The Reformed Smoker Challenge

[JS[_5_]]

With all the talk on 13.5m electric stuff, new class of "soaring competition" etc... A challenge for anyone currently flying only gliders with some sort of "method of propulsion":

Fly a season in pure glider to get your chops and credibility back up.

You don't have to buy a new glider, either swap with a friend for a year, or just remove key components from your MOP.
It's been 7 or 8 years since selling the ASH26E. The declared/completed 1000k in the ASW27 felt a better accomplishment than the longer one, landing with a cold engine, in the 26.
Jim

[Dan Marotta]

My first 30 years and all my diamonds were flown in pure sailplanes.Â*
Now I have an engine for take off and for flying to other destinations
for soaring.Â* To date, I've flown my Stemme to Minden, Nephi, Logan, and
Montrose (CO).Â* Don't need no steenking tow plane no more.

On 12/27/2017 9:47 AM, JS wrote:
> With all the talk on 13.5m electric stuff, new class of "soaring competition" etc... A challenge for anyone currently flying only gliders with some sort of "method of propulsion":
>
> Fly a season in pure glider to get your chops and credibility back up.
>
> You don't have to buy a new glider, either swap with a friend for a year, or just remove key components from your MOP.
> It's been 7 or 8 years since selling the ASH26E. The declared/completed 1000k in the ASW27 felt a better accomplishment than the longer one, landing with a cold engine, in the 26.
> Jim

--
Dan, 5J

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

[jfitch]

On Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 8:47:30 AM UTC-8, JS wrote:
> With all the talk on 13.5m electric stuff, new class of "soaring competition" etc... A challenge for anyone currently flying only gliders with some sort of "method of propulsion":
>
> Fly a season in pure glider to get your chops and credibility back up.
>
> You don't have to buy a new glider, either swap with a friend for a year, or just remove key components from your MOP.
> It's been 7 or 8 years since selling the ASH26E. The declared/completed 1000k in the ASW27 felt a better accomplishment than the longer one, landing with a cold engine, in the 26.
> Jim

Feeling fractious and opinionated? I'd say you aren't a 'real' soaring pilot when you fly glass. Get in a 1-26 and fly a 1000K, then talk about your cred.

:)

[[email protected]]

Jfitch, I agree whole heartedly! 1000k has been done a few times in a 1-26 as have just under 50 people who have gotten their diamond badge exclusively in the 1-26. These little machines seperate the men from the boys. I've had glass, sold em and got into redoing all my badges in the 1-26. I'm having a ball and relearning how to soar xc where all that gets you down the road is your witts. Miss a thermal and your looking for a landing spot. Making low saves become a non issue as are outlandings. That becomes half the fun.. You can keep the engine, if the tow plane isn't available, my truck, a teenager, and 2000 ft of rope always is. Launching is never a problem.

[Giaco]

On Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 6:27:43 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> Jfitch, I agree whole heartedly! 1000k has been done a few times in a 1-26 as have just under 50 people who have gotten their diamond badge exclusively in the 1-26. These little machines seperate the men from the boys. I've had glass, sold em and got into redoing all my badges in the 1-26. I'm having a ball and relearning how to soar xc where all that gets you down the road is your witts. Miss a thermal and your looking for a landing spot. Making low saves become a non issue as are outlandings. That becomes half the fun. You can keep the engine, if the tow plane isn't available, my truck, a teenager, and 2000 ft of rope always is. Launching is never a problem.

By a few... you mean once? And it only took 63 years of dedicated discipleship for it to happen!

[Tony[_5_]]

Twice. Both Daniel Shazam and Ron Schwartz have achieved 1000km in 1-26's.

[[email protected]]

> By a few... you mean once? And it only took 63 years of dedicated discipleship for it to happen!

Twice.
https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?flightId=-1819677200
https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?flightId=274069465

[[email protected]]

Twice and other flights got close. Because something takes time for the right wx and the right skill/experience means that it is a worthy goal to shoot for. Or maybe you just aren't interested in learning to fly that well Gianco lol.

[2G]

On Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 3:27:43 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> Jfitch, I agree whole heartedly! 1000k has been done a few times in a 1-26 as have just under 50 people who have gotten their diamond badge exclusively in the 1-26. These little machines seperate the men from the boys. I've had glass, sold em and got into redoing all my badges in the 1-26. I'm having a ball and relearning how to soar xc where all that gets you down the road is your witts. Miss a thermal and your looking for a landing spot. Making low saves become a non issue as are outlandings. That becomes half the fun. You can keep the engine, if the tow plane isn't available, my truck, a teenager, and 2000 ft of rope always is. Launching is never a problem.

