Flying sideways

[Corky Scott]

We'd just gotten back from a trip yesterday and were out walking the
dogs when I heard the sound of a powerful engine at high output. It
kept on getting louder and louder and I began scanning to find out
what it was.

This is always hugely amusing to my wife, but she wanted to see too
when I saw what it was. It was the local soaring club's L-19 towing a
glider. This was way too late in the year for there to be convective
thermals so the pilot may have been looking for ridge lift. There was
a considerable breeze blowing from the northwest on both Saturday and
Sunday, this was Sunday.

Just as I spotted it, the tow plane released and turned away leaving
the glider headed west. The impressive wind was causing such a crab
angle for the glider relative to it's chosen course that it appeared
that it was flying sideways and my wife commented on it. "That's
new", she said, "flying sideways?"

I tried to explain that to the glider, the wind was right over the
nose and that it only seemed sideways to us because we were standing
still on the ground watching it. She did not seem to buy the
explanation but I've a long history of not explaining things well to
her. I tried the analogy of people in a canoe paddling towards the
opposite shore of river in a swift current. The water is passing
directly to the stern as you move forward, but the canoe is moving
downstream at the same time. The canoe is moving sideways relative to
the river bank. "That's what I said", she replied, "it's flying
sideways."

Corky Scott

[AJW]

>
>
>We'd just gotten back from a trip yesterday and were out walking the
>dogs when I heard the sound of a powerful engine at high output. It
>kept on getting louder and louder and I began scanning to find out
>what it was.
>
>This is always hugely amusing to my wife, but she wanted to see too
>when I saw what it was. It was the local soaring club's L-19 towing a
>glider. This was way too late in the year for there to be convective
>thermals so the pilot may have been looking for ridge lift. There was
>a considerable breeze blowing from the northwest on both Saturday and
>Sunday, this was Sunday.
>
>Just as I spotted it, the tow plane released and turned away leaving
>the glider headed west. The impressive wind was causing such a crab
>angle for the glider relative to it's chosen course that it appeared
>that it was flying sideways and my wife commented on it. "That's
>new", she said, "flying sideways?"
>
>I tried to explain that to the glider, the wind was right over the
>nose and that it only seemed sideways to us because we were standing
>still on the ground watching it. She did not seem to buy the
>explanation but I've a long history of not explaining things well to
>her. I tried the analogy of people in a canoe paddling towards the
>opposite shore of river in a swift current. The water is passing
>directly to the stern as you move forward, but the canoe is moving
>downstream at the same time. The canoe is moving sideways relative to
>the river bank. "That's what I said", she replied, "it's flying
>sideways."
>
>Corky Scott
>
Those of us who've been married a while know the corect response is "Yes dear."

"Clear!" is NOT recommended.

[Richard Russell]

On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 13:15:37 -0500, Corky Scott
> wrote:

>We'd just gotten back from a trip yesterday and were out walking the
>dogs when I heard the sound of a powerful engine at high output. It
>kept on getting louder and louder and I began scanning to find out
>what it was.
>
>This is always hugely amusing to my wife, but she wanted to see too
>when I saw what it was. It was the local soaring club's L-19 towing a
>glider. This was way too late in the year for there to be convective
>thermals so the pilot may have been looking for ridge lift. There was
>a considerable breeze blowing from the northwest on both Saturday and
>Sunday, this was Sunday.
>
>Just as I spotted it, the tow plane released and turned away leaving
>the glider headed west. The impressive wind was causing such a crab
>angle for the glider relative to it's chosen course that it appeared
>that it was flying sideways and my wife commented on it. "That's
>new", she said, "flying sideways?"
>
>I tried to explain that to the glider, the wind was right over the
>nose and that it only seemed sideways to us because we were standing
>still on the ground watching it. She did not seem to buy the
>explanation but I've a long history of not explaining things well to
>her. I tried the analogy of people in a canoe paddling towards the
>opposite shore of river in a swift current. The water is passing
>directly to the stern as you move forward, but the canoe is moving
>downstream at the same time. The canoe is moving sideways relative to
>the river bank. "That's what I said", she replied, "it's flying
>sideways."
>
>Corky Scott
I hope you were smart enough to say, "Yes, dear. I misunderstood you
the first time. Sorry."
Rich Russell

