves a lot of work and people. Motorgliders aren't required until later in training and are generally more expensive (capital costs).

 

Of course the above mentioned fracturing prevents this. I sometimes think the CASA guys must roll around the floor laughing on Friday nights at the pub after a few drinks, at what the various sport aviation bodies have done to themselves with only minor "assistance" from CASA.

 

The pity is that there was a proposal (CASA discussion paper) back in 2002 to have an RPL with a driver's licence medical (from what I gathered it was an RAAus type medical not the fraudulent current CASA DLM which has EXACTLY the same medical standard as a Class 2 medical). You could get endorsements for various types of aircraft, gliders, rotorcraft etc. Unfortunately this didn't get very far before Messrs Hall and Meertens from the GFA and Middleton from RAAus met with the Minister and demanded that the proposal be killed as far as RAAus and GFA were concerned. This was despite the option to be available for the members of those organisations to continue as before if they so wished. How clever of them.

 

I don't generally have a lot of time for CASA or the people who are employed there but in this case the poor guys at CASA must have been beating their heads against the wall in frustration.

 

Institute an RPL for all glider and recreational aircraft pilots. Medical standard either RAAus or the gliding self certification one (effectively the same). Shove the aircraft registration/ airworthiness admin back at CASA or to a business set up to do this (CASA requires it to be dome to THEIR standards anyway) and the GFA and RAAus can get back to lobbying the pollies, promoting their activities and education on how to do it better safer etc.

 

I think everyone would benefit but this would be fought tooth and nail by GFA and RAAus as the former particularly has long ago lost sight of what it exists for. Nowadays it exists to promote its own continued existence. The ultimate "self licking ice cream cone".

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

Yesterday I had a good day 5 hrs flying for $2.50 10min of motor to 2500'launch a top height of 9000'and covered 240km . I would have done a lot more but my didn't want me to go and of course not out land. I found some more of the out landing strips to look at just went up and down the valley. I am looking forward to getting my new 18m ship in the air to cover some big distances.

 

 

[winsor68]

[winsor68]

[winsor68]

I've got some old aviation photos from my Dad's collection... might need its own thread.

 

 

[kaz3g]

I've got some old aviation photos from my Dad's collection... might need its own thread.

My first thought was that the one in the photo above is an ES 60B Super Arrow; essentially a Boomerang with a straight tail. But the more I look at it, the more I'm inclined to it being a Ka6. Schneiders built both aircraft, the Ka6 under licence from Schleiker, and the Boomerang And Super Arrow were Schneiders own.

 

The Super Arrow was a better glider than the Ka6 in Australian conditions as I recall. I didn't like the Boomerangs all-flying tail.

 

Kaz

 

 

[OZJohn]

I enjoy being an independent motor glider operator and have flown the Morning Glory several times.

 

My last wave flight was to 18000 ft and very cold.

 

All flying is good.

 

John.

 

 

[winsor68]

My first thought was that the one in the photo above is an ES 60B Super Arrow; essentially a Boomerang with a straight tail. But the more I look at it, the more I'm inclined to it being a Ka6. Schneiders built both aircraft, the Ka6 under licence from Schleiker, and the Boomerang And Super Arrow were Schneiders own.The Super Arrow was a better glider than the Ka6 in Australian conditions as I recall. I didn't like the Boomerangs all-flying tail.

 

Kaz

It's called an SZD Mucha Standard Kaz...the single seat variant of the Bocian... I will do a thread on this machine too when I get time. I have hundreds of photos.

 

 

[Oscar]

I didn't like the Boomerangs all-flying tail.Kaz

Loved the Boomer - though flying it has left me with an ineradicable (it seems) propensity to sideslip every approach! (Brakes? - what brakes?). First single-seater was an Arrow, thence to the Boomer which was like going from an Austin 7 to a Healey 100/4.. From the Boomer to a Pilatus B4 (YAWN), then to a Club Astir (yawn) and a Club Libelle ( whatever..) Next up, an IS29D2 ( YOWZA!!), then a race-prepared Hornet ( This Sucker SMOKES), then a quick 300k once-only flight in a Libelle 201B, which I would have adopted/married/had its children, it was so NICE to fly. I never got to try a Foka 4, which I would have crawled over broken glass to fly. They had a reputation of being just the most delightful thing to fly, perfectly balanced in every aspect.

 

 

[kaz3g]

It's called an SZD Mucha Standard Kaz...the single seat variant of the Bocian... I will do a thread on this machine too when I get time. I have hundreds of photos.

It was a long time ago

 

The two seat SZD 1E was a favourite of mine and I instructed in one after being endorsed in it by John Viney. Magnificent entry to the spin...a long-drawn out sigh as the wing dropped and then nearly 60 feet of wing began to rotate.

 

Kaz

 

 

[winsor68]

Dad leaning into the cockpit... Mum behind the wing. This would have been the mid to late 60's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[winsor68]

Note: Yes. This is one aircraft. The LSC gave it a recover hence the two opposing paint jobs.

 

 

[OZJohn]

Foka 5 was beautiful to fly - felt like it was part of you. Fun to fly inverted also.

 

 

[Oscar]

Oops, that jogged my memory, it was the Foka 5 I wanted to fly, the 4 was the original development model for the 5, I think?

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

Saturday I did a 320km in my SF27m adv. 80kph 10,500' best day for a long time. west waylong next week for 2 weeks hope to do some good flights .

 

 

[smokeybear]

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

That's me

 

 

[smokeybear]

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

Won't be long till u do

 

 

[Keenaviator]

Last flight for me, last week. A relatively short cross coutry flight, Flowerdale to Glenburn. The same day one of the guys flew from Flowerdale to Koo Wee Rup!

 

 

 

 

 

[frank marriott]

Last flight for me, last week. A relatively short cross coutry flight, Flowerdale to Glenburn. The same day one of the guys flew from Flowerdale to Koo Wee Rup![ATTACH=full]40058[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]40059[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]40060[/ATTACH]

Go any time with you in your SK mate but leave me out with that one.