The hang glider buys will laugh at you all!

Tom

[[email protected]]

Hell Tom, we laugh at ourselves half the time flying these low performance tin cans lol. Kinda similar to racing lawn mowers. Why do we do it? Cause its a fun challenge lol.
Dan

[[email protected]]

But I laugh like hell at guys who fly a bird with 50/1 L/D who think they have done something after a 500k.

[jfitch]

Yep, people look for different challenges. Not much difference at all in skill between an ASW27 and an ASH26, only some convenience in failed attempts.. On the other hand, done in a 1-26 or a hang glider - that is some skill difference. (and I have flown hang gliders and 1-26s without achieving 1000K!).

On Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 6:47:19 PM UTC-8, 2G wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 3:27:43 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> > Jfitch, I agree whole heartedly! 1000k has been done a few times in a 1-26 as have just under 50 people who have gotten their diamond badge exclusively in the 1-26. These little machines seperate the men from the boys. I've had glass, sold em and got into redoing all my badges in the 1-26. I'm having a ball and relearning how to soar xc where all that gets you down the road is your witts. Miss a thermal and your looking for a landing spot. Making low saves become a non issue as are outlandings. That becomes half the fun. You can keep the engine, if the tow plane isn't available, my truck, a teenager, and 2000 ft of rope always is. Launching is never a problem.
>
> The hang glider buys will laugh at you all!
>
> Tom

[Jonathan St. Cloud]

On Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 4:51:33 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> > By a few... you mean once? And it only took 63 years of dedicated discipleship for it to happen!
>
> Twice.
> https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?flightId=-1819677200
> https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?flightId=274069465

These pilots must have had to stand up for the entire flight!

[[email protected]]

Its more a game of how much bruising you can take from being banged around severely running those ridges.

As for thermal based xc in a 1-26, someone, someday, is going to put all the pieces together and put up a 500 miler. Running a frontal boundary on a long summer day can make it happen.

Dan

[6PK]

It's been done more than a few times....

[Pete[_9_]]

Anyone going XC in a glider is something to be respected. If you fly a 500k in an Arcus with an up and go you are still the man. You don't need a 1-26 to prove you are a good pilot.
Do the 1-26 pilots feel they don't get enough respect? Come on!! All I have ever heard since starting soaring in 2012 is admiration and damn-near worship of the ship and the pilots that fly them XC...

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

Dude, L/D makes a difference.
Period.


Yes, a 1000K is a good flight, sorta depending on where you fly from. Some are easier, some are harder.
I pride myself on doing all SSA badges from my home field from solo to 2 diamonds (missing diamond altitude) and looking to finish that and a 1K distance from "home".

No, not all was in a 1-26, most was.......I bow to Ron S. and others, for for that medal........

[[email protected]]

"All I have ever heard since starting soaring in 2012 is admiration and damn-near worship of the ship and the pilots that fly them XC."

Pete your own words tell the story. Since you are new to the sport you came in within the "glass" age and probably have never had the opportunity to fly a 1-26. If you ever do, and if you jump off the cliff like some of us and try to go xc in one, you will then understand why there is a pretty healthy respect for the guys who do remarkable flights in these little machines.

However, I can't agree with your assumption that making a run in an Arcus is a remarkable achievement. Sure I'd love to take one of those ships for an xc romp, but there is absolutely no correlation between a 500k flight in one of them and even a 500k flight in first generation glass like say a 201 libelle or let alone a 1-26. The skills needed to do that in an old libelle or even older 1-26 are many levels higher than what is needed in todays super ships.