[m pautz]

AJW wrote:

>>
>>We'd just gotten back from a trip yesterday and were out walking the
>>dogs when I heard the sound of a powerful engine at high output. It
>>kept on getting louder and louder and I began scanning to find out
>>what it was.
>>
>>This is always hugely amusing to my wife, but she wanted to see too
>>when I saw what it was. It was the local soaring club's L-19 towing a
>>glider. This was way too late in the year for there to be convective
>>thermals so the pilot may have been looking for ridge lift. There was
>>a considerable breeze blowing from the northwest on both Saturday and
>>Sunday, this was Sunday.
>>
>>Just as I spotted it, the tow plane released and turned away leaving
>>the glider headed west. The impressive wind was causing such a crab
>>angle for the glider relative to it's chosen course that it appeared
>>that it was flying sideways and my wife commented on it. "That's
>>new", she said, "flying sideways?"
>>
>>I tried to explain that to the glider, the wind was right over the
>>nose and that it only seemed sideways to us because we were standing
>>still on the ground watching it. She did not seem to buy the
>>explanation but I've a long history of not explaining things well to
>>her. I tried the analogy of people in a canoe paddling towards the
>>opposite shore of river in a swift current. The water is passing
>>directly to the stern as you move forward, but the canoe is moving
>>downstream at the same time. The canoe is moving sideways relative to
>>the river bank. "That's what I said", she replied, "it's flying
>>sideways."
>>
>>Corky Scott
>>
>
> Those of us who've been married a while know the corect response is "Yes dear."

A friend of my wife's was visiting us. The friend and I were
downstairs, my wife was upstairs. My wife yelled something down from
upstairs and I responded with, "Yes dear". Our friend didn't understand
what my wife had said and asked if I had understood. I said, "No, I
find it is simpler to just say, 'yes dear'".

>
> "Clear!" is NOT recommended.

[Richard Hertz]

"Corky Scott" > wrote in message
...
> We'd just gotten back from a trip yesterday and were out walking the
> dogs when I heard the sound of a powerful engine at high output. It
> kept on getting louder and louder and I began scanning to find out
> what it was.
>
> This is always hugely amusing to my wife, but she wanted to see too
> when I saw what it was. It was the local soaring club's L-19 towing a
> glider. This was way too late in the year for there to be convective
> thermals so the pilot may have been looking for ridge lift. There was
> a considerable breeze blowing from the northwest on both Saturday and
> Sunday, this was Sunday.
>
> Just as I spotted it, the tow plane released and turned away leaving
> the glider headed west. The impressive wind was causing such a crab
> angle for the glider relative to it's chosen course that it appeared
> that it was flying sideways and my wife commented on it. "That's
> new", she said, "flying sideways?"
>
> I tried to explain that to the glider, the wind was right over the
> nose and that it only seemed sideways to us because we were standing
> still on the ground watching it. She did not seem to buy the
> explanation but I've a long history of not explaining things well to
> her. I tried the analogy of people in a canoe paddling towards the
> opposite shore of river in a swift current. The water is passing
> directly to the stern as you move forward, but the canoe is moving
> downstream at the same time. The canoe is moving sideways relative to
> the river bank. "That's what I said", she replied, "it's flying
> sideways."
>
> Corky Scott

I think the technical description is actually "sidewards."

[Martin Hellman]

Corky,

To add to the "Yes dear" responses, your wife does have a point that I
think has been missed. From her perspective (and yours on the ground)
the glider is moving sideways. Do the vector addition. Or, like your
wife, just use your eyes. But, we, as glider pilots have a natural
tendency to view things from the perspective of the pilot and the air.

It's like the three blind men who encounter an elephant for the first
time. The one who hits the tusk remarks about the sharp rock he's
found. The one who walks into the leg laughs at the idiocy of the
first guy since, clearly, this is a tree trunk. Which causes the third
one to howl with laughter at the first two. He's encountered the trunk
and knows it is a serpent. They can only get a better picture of the
true nature of what they've encountered if they get out of their
individual frames of reference and stop pretending that their pieces
of the truth are the whole truth.

It's interesting that this came up in the context of marriage since I
had to learn the above lesson in order to stay married. (Thirty-seven
years and counting at this point.) At first, when our perspectives
differed, I tended to treat my wife as if she were crazy, making life
hell for both of us. And I wasn't logical enough to realize that my
attempts to bring logic into the relationship were illogical given the
results.

The other part of my story that is applicable here is that I got a
better sailplane by learning to stop doing that. (Now maybe I've got
your attention.)

One of our early disagreements was over how to treat money. I tended
to be a saver and she, while also wanting some savings, liked money
more for the beautiful things it could buy and wasn't as much a miser
as I. When an investment paid off really well about eight years ago,
she asked me if I was going to buy the sailplane I had drooled over
for a number of years, but felt I couldn't afford. Given my bias
toward saving, the thought had never entered my mind but, once she
voiced the thought, it was clear to me that now I could afford it. So
I bought it and have had a wonderful time flying it.

Martin

PS Re-reading your posting more carefully, I see the problem a bit
better. She said IT is flying sideways. You said TO THE GLIDER THE
WIND IS RIGHT OVER THE NOSE. A better response might have been, "Yes
isn't that amazing that when there's a strong crosswind, it can appear
to fly sideways." Those of us who have been lucky enough to fly in
strong wave have had a somewhat similar reaction when our GPS traces
suddenly get a kink in them as the ship starts to "fly" backward. Once
you had validated her experience, she might have been more open to the
other perspective. So, I guess the story could just as well be about
three blind women encountering an elephant for the first time.


Corky Scott > wrote in message news:
>"That's new", she said, "flying sideways?"
>
> I tried to explain that to the glider, the wind was right over the
> nose and that it only seemed sideways to us because we were standing
> still on the ground watching it. She did not seem to buy the
> explanation but I've a long history of not explaining things well to
> her. I tried the analogy of people in a canoe paddling towards the
> opposite shore of river in a swift current. The water is passing
> directly to the stern as you move forward, but the canoe is moving
> downstream at the same time. The canoe is moving sideways relative to
> the river bank. "That's what I said", she replied, "it's flying
> sideways."

[BTIZ]

Corky.. I know you fly out of LEB...
which glider club is close??? Sugarbush?

BT

"Corky Scott" > wrote in message
...
> We'd just gotten back from a trip yesterday and were out walking the
> dogs when I heard the sound of a powerful engine at high output. It
> kept on getting louder and louder and I began scanning to find out
> what it was.
>
> This is always hugely amusing to my wife, but she wanted to see too
> when I saw what it was. It was the local soaring club's L-19 towing a
> glider. This was way too late in the year for there to be convective
> thermals so the pilot may have been looking for ridge lift. There was
> a considerable breeze blowing from the northwest on both Saturday and
> Sunday, this was Sunday.
>
> Just as I spotted it, the tow plane released and turned away leaving
> the glider headed west. The impressive wind was causing such a crab
> angle for the glider relative to it's chosen course that it appeared
> that it was flying sideways and my wife commented on it. "That's
> new", she said, "flying sideways?"
>
> I tried to explain that to the glider, the wind was right over the
> nose and that it only seemed sideways to us because we were standing
> still on the ground watching it. She did not seem to buy the
> explanation but I've a long history of not explaining things well to
> her. I tried the analogy of people in a canoe paddling towards the
> opposite shore of river in a swift current. The water is passing
> directly to the stern as you move forward, but the canoe is moving
> downstream at the same time. The canoe is moving sideways relative to
> the river bank. "That's what I said", she replied, "it's flying
> sideways."
>
> Corky Scott

[Trent Moorehead]

"Corky Scott" > wrote in message
...

<snip>
She did not seem to buy the
> explanation but I've a long history of not explaining things well to
> her. I tried the analogy of people in a canoe paddling towards the
> opposite shore of river in a swift current.
<snip>

This reminds of the time when a co-worker grabbed me as I was walking by his
cube. He and several others were deeply involved in a discussion of
airplanes and the speed of sound. He knew I was a pilot, so he asked me a
question. The exchange went something like this:

Co-worker: What's the speed of sound?

Me: Depends on air pressure and temperature, generally..

Co-worker: [Blank stare, pause] OK, well planes aren't allowed to fly faster
than the speed of sound, like, in the airspace over, like, your house,
right?

Me: Right.

Co-worker: Well why does the sound trail behind a jet when it passes
overhead? Isn't it flying faster than the sound?

Me: The plane isn't actually flying faster than sound......[I am excited
that someone actually asked me an aviation-related question, so I give a
detailed explanation complete with hand gestures]

Co-worker: [Blank stare, pause, sound of distant crickets]

Co-worker: OK, but how come I didn't hear a sonic boom?

I explained it again, but it seemed like I was talking a different language.
And these were all college-educated folks too. Oh well.

-Trent
PP-ASEL

[PJ Hunt]

I'm some what confused. Is this a post about relative wind or marriage.

If it is about relative wind, don't forget there is a difference between
heading and track and wind direction and relative wind. Your heading may be
one thing but your actual track across the ground is different if you have
any type of wind from any direction other than your heading or exactly 180
digress off your heading. (Your tail)

You started off correctly when you said "The impressive wind was causing
such a crab angle for the glider relative to it's chosen course that it
appeared that it was flying sideways" but then you contradicted yourself by
saying, "I tried to explain that to the glider, the wind was right over the
nose and that it only seemed sideways"

Remember that if an aircraft is crabbing, due to crosswind or intentional
rudder deflection, then the aircraft is in fact flying sideways. As a matter
of fact, with enough headwind, an aircraft can actually fly backwards. I've
had people pull over on the side of the road to watch me as I fly backwards
past them. This is of course what the people on the ground are seeing, but
the aircraft is flying at whatever airspeed the airspeed indicator is
indicating.

Your example about the canoe in the water is also off. If the water is
'directly' on the stern then the canoe must be going straight. For the
canoe to be at any angle at all, then the water has to be at an angle also.

Clear as mud? I tried to keep this somewhat simple so the wife might
understand, maybe not simple enough or maybe to simple, but you gotta start
somewhere. Hope this helps.

PJ

[Corky Scott]

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 14:04:56 -0900, "PJ Hunt"
> wrote:

>Clear as mud? I tried to keep this somewhat simple so the wife might
>understand, maybe not simple enough or maybe to simple, but you gotta start
>somewhere. Hope this helps.
>
>PJ

I don't need help thank you, I can dig impressive holes all by myself.

Corky Scott

[PJ Hunt]

I think you may be correct.

PJ

============================================
Here's to the duck who swam a lake and never lost a feather,
May sometime another year, we all be back together.
JJW
============================================


"Corky Scott" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 14:04:56 -0900, "PJ Hunt"
> > wrote:
>
> >Clear as mud? I tried to keep this somewhat simple so the wife might
> >understand, maybe not simple enough or maybe to simple, but you gotta
start
> >somewhere. Hope this helps.
> >
> >PJ
>
> I don't need help thank you, I can dig impressive holes all by myself.
>
> Corky Scott