First glider lessons

[Big Pistons Forever]

Did my first 3 flights on my way to a glider license today. Been on the "to do" list for many years and I loved it. If any of you have been thinking about it I highly recommend you go for it !

SSU:
Already ordered the hat

[whodat]

I have always wanted to do it. Where are you training?

[CFR]

Winch launch or aerotow?

[Big Pistons Forever]

I am training with VISC at Port Alberni BC. They use a Pawnee for the aerotow.

[Adam Oke]

Beauty! Don't go spreading aviation's best kept secret around ... be sure to bring a logger, water, and snacks on every flight. I've been caught off guard in wave sitting at 10 000', in 4 degree weather, wearing shorts and a t-shirt, freezing my ass off for 5.5hrs dying of hunger and thirst!

Watchout for that EFATO or RBATO 200' turn around! The only way it is possible is if you wear your bucket hat or you are doing surface level acro in a Pitt's haha

Joking aside, it's the only type of flying that is 100% stick and rudder and pure enjoyment.

[Shiny Side Up]

SSU:
Already ordered the hat

I tried gliding a while ago and it was fun, interesting, but I just couldn't get into it unless I was retired, so it might wait for then. I found its somewhat more unplanned and random, which I don't have the extra time to mess around with, the wife reminds me I spend too much time at airports as it is.

[cgzro]

gliding is definitely good for the stick and rudder skills. I did some glider aerobatics ages ago and it was a real bladt.

[CFR]

The training side of gliding is usually very different from the soaring side of things. During training "sled rides" are OK as you are busy doing a bunch of air exercises, learning to stay in the right place on tow as well as approach and landing practice (I still approach high and use speed brakes and slipping to land where I want). Once the formal training is over (we are all always learning, right?) the real fun begins - the search for the often elusive thermal. There are many who give up during training and I encourage them to stick it out for thermalling. Hitting a thermal that has you pressed down in the seat, the vario screaming and the altimeter spinning like a fan (OK a bit of an exaggeration here but ...) is a great feeling! My longest flight so far was just shy of three hours (and I only came down because nature was calling, really loudly!!!!!!).

Enjoy, it is a different kind of flying (not better, just different).

[Pop n Fresh]

the wife reminds me I spend too much time at airports as it is.

I did invite you fishing.

[Big Pistons Forever]

I am learning on a PW-6U which is a proper sailplane with a total energy audio variometer and a 34 to 1 glide ratio. On my first flight we did some thermaling although there was not a lot of lift (0.5 to 1 1/2 kt) so it was a good challenge and demanded accurate flying........ and plenty of coaching from the back seat. I can see how hearing that rising tone on the variometer could get addicting.

I found the aerotow pretty easy and the aircraft is quite pleasant to fly but needs lots of rudder to stay coordinated. The hardest part for me was resisting the urge to put a little bit of flare in just before the wheel touched. All 3 of my landings were too tail low.

[Old Dog Flying]

First glider flight in summer 1957 in a Schweitzer SGU 1-19. Yep a single seat! What a blast when I caught a boomer right after release and my "circuit" lasted 20 minutes

Barney

[CFR]

... and plenty of coaching from the back seat.

After my first solo in the glider, I was asked what I thought. My response was "It's amazing how quiet glider flying is ... with the back seat empty!!"

[CFR]

I am learning on a PW-6U which is a proper sailplane with a total energy audio variometer and a 34 to 1 glide ratio. On my first flight we did some thermaling although there was not a lot of lift (0.5 to 1 1/2 kt) so it was a good challenge and demanded accurate flying........ and plenty of coaching from the back seat. I can see how hearing that rising tone on the variometer could get addicting.

I found the aerotow pretty easy and the aircraft is quite pleasant to fly but needs lots of rudder to stay coordinated. The hardest part for me was resisting the urge to put a little bit of flare in just before the wheel touched. All 3 of my landings were too tail low.

The Pawnee is a nice tug and pulls a dual into the air quite nicely. We have both a Pawnee and a Scout.

Ah yes rudder!! Without power a wingover, or better yet a stall turn, become a different kettle of fish with no propellor generated airflow over the rudder. I find that I have mostly tamed the yaw string, but every once in a while it decides to be disobedient and do what it wants.

I would suggest you get good at both left and right turns. Many folks end up with a preferred direction (mine is to the left) which is fine when you are by yourself, but when you join others in a thermal you all turn in the same direction, usually set by the first person in. I now find that I have to force myself to practice right turns. I don't think my neck turns as well to the right as it does to the left.

[cap41]

Any recommendations for a gliding in the GTA?

[zulutime]

Any recommendations for a gliding in the GTA?

