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Re: A Great Glider...

Posted: 17 Feb 2015, 16:10
by Dev One
cstorey wrote:Yes indeed. Actually, my only gliding experience was the good old bungee launched Slingsby ( I think ) at school , where you generally got about 200 yards of flight per launch , although I did later have some goes at a Fournier RF4 which once you turned the motor off was lovely . The car launch brought back memories of Dunkeswell, where if the winch was kaput they had a Jaguar Mark IX to do the towing !
My one & only trip in a glider was at Farnborough in the late 70's, they were launched also in a stripped down Jag. Tow cables apparently wore out quickly due I think to the high friction surface of the main runway.
Still prefer a fan, otherwise theres no go around.....I know I'm a coward!
Keith

Re: A Great Glider...

Posted: 17 Feb 2015, 17:04
by FlyTexas
My only glider experiences were in a Schweizer 233, being towed by a Cessna L-19/Bird Dog no less. B-) Sitting in the front seat you're the one who gets to release the tow line. The instructor was very nice and allowed me to have plenty of stick time...even let me fly her on the approach. The approach speed was 55mph if I remember correctly. The instructor told me that once you remember what 55mph sounds like (air moving over the canopy) you never have to look at the instrument panel when coming in to land. Makes sense. :lol:

Brian

Re: A Great Glider...

Posted: 17 Feb 2015, 17:46
by Tako_Kichi
petermcleland wrote:Yes Larry,

I loved gliding too...I was an instructor on 617 Gliding School at Bovingdon first, then Manston. There is something very special about gliding and the lack of a fan in front has a lot to do with it. I never quite got the urge to fly Motor Gliders :agree:
All my glider flights were at RAF Tern Hill in Shropshire in the early 70's (now used as a helicopter training school I believe). First flights were in a Slingsby T.21 but we switched to the Cadet TX Mark 3 (Tandem Tutor) when I started on the gliding course.

Re: A Great Glider...

Posted: 17 Feb 2015, 17:59
by petermcleland
Yes Larry...Those were the gliders that I was an instructor on.

When I went solo at the age of 16, there were no two seaters in service so I did all my glider training on the single seat Cadet Mk1:-

Image

Re: A Great Glider...

Posted: 18 Feb 2015, 12:12
by Airspeed
TBH, I don't relish the idea of laying almost on my back, and looking forward over my feet. :worried:

Re: A Great Glider...

Posted: 18 Feb 2015, 13:18
by Tako_Kichi
Airspeed wrote:TBH, I don't relish the idea of laying almost on my back, and looking forward over my feet. :worried:
I take it you don't fancy a drive in an F1 car either Mike? :dunno: :lol:

Re: A Great Glider...

Posted: 18 Feb 2015, 15:13
by Dev One
Or on a Luge down the Cresta run? ( I think its a luge...)
Keith

Re: A Great Glider...

Posted: 18 Feb 2015, 16:21
by Tako_Kichi
Dev One wrote:Or on a Luge down the Cresta run? ( I think its a luge...)
Keith
Yup luge is face up, feet first, while skeleton is face down, head first.

Re: A Great Glider...

Posted: 18 Feb 2015, 19:11
by petermcleland
Airspeed wrote:TBH, I don't relish the idea of laying almost on my back, and looking forward over my feet. :worried:
That's pretty much how I read a book in bed...Pretty comfortable :lol: