HOW FAR DO CROSS-COUNTRY GLIDERS GO?

[Captain]

Ian

 

I'll kick off this area with just a couple of snippets on what X-countrySailplanes are achieving ..... as a matter of interest for those members of the Forum who aren't involved in the sport.

 

Many think of "Gliding" as just local flights of 30 minute or so.

 

Last soaring season (Say Oct - March) there weresomething like 10 flights of over 1000 kms, very many at 750 -1000 kms and heaps (hundreds of flights) at 350 - 750 kms.

 

Most of those had an average speed, including thermalling, of 85 - 120 kms/hr.

 

Most high performance sailplanes cruise at 80 - 110 knots, depending on conditions, and have VNE's of something like 145 knots.

 

Based on the above figures you can see that flights of 5 - 10 hours duration are commonplace and climbs to cloudbase at 10,000 - 14,000 ft are usualby mid afternoon where I fly in SW NSW.

 

I hope that the above might be of interest, explain a little of what getssome of ushooked on this aspect of flying, and perhaps kick off some further discussion.

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[Guest micgrace]

Hi Geoff.

 

What sort of craft did you do the "A" licence in, the Blanik? Were you towed or winched? Which do you think better?

 

The most I could get the Blanik to stay up was some 2.5hrs But what I'll never forget was cooking like a sausage in the cockpit at the height of summer waiting for the call and the relief of being free of the tow cable and cooling down somewhat.

 

Micgrace :)

 

 

[pylon500]

I actually did my Silver C in a Blanik, getting duration; 6hr 15mn (got confused with a digital watch!!) and height gain; went to 9300ft.

 

I got my distance; 103 klm the day before flying a Ka6, Narromine - Tooraweenah.

 

Originally learnt to fly in a short wing Kookaburra off an auto tow, lots of 5 min flights! ;)

 

Arthur.

 

 

[Ross]

Hi Glider forum

 

I was just a club flyer at Leeton but managed to get as far as getting my Gold distance and Diamond Goal (I think that's right or vice versa). It took the form of a 300 km flight in a Club Libelle from Leeton, Junee, YWWL, Leeton with those declared turning points and all according to FAI rules with a sealed recording barograph on board to prove that you did not land anywhere else. The turnpoints had to be photographed with the wing rego in the photo as well as well taken in the correct sector. Ideally that was outside the turnpoint on the extended bisector of the turnpoint angle.

 

I'll leave the Gold Height attempt to another time.

 

This 300 km started witha winch launch from Brobenah gliding strip. I would think that few peoplewould havedone that flight in as long as it took me. It was about six hours averaging less than 50 Km/hour including thermalling and digressing into Leeton and back to Brobenah airstrip when I returned. One of the most satisfying things about these flights is the relief of getting off your backside and even more so in competition flying where you are sitting on a parachute that has no hint of padding in it.

 

We had a policy of that after either three hours or five hours, I can't remember which, you flew at no charge. I had a bit to catch up on as earlier when I was attemptingone of the requirements of the Silver C, a five hour duration flight for the second time, I managed to land five minutes short of the five hours. I probably would have had an urgument with a couple of fences if I had tried to last another five minutes. But that was also completed a few week later.

 

Another part of the Silver C was to fly 50 km from base and land out - I guess it would be classed as a fail if you managed to damage the aircraft although I do not ever remember it being an issue here at Leeton.

 

Regards

 

 

[Captain]

G'day Michael,

 

I did my basic training in a week-long live-in course and up to Solo was in a Blanik.

 

Then went into an IS28 for a couple of days before going into single seaters, the 1st being a Junior and then into an LS4.

 

It doesn't matter what you are in down this way, ason a goodgliding day it is always warm under the bubble.

 

Last season the good weather windows brought 44 degree days, which resulted in terrific conditions but it cooks until you are up past about 7000 ft.

 

Regards Geoff