I have an EDS on order and have been reading the manual available from their web site. It says "USE 9V ALKALINE BATTERY ONLY" in caps for emphasis. They then go on to say that you can also use and external battery of any type you choose. OK, so what would be wrong with using a 9V lithium smoke...

OK, it's the time of year to talk about soaring instead of doing it here in the Northeast, so I'll ask this question. If a person was just bursting to go soaring this time of year or up to the early spring, maybe get some XC or badge legs, where would be the ideal place to go? If it's not all the...

I recently purchased a hook knife to use while paragliding but I also intend to carry it when wearing my parachute in the sailplane. This will allow a chance of cutting free from the parachute after landing in extreme conditions. Some hook knives are better than others and I have learned that the...

Is there any trick how to prevent suction mount with a relative heavy gps device on it (G96) to fall off the canopy every half an hour or so?! The canopy is new, surface is perfectly clean, almost flat (blanik's canopy starboard side), tried two diferent suction mounts, one with light PDA device...

To anybody that owns a Grob single, There is a new AD proposal working it's way through the FAA requiring inspection and eventual replacement of the spar spigots. The FAA thinks this will cost $840 for parts and 22 hours of shop time. Total over $2000. Todd Smith 3S

A recent discussion on transponders in gliders brought up the issue of a transponder in Class C airspace. Recognizing that gliders are not required to have one since they don't have electrical systems, the issue was whether one is required if you are above towered airspace, such as Class C. I...

On Jun 21, 7:53 pm, "Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote: Now a Bell 47 helicopter, THAT is hard to fly. With zero helicopter time I had the opportunity to fly a Bell 47. In less that 40 minutes of flight and perhaps 20 minutes on the controls, I had done takeoff, hover, hover turns,...

On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 17:23:32 +0100, "GB" wrote in : 40 years or so ago, I learned to fly, at least a bit. I did some solo circuits in gliders. I would like to come back to flying, and I was wondering about whether to learn on...

OK all, its cold (with an F), wet and dreary here in Oz, and time to fire up the dreams machine. What ship, down to 3 options- ASH26E 304S with Jet sustainer Antares 20E Which is your choice and why?

I have received several letters over the last year from people interested in purchasing my glider. I was wondering if this is common or rare? I'd like to think it rare and that I own a highly desireable and marketable glider. I also wonder if it is some type of scam. The letter's content...

An amazing (to me) amount of interest in refreshing faded vinyl trim strips indicates pilots are serious about making their rides look good. But what about the trailer itself? My 14-year-old glass-top Cobra has a few cracks, nicks, etc., that will require work this winter. Matching the existing...

Hi All Like to install a relief tube system in my ASW-27 and looking for some ideas. Ken (KP)

Following the thread on landing with one spoiler, I wonder what proportion of landing accidents result from mechanical failure or jamming of primary flight controls and spoilers/dive brakes. I personally know of a couple of failures - one spoiler handle sheared off as the pilot did his pre-landing...

http://www.lange-flugzeugbau.de/english/menu/menu-akt.htm Wow I would like one for Christmas Mal

Current women's world gliding champion Mette Pedersen of Denmark, will take on the might of the world's top male pilots as the sole female contestant in the New Zealand Gliding Grand Prix in Omarama from 21-27 January. This is the first time a female has competed directly against men at this high...

From the latest electronic SSA Newsletter: "...our 2005 member number is...12,740 members, up from 12,434 in 2004, which was up from 12,122 at the end of 2003." Jack

A thought came to me the other day... Now, I have never seen a bi-wing glider, but was thinking, could a bi-wing glider of, say 15m wingspan, effectively have 30m performace? This is probably a stupid uneducated question, and I would imagine that it hasnt been done because it wouldnt work! But...

The final OLC League rules were just posted to the OLC web site: http://www2.onlinecontest.org/olcphp/olc-i.php?olc=olc-i The OLC League is a new feature for the US, and several other countries. It is a speed competition between clubs with different leagues for each country. It has been run in...

An annoying property of my Ventus 2C is that the safety harness does not hold me into the seat. When encountering turbulance my upper torso leaves the seat and my head ocassionally hits the canopy. The position of the shoulder strap anchors aft of the cockpit is high enough that no downward force...

I am intrigued by the construction of the Dreamliner...carbon fiber makes it's way to commercial aircraft. This got me wondering about the construction techniques of glider wings vs how Boeing does it. Will the 787 have spar bumps after a few years? Are the wings pulled out of molds? Do they...