Student Glider Pilots

[Guest airsick]

Icebob,

 

The aircraft is the Pipistrel Virus and cruises at around 120kt on ~12.5lph. Doing long trips is a breeze in it. My brother and eye have done some long trips before and it handles it no worries at all. With the long range tanks (50L each side) we worked out that we could get from Canberra to the Gold Coast and return in one go if the winds were favourable (and we didn't care about reserves!).

 

I am no glider pilot but I have been in a Sinus before with the engine off and even I could get it to stay up there for a while. The aircraft is a brilliant all rounder and added to its long list of accolades earlier in the year by taking out the major prize and several smaller ones at the CAFE challenge - http://cafefoundation.org/v2/pav_pavchallenge_2008results.php

 

MrH and Icebob, I would be happy to take both of you for a spin. Just let me know when you are going to be around and we can line something up.

 

 

[Tomo]

Thanks Bob,What's the tug costs out of interest??

 

Phil

G'day Phil, Just come across this thread and thought I'd make you more confused where to go, and prices......:big_grin: That's if you haven't already found yourself a place your happy with...i_dunno

 

The place that I've been two a few times and hope to do my training there soon is out at Bowenville way... "Mcaffery field" "Darling Downs Soaring Club" Darling Downs Soaring Club - Welcome

 

If you go to there website it has everything there, incl prices, types of aircraft etc.....

 

Cheers,:thumb_up:

 

Tom

 

 

[maxamos]

GCV

 

Hi to the glider pilots,

 

I fly out of Benalla with the GCV. It is a great club, very friendly has loads of options, between flying across the flat or heading up to the hills. It is not unusual for the better pilots to fly up to Mt Koziusko and back in a day, and reguarly people fly up over the Victorian high country, depending on the day and the conditions.

 

Didn't manage much flying at all last season due to work committments, did my pre-season checks, out landing checks, then not much else. I am hoping for a lot better go this season with a bit of luck. I am still pretty junior with only about 40 odd hours up, but hope to do some longer cross country flights this season. Great fun and really makes me a lot more comfortable flying in general after all the stall and spin training. This part I would recommend to any pilot, as it is great training, and even better on a thermally day, when you can play and spin to your hearts content, then thermal back up for some more fun. :thumb_up:

 

It gets pretty busy during the season on a weekend, but on the other hand there are few more pilots in the bar once the flying finishes to have a chat with and a quiet ale.

 

Really looking fwd to getting up there when I get back from work at the end of the month, and hoping that it is sunny and hot.

 

Cheers

 

Kirk

 

 

[Guest weekendwarrior]

Like Bob, started gliding recently out of Camden on the $695 10 flights intro pack they've got there. Did them all, now gotta get the credit card out again... Great bunch of blokes.

 

Oh and I am drooling over the Pipistrel too.

 

 

[Yenn]

I would love to get back into it, but the nearest strip is about 40 minutes flight away and half a day by car.

 

I used to love winch launches and have only done 1 earo tow and that was from Narromine about 25 years ago. I arrived at the strip at 4pm on the weekend after Easter and it took time to find a tug pilot. I then doubled my previous 3 months of flying and had to come down as it was getting dark.

 

only flown a glider once since then an i had to come down as I ran out of cash to pay for the flight. A couple of mates got flights of about 5 minutes and said they couldn't find lift. Will have to try it again at McMaster Field.