Rockton west of the GTA has lots of gliders. Not sure if they offer training, etc. We often run into them, (not literally!), flying between the Toronto area and London or points west. Quite neat to see these gliders doing and inside loop that gets them up to 6000 - 7000 ft . I have to say I wish all gliders had to have a trasnponder installed with mode C. I know little to nothing about gliders and their requirements but I do know that I often see lots of gliders that ATC can't see on their radar.

[pez]

I am learning on a PW-6U which is a proper sailplane with a total energy audio variometer and a 34 to 1 glide ratio. On my first flight we did some thermaling although there was not a lot of lift (0.5 to 1 1/2 kt) so it was a good challenge and demanded accurate flying........ and plenty of coaching from the back seat. I can see how hearing that rising tone on the variometer could get addicting.

I found the aerotow pretty easy and the aircraft is quite pleasant to fly but needs lots of rudder to stay coordinated. The hardest part for me was resisting the urge to put a little bit of flare in just before the wheel touched. All 3 of my landings were too tail low.

Beautiful place to fly, too. Video from a few summers ago: http://vimeo.com/66290265.. I flew the Pawnee and the PW-6U for sightseeing flights for a few summers.

[all_ramped_up]

Joking aside, it's the only type of flying that is 100% stick and rudder and pure enjoyment.

QFT!

Of the flying I've done, I miss Gliding the most! Really been wishing lately I could get back behind the controls of a Blanik.

[Cat Driver]

For me It is difficult to choose between sail planes and gyroplanes for pure flying pleasure.

[RatherBeFlying]

That's the Rockton club. Hwy 8 and Cooper Rd. between Cambridge and Hamilton.

SOSA has installed PowerFlarms in their club gliders along with several private owners.

Besides showing the position, direction and climb of other gliders, PF does the same with ADS-B, i.e. air carriers.

It also shows transponders, but can only give distance and relative altitude. I had one transponder alert close by; so did a gentle bank to the right and left to make myself more visible, and was passed by a C-177 coming from behind.

[Panama Jack]

Good for you Big Pistons Forever. Enjoy gliding on the ridge.

VISC is a great place to get the training done in very short time and at your convenience.

PJ

[V1 Rotate]

Just flew with AR at VISC. Great guy and very nice gliders.

Enjoy your soaring!

[Big Pistons Forever]

Had a few seconds of 1200 feet per minute up on the ridge today. WOO HOOO

[pigboat]

YORK SOARING Association

Yorksoaring.com , it is near Arthur Ont. Open 7 days a week til late Sept. About 16 club gliders and 3 tow planes. A great training facility for youth (trained to license in about 3 weeks) and a few power pilots have trained in about 2 weeks and no written exam required for a power pilot. Trained one retired Airline pilot in 8 days!

Many fun challenges to work at! Soaring, X-Country, Aerobatics. Wonderful Sport and very inexpensive compared to power. Do your license for about 2000. dollars. My son flew here and soloed at 15.

Many great clubs across Canada including SOSA near Hamilton. letsgogliding.ca for the rest of Canada to locate clubs...Enjoy.

[Big Pistons Forever]

First solo yesterday. Went fine although I was a bit nervous when I was on final and saw everybody lined up next to the runway to watch my landing . Anyway it worked fine and as my instructor came walking up to the airplane I had a flash back to an October day in 1976 and the same scene being played out with a 16 year old BPF sitting in a C 150.

Did two more flights, another circuit and then I was cut loose to go try to find some lift. I released at 2100 AGL and was down to 1400 AGL just about to give up and join the downwind when the vario started singing 5 minutes later I was at 3000 feet and life was mighty fine

I know not very impressive to a soaring pro, but the hook is now well and truly set.....

[Big Pistons Forever]

One of the AHH HAA moments I have had learning to fly gliders is I now understand why glider pilots initially don't do any better than new pilots on the PPL forced approach lesson. The glider has such huge control over the approach path that I think the glider pilots (albeit in my case all low hour air cadets) took a little while to realize that the opportunity and ability to fix flight path mistakes is much less than in a glider.

The second AHH HAA as the difference in the EFATO turn back. The last dual lesson was an intentional release at 250 feet AGL to simulate a rope break. Since the tow speed was 10 knots faster than min sink you can use the extra speed to reduce the altitude loss so I was still at 200 feet AGL after the 180 degree turn. In fact my initial reaction was "crap we are way too high" and in a powered airplane we would have been, but of course a few seconds of max spoiler and boom we are right on the landing flight path.

The bottom line IMHO is a turn back is a way safer manoever in a glider than it is in a powered airplane.