I've recently started flying a Ventus2. I can't rig the thing without a lot of struggle. The trouble is, there's a cover above the spars and you can't see anything once the first wing is in. I struggle to get the second wing to fit, never knowing whether it's a bit too high or a bit too low....

N105WR, 1993, SN 24217, 820 hrs, second owner, great condition, S/N 10b, Dittel radio, Winter vario, vertical card compass, cobra fiberglass top trailer, wing leading edge mod (ASW-24b profile), factory winglets, water bags, two batteries, oxygen, tow out gear, Wing Rigger, Strong parachute,...

Hey all, I trailered a (new to me and a partner) glider from Ontario to Alberta last week and through the trip blew out both trailer tires on the late-80's aluminum Cobra trailer and destroyed the fenders on the trailer through the event. The first blowout (1:15am east of Madison, Wisconsin)...

I have just posted up to Al's Gliderforum a german language copy of an overhaul manual for the Solo 2350 2-stroke engine as used in all of Schempp-Hirth's sustainer models, as well as the Ventus CM and the new LS-8t sustainer model. This document is quite complete with a good number of color photos...

With all this discussion going on now, maybe someone with some knowledge or experience could enlighten us on the consequences of 10 or more sailplanes in a tight gaglge all squawking the same info. Will ATC see them all? Or will interference and/or filtering software at ATC make some or all of...

There is an interesting discussion here at http://www.postfrontal.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5589&whichpage=6 with a lot of pictures I have taken out of new PNAs with 800-900 nits displays. This PNA has also a spare RS232. I am searching for a Dell Streak to compare, but it is was gone out...

The US distributor of Aeros hang gliders has announced that the Ukranian company's ultralight sailplane has had it's first flight. This craft was built using the wing of Aero's rigid wing hang glider, the Stalker. It was designed to be towed up by the same tugs hang gliders use. I wonder what...

What is the maximum altitude (about) when the mobile phone becomes useless? PeterK

In the latest edition of Soaring magazine there is an article about TLAR. For those not familiar with TLAR, it is a landing approach teaching method that is based on angles as opposed to elevations and distances. Using angles automatically compensates for variations in altitude. On downwind , if...

(per FAA Flight Advisory) You might want to factor this in to your badge or record attempts as the GPS trace may be unusable or have holes in it. This would be especially true at higher elevations like wave flights. The effected area is huge, covering most of Nevada and southern California. For...

I regularly get safety alerts (bulletins, notices) from the FAA and AOPA, but I never get one from the SSA. I went digging to see if the SSA had a similar program. I went to SSA home page, then to SSA Partners..........Hmm, safety isn't a primary concern of the SSA and is relegated to a soaring...

Our club has a K8 with extremely uncomfortable seating arraignments. Basically we are using a combination of foam pieces and misc cushions to try to make the glider usable. After about 2 hours, it is pure torture. The basic glider has a metal seat pan that covers the landing wheel. The seat...

The Sparrowhawk is the worlds most fun to fly sailplane available hands down. Jim Payne just set 8 new USA National records in a Sparrowhawk in 2009. WOW!!! No other standard sailplane comes close to it's maneuverability and agility due to it's low weight and low moment of inertia due to the...

I would like to retire our old Barographs and replace them with a portable Flight Recorder that could be rented to candidates for SSA badges. Does anyone have any suggestions for a portable flight recorder which would meet the badge requirements? Thanks. Carl Baxter Turf Soaring

Replogle for sale, with case, blank graphs. Very good condition. $125 plus shipping. E-mail Kurt

I am interested in learning if other soaring clubs have a Janus 2-seat glider in their fleet, which model they have, its suitability as a club ship and whether they would recommend one to a club that was looking for a 2-seat cross country trainer. If you have other personal experience in the Janus,...

Does anyone have any experience towing a single place glider trailer with a Ford Ranger or Chevy S-10? I am considering purchasing one of these trucks, but am concerned they may not have enough mass to be stable while towing a trailer.

I am a big believer in having some form of survival kit in my glider. Even in the "wilds" of the midwest I can get stuck outside for a while before being "rescued". I am always on the lookout for items to add to my kit which I have built up over time. Whistles, fire starters, signal mirrors,...

I'm hoping to tap the voice of experience... I've been thinking about buying a glider ever since I moved to the US, its been 10 years now and I'm still waiting to get my Green card... yay go USA... anyway... bitterness aside... I know that I can't register an Aircraft on the US register unless...

Hello All, I am looking for real world reviews of the Puchacz (or the newer Perkoz) in the club / instructional environment. How do they hold up to daily use/abuse? Maintenance issues? How are they for ab-initio? Truth to the spin-eager rep? Any bad habits?