Pete, I sure hope you get a chance to give these little ships a try. You will find the xc challenges are very rewarding and the group of guys that fly them are really great. They freely share the knowledge they have gained over the years and are super helpfull. You will not run into any semblance of snobbery whatsoever among their ranks.
Dan

[JS[_5_]]

On Friday, December 29, 2017 at 4:12:33 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> "All I have ever heard since starting soaring in 2012 is admiration and damn-near worship of the ship and the pilots that fly them XC."
>
> Pete your own words tell the story. Since you are new to the sport you came in within the "glass" age and probably have never had the opportunity to fly a 1-26. If you ever do, and if you jump off the cliff like some of us and try to go xc in one, you will then understand why there is a pretty healthy respect for the guys who do remarkable flights in these little machines.
>
> However, I can't agree with your assumption that making a run in an Arcus is a remarkable achievement. Sure I'd love to take one of those ships for an xc romp, but there is absolutely no correlation between a 500k flight in one of them and even a 500k flight in first generation glass like say a 201 libelle or let alone a 1-26. The skills needed to do that in an old libelle or even older 1-26 are many levels higher than what is needed in todays super ships.
>
> Pete, I sure hope you get a chance to give these little ships a try. You will find the xc challenges are very rewarding and the group of guys that fly them are really great. They freely share the knowledge they have gained over the years and are super helpfull. You will not run into any semblance of snobbery whatsoever among their ranks.
> Dan

The challenge (with an intended joke of a name) is not about 1-26s, 2-33s, PW-5s or even OS/X high sierra. It's more about:
I'd sometimes be met on landing the ASH26E by a friend carrying two cold beers. He'd check the temperature of the engine bay doors before handing one over, and rightly so!
May the Schwartz be with you,
Jim

[jfitch]

On Friday, December 29, 2017 at 6:14:54 PM UTC-8, JS wrote:
> On Friday, December 29, 2017 at 4:12:33 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> > "All I have ever heard since starting soaring in 2012 is admiration and damn-near worship of the ship and the pilots that fly them XC."
> >
> > Pete your own words tell the story. Since you are new to the sport you came in within the "glass" age and probably have never had the opportunity to fly a 1-26. If you ever do, and if you jump off the cliff like some of us and try to go xc in one, you will then understand why there is a pretty healthy respect for the guys who do remarkable flights in these little machines.
> >
> > However, I can't agree with your assumption that making a run in an Arcus is a remarkable achievement. Sure I'd love to take one of those ships for an xc romp, but there is absolutely no correlation between a 500k flight in one of them and even a 500k flight in first generation glass like say a 201 libelle or let alone a 1-26. The skills needed to do that in an old libelle or even older 1-26 are many levels higher than what is needed in todays super ships.
> >
> > Pete, I sure hope you get a chance to give these little ships a try. You will find the xc challenges are very rewarding and the group of guys that fly them are really great. They freely share the knowledge they have gained over the years and are super helpfull. You will not run into any semblance of snobbery whatsoever among their ranks.
> > Dan
>
> The challenge (with an intended joke of a name) is not about 1-26s, 2-33s, PW-5s or even OS/X high sierra. It's more about:
> I'd sometimes be met on landing the ASH26E by a friend carrying two cold beers. He'd check the temperature of the engine bay doors before handing one over, and rightly so!
> May the Schwartz be with you,
> Jim

Did he check the hood of your car after a retrieve?

I guess if you are saying you started the motor on your 26E and then tried to hide the fact from friends, maybe getting you into a 27 improved your candor. On the few times I've used the engine on my 26Mi for a retrieve, I've made a point of starting it right over the runway, right over my friends (in their 27s) sitting down there waiting for a towplane to come and get them. I call on the CTAF that I am "attempting an engine start" just in case they are looking away. They never come over to feel my engine doors, and I am usually several beers ahead by the time they get back anyway.

[[email protected]]

LOL nicely put

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

JS wrote on 12/29/2017 6:14 PM:

> The challenge (with an intended joke of a name) is not about 1-26s, 2-33s, PW-5s or even OS/X high sierra. It's more about:
> I'd sometimes be met on landing the ASH26E by a friend carrying two cold beers. He'd check the temperature of the engine bay doors before handing one over, and rightly so!
> May the Schwartz be with you,
> Jim

I'm often met on landing by my crew, who puts the tail dolly over boom. I pop it
into place, and then we push the 26E to the tiedown. She's all smiles that I made
it back and never feels the engine bay doors. She says "This glider is the best
one we've ever had, because it always makes it back!" After 40 years, 20 of them
retrieving, and now 20 of not retrieving, she really, really likes the one with
the motor.

Priorities - get them right, and your honey will be there with you...

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorgliders/publications/download-the-guide-1
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Dec 2014a" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm

http://soaringsafety.org/prevention/Guide-to-transponders-in-sailplanes-2014A.